Meramec Sharks Youth Ice Hockey Association

Meramec Youth Hockey Association
Bylaws and Rules

February 1, 2000
Revision Approved: October 28, 2003  (These Rules are subject to change)

Post Evaluation Player Movement Guideline

This document is designed to provide general guidelines for player movement between teams after the evaluation process has been completed.  The guideline is intended to cover the majority of situations that could result in the movement of one or more players.  It should be recognized that unusual or rare circumstances may require additional guidance from the Board of Directors.

The guideline is based on several assumptions:

1. The new evaluation process provides for the ability to move players up or down within an age group for a fixed period of time after the formal evaluations (currently up through October 15).  Therefore, this guideline would not come into play until after that date.
   
   

2. This process assumes that player movement can only be triggered by an event that causes the loss or gain of a player or players on a particular team.  In cannot be triggered simply to attempt to improve the competitiveness of a team.  It is assumed that the evaluation process should stand in terms of setting team competitiveness.
   
   

3. This process recognizes that team rosters must be frozen per the MOAM rules on December 31.
   
   

4. This process recognizes that team rosters within an age group do not necessarily have to be balanced in terms of numbers of players.  However, team rosters should not be allowed to vary by more than 2 players within an age group.
   
   

5. Team rosters should, where possible, not fall below 12 skaters, or go above 15 skaters.  If these conditions exist, player movement must be considered.
   
   

6. In order to minimize the impact to team rosters, player movement should generally only take place between two teams.  For example, if A1 loses a player to AA, we should not “cascade” with moves from A2 to A1, B1 to A2, etc.  Further movement would only be warranted if rosters fall outside of the guidelines listed in 4 and 5 above.
   
   

7. In general, this guideline assumes that player movement would normally take place upward from a lower level team to a higher level team.  In the event of any situation that would cause consideration to move a player from a higher level team to a lower level team, the Meramec Board of Directors must review and approve the player move.

Loss of a Player:

If a team loses a player due to injury, illness, or a player quits, there may be cause to move a player from a lower team in that age group.  The head coach of the affected team should work with the Coaching Director to determine if player movement is warranted.  The criteria to determine player movement is as follows:

• Does the affected team roster drop to less than 12 skaters?  If yes,
  
  

• Does the team directly below them have greater than 12 skaters?  If yes, the head coach of the affected team must request a player.
  
  

• Does the affected team roster remain at 12 or greater skaters?  If yes, the head coach has the option of standing pat with his existing roster, or he may still request a player.
  
  

• Is there a difference of greater than 2 between the rosters of the affected team and the team below?  If yes, the Coaching Director should review the situation with the head coaches of the teams to arrange for player movement to bring the difference back to within 2.
  
  

• If the lowest level team in an age group is affected by the loss of a player or players which would result in the team roster dropping below 12 skaters, or causing a differential of greater than 2 with the next team above, the Coaching Director should review the situation with the head coach.  If a recommendation is made to move a player down to the affected team, the Meramec Board of Directors must review and approve the player move.

Gain of a Player:

Often after the evaluation process, players may join the club and must be placed on a team.  The Coaching Director has the responsibility to investigate the experience of incoming players to determine appropriate placement.  The criteria to determine player placement if as follows:

• Any incoming player that has no prior ice experience will be placed on the lowest level team within that age group.
  
  

• Any incoming player with ice experience will be placed on a team that nearest matches the player’s experience and that have a roster spot available.

Once it has been established what team incoming player(s) should be placed on, player movement may be required based on the following criteria:

• Does the affected team roster grow to greater than 15 skaters?  If yes, the Coaching Director should coordinate with the head coaches of the affected team and the team above to coordinate movement of a player upward if there is a roster spot available.
  
  

• Is there a difference of greater than 2 between the rosters of the affected team and the team above?  If yes, the Coaching Director should review the situation with the head coaches of the teams to arrange for player movement to bring the difference back to within 2.

   

Coordinating Player Movement:

When it is established that player movement is warranted based on the above scenarios, the Coaching Director should coordinate the process with the head coaches of the affected teams.  The process for selecting the player(s) to be moved should be as follows:

• The head coach of the higher level team receiving a player has the final choice on which player or players should be moved.
  
  

• It is recommended that the receiving team head coach observe at least 3 ice sessions of the team from which he will receive a player or players.
  
  

• It is required that the receiving team head coach confer with the head coach of the team giving up a player or players.  The Coaching Director should facilitate, when needed.
  
  

• The head coach of the receiving team must notify the Coaching Director of his selection within 48 hours of his last ice observation.
  
  

• In all cases, the parents of any player selected for movement will have veto power if they decide that they would prefer to remain on their present team.  Therefore, the head coach of the receiving team should identify several players in the order he would select them in case of a parent veto.  Once a parent has been notified that their player has been selected for movement, they must exercise the veto, if desired, within 48 hours, otherwise the player selection stands.

MHC registration for current members should be completed and turned in to the club’s registrar by June 1 each year in order to reserve a roster position.  The club registrar will maintain a waiting list for new members. New members will be invited to evaluations, and accepted into the club after evaluations are completed and the total number of players is known.

HIP: Hockey Initiation Program (HIP) player’s fees - including MHC season Fee, USA Hockey Insurance Fee (if applicable), and Missouri Hockey, Inc. Registration Fee - must be paid in full at the time of registration.

Midget: Fees are due in full at the first team function (practice, game, or meeting) after teams have been selected.

Mite, Squirt, PeeWee, and Bantam: Players must make a deposit of $250.00 by the June 1 deadline for registration.  All registration monies received will be held for deposit until June 1. The balance is due at the player’s FIRST evaluation session. The MHC Season Fee will be based on the previous year’s level played (i.e. Recreational, League) for payments made prior to the final evaluation. Any required adjustments to the MHC Season Fee are due for final payment by October 1.

Late Payments: Players, who have not paid their entire season fee by October 1, will be assessed a $20.00 per month (retroactive to September 1) late fee.  Players who have not paid their entire season fee by November 1 will not be allowed to play for any MHC team (without the permission of the MHC Board of Directors) until all fees and late charges are paid.  Furthermore, such players will be sanctioned from playing for any USA Hockey club until all fees due MHC have been resolved.

Evaluation Fees for New Members:  The MHC Season Fee includes ice time for team evaluations.  A $50.00 evaluation fee will be charged to a player outside MHC and will be credited toward MHC fees if he/she is placed on a team.  The balance of season fees for new members is due immediately upon their placement on a team.

Payment Methods:  For the convenience of the membership, MHC accepts payment in cash, check, or credit card.  Payments by credit card are charged an additional 5 percent to cover MHC costs.  Checks returned for insufficient funds are charged $10.00.

Referrals: Any MHC member that brings a new family into the club is eligible for a $50.00 referral fee.  The new family must list the referring club member on their application form.  These rebates will be sent out after December 1 to insure that the player referred to the club has paid their fees.

Refunds: Refunds of all monies paid at registration will be given if MHC is notified in writing on or before August 1.  All refund requests after August 1 are at the discretion of the MHC Board of directors.   All requests must be made in writing and postmarked by August 1 to Meramec Hockey Club, 5541 Oakville Center, PMB 188, St. Louis, Missouri 63129-3572.

All divisions are based on age as determined by USA Hockey.  The age of the player as of December 31 is used to determine division.  Mites are 8 and under, Squirts are 9 and 10, PeeWees are 11 and 12, Bantams are 13 and 14, Midget Minors are 15 and 16, and Midget Majors are 17 and 18.

League (Travel) Teams: The Missouri Amateur Ice Hockey Association (MOAM) Youth Division League is designed for competitive ice hockey.  Teams at the league level often travel to out of town tournaments and games with the approval of the team parents as outlined below.  Players representing MHC have participated in games and tournaments around the U.S. and in Canada, although most trips are by car with destinations in the 2-6 hour range.  In order for MHC to attain the necessary standards required to compete at this level, each player/parent must realize and understand the commitment required to participate on a league level team.  Schedules for league level teams require approximately two to three hours per week on the ice.  A league level team is normally expected to travel to a minimum of two tournaments during the season (non-league games).  The first two trips require a simple majority vote of the team’s parents.  Additional trips require a two-thirds majority vote.  Players are expected to attend all approved trips.  Continued failure to participate with the team will be grounds for removal from the team and sanctions against the player prohibiting him/her from playing at the league level the following season.  Please consider your level of commitment to other sports and activities that may conflict with league level hockey, and please remember all the other players on the team are affected by your decision.

Recreational (House-GRHL) Level Teams: The recreational level is designed for players who are not yet ready to compete at a league level.  The focus at this level will be on developing each player’s skills to prepare for advancement to a league level team.  Therefore, practice and games should be at a minimum ratio of 2 practices to every game, and the number of games should be limited to 16 per season, plus local recreational or house level tournaments.  Travel outside of MOAM District by recreational level teams is prohibited by MHC rules.  In addition, we realize some players and/or parents are unwilling to make the time and/or the economic commitment to participate in a league level team.  Players/Parents in this category may declare a preference for a recreational level team understanding the above philosophy will apply to all players on all recreational level teams.  A declaration to play recreational level will apply for the entire season; however, it will not effect the option to try out for a league level team in future seasons.  At this time, the recreational level will accommodate approximately 1-2 hours per week on the ice.

MHC Euro (4 on 4 League):  Designed for the younger skaters and is solely for developmental purposes only.  The USA Hockey Initiation Program is used exclusively.  Therefore, practice and games will be at a minimum ratio of 3 practices to every game and the number of games will be limited to 6 full sheet and per season.  There is no limit on 4 on 4 cross-ice games.

HIP (Learn to Play): Designed for the younger skaters, this program is for developmental purposes only.  The USA Hockey Initiation Program is used exclusively.

Goalies:  On PeeWee, Bantam and Midget AA teams two goalies will be carried if there are more goalies than teams.  This rule is necessary to comply with USA Hockey qualification requirements for National playoffs.

Recreational:  The goal for all recreational teams is equal ice time for all team members

League: The objective for all league teams is to skate all players equal amounts of time over the course of the season.  It is often necessary to double shift players when lines are uneven (for example, two centers rotating among three sets of wingers).  Coaches may also use the players of their choice in the last 5 minutes of the game when score is within 2 goals.  It is the decision of the Head Coach as to goalie ice distribution (full games versus split games) with the same goal of equal ice time over the course of the season.

Discipline: Coaches may discipline players for missing practices or for conduct detrimental to the team by reducing a player’s ice time during games.  The reason for the action should be communicated to the parents.

During a team practice only players and coaches rostered on that team are to be on the ice.  The only exception is an instructor previously approved by the board.  In the event of an emergency, the Coaching Director (league teams), or House Director (recreational teams) may approve an instructor.  An emergency is when no rostered coaches are available to run a practice and there is no time to obtain Board approval.

The Board will not approve any Meramec players rostered on one team being on the ice with another Meramec team except for the following: 1) Older age goaltender in full equipment that is instructing goaltender(s). 2) A high school aged skater who may be playing midget level may be approved as an instructor.  The Board should always approve these circumstances in advance.

This policy is meant to insure our compliance with insurance guidelines and is specifically meant to prohibit Meramec players from practicing with other teams

Rental:  All equipment received from the club, including jerseys, is to be used for ice hockey only to avoid unnecessary wear and tear.

HIP:  MHC maintains a supply of equipment that is provided free of charge to HIP (Learn to Play) players on a first come, first served basis.  This equipment remains the property of MHC and must be returned to the club in good condition at the conclusion of the HIP session.  The equipment manager may also rent equipment to players beyond HIP for $50.00 per season based on his assessment of the availability of the equipment.

Goalies:  Available goalie equipment will be rented to Mites, Squirts, and PeeWee only for a season fee of $50.00.  In case of lost, damaged or abused equipment, the renter must pay the replacement cost of the equipment as determined by the club’s equipment manager.  Any equipment not promptly returned at set dates will result in a fine of $175.00 per player.

Jerseys:  Replacement/repair cost of lost or damaged jerseys will be the sole responsibility of the player.

HIP jerseys are provided for all learn to play participants and are yours to keep.

House and travel jerseys remain the property of MHC.  A player’s failure to turn in jerseys will be treated as delinquency; you will not be allowed to register for MHC, and a report will be filed with MOAM to prevent the player from playing for any other ice hockey team until the matter is resolved.  Jerseys must be turned in to the team coordinator and returned as a team to the equipment manager by dates determined by the equipment manager.

Team Equipment:  Pucks, first aid kit and water bottles are provided to each team, and must be returned at the end of season to the equipment manager.

Only MHC Board approved vendors, equipment manager and/or other Board representative will order, sell, make-up price and authorize new and used items to be sold by MHC with approval of the Board of Directors.  The use of Meramec Sharks, Meramec Hockey, Meramec Hockey club, Meramec Sharks Hockey Club, and any logos used in the past or present are in the sole control of the Board of Directors and must be approved by a board vote.

Any merchandise sold, quoted, or proposed to the MHC membership related to hockey through any approved vendor must go through club accounting system with the appropriate markups.  Example:  Something without shark’s name/logo.  It might say “Hockey MOM” - that is hockey related.

The relationship of any approved vendor with the members on a personal/business (Non-Hockey theme) purchase should be handled outside the club accounting system.

Requests made from the club must be made by using advance request forms allowing 7 days for processing and must be repaid to the club 2 weeks prior to travel date.

Application:  Anyone interested in a head coach or assistant coach position is required to complete an application form and USA Hockey Screening Form.  The USA Hockey Screening Form is also required for team managers and coordinators.

Selection of Head Coaches:  MHC pre-selects head coaches for each team whenever possible.  The Coaching Director and House Director make recommendations for the Head Coach position for each team from among the coaching applications submitted.  Qualifications considered include: USA Hockey Coaching Certification Level, Coaching experience, prior performance and commitment level, background checks, and feedback from previous team’s parents.  The Board then discusses and votes on the Coaching Director’s recommendation for each team’s Head Coach position.  Coaches are informed which team they will be responsible for selecting, not necessarily “AA” or “B1” or “House 1”, but the first second, third, and so on. We typically do use parents of players at that age level for head and assistant coaches.

Selection of Assistant Coaches:  The Coaching Director submits names for pre-approval as potential Assistant Coaches for each team based on the volunteer applications submitted for these positions.  The Head Coach from each team has complete authority to select their Assistant Coaches from the pre-approved list.  In the event a head coach wants an Assistant Coach who is not on the pre-approved list, the Head Coach may request the Board to consider this candidate.  The Board of Directors must approve all coaches.

Team Rules:  Coaches must submit a list of team rules to the Coaching Director or House Director by October 1.

Objective:  The overall objective of the current MHC evaluation process is to select teams that provide each player the chance to compete at the most appropriate level according to their current ability relative to others within their age group.   Evaluators are instructed to pick the players who they feel will make the best team.  Evaluations should be made with a primary emphasis on the player’s performance at the evaluations.  Secondary factors would include the player’s placement from the prior year, their age, demonstrated commitment, and observed potential.

Evaluators:  Players are evaluated by a committee consisting of all selected head coaches for that age group, plus a designated evaluator for each team where a coach has not been selected.  An evaluation chairperson will be assigned to each level to oversee the selections made by each coach, to ensure that proper justification can be made for the selection or non-selection of any player.  The chairperson is encouraged to actively participate in the evaluation of players so that he/she has the knowledge to question the selections made by the coaches.  Evaluation data should remain private and confidential within the evaluation group.

The Coaching Director, the House Director and any of the on-ice assistants have no input into the evaluation process and/or team placements.

Drills:  The club’s Coaching and House Directors are responsible for developing the specific on-ice drills to be used during the evaluations.  They also oversee the on-ice coaches used to manage the drills and scrimmages.

A combination of drill and scrimmage evaluation sessions that varies by age level is utilized.  Typically, there are more drill sessions for the younger age levels and more scrimmage sessions for the older age levels.  An additional hour is utilized for specialized goaltender evaluations.  Goaltenders are evaluated based on their performance during all regular evaluation sessions and at the separate goaltender evaluation session.

Position Preference:  At the Mite and Squirt levels, more emphasis is placed on playing ability, and less emphasis is placed on position preference.  A team may be heavily weighted toward forwards or defense.  At the PeeWee/Bantam levels, position preference will be more heavily weighted but may not be perfectly balanced in the final numbers.  The coaches of each team have the final decision on the position played by all players.

Jerseys: MHC utilizes evaluation jerseys or pennies numbered on both the front and back to minimize the possibility of misidentification.  While the color of the jersey may change, the number remains the same.  Jerseys are assigned by the off ice evaluation team.

Parental Conduct: Parents should refrain from asking about the status of any particular player during evaluations.

Players can be moved between teams up until October 15 of each year if both head coaches are in agreement.  In addition, specific guidelines have been developed to accommodate the potential need to move players after October 15 and prior to December 31.

See the Post Evaluation Player Movement Guideline at the top of this page.

All parents are required to sign and abide by a parental code of conduct prior to the beginning of league play.  Parents and fans are expected to comply with both the letter and the spirit of this code of conduct.

Parents or guardians are not allowed in the locker room 15 minutes before and 10 minutes after ice times unless authorized by the coach.

It is the parent or guardian’s responsibility to be sure that their child is at the ice rink and dressed at least 15 minutes prior to any game or practice unless the coach is notified otherwise.

General Conduct: The MHC has worked very hard to establish and organize a fine place to play hockey, and to instruct and improve players by practice and competition.  Your coaches have been picked for their coaching ability and all instructions given to the players are expected to be supported by the parents.  In keeping with the reputation of this organization, it is expected that all parents will conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner. 

Administering Discipline:  The coach of that team will first handle Parent discipline.  If the problem cannot be resolved the Coaching Director will assume responsibility for administering discipline.  If the Coaching Director cannot resolve the problem, the Member Contact team for that age level will evaluate and recommend to the Board of Directors a resolution.

Volunteers:  Parents are expected to help whenever possible.  Volunteering to help coaches, players, coordinators, and your fellow parents is expected.  It is all up to the parents to help make a great season.

Absolutely, NO alcoholic beverages are allowed in the Wayne C. Kennedy Recreational Complex.  (Complex is to mean in the stands, the warming area, the player’s bench, the locker rooms, and the concession stand area, on the ice, and in the parking lot.)  Any violation of the above rule will result in the IMMEDIATE expulsion of the offending party from MHC along with the family members and skaters.

Step 1. Any differences or concerns should be taken to the team’s Coordinator.  The coordinator will then discuss with the Head Coach.

Step 2.  If problems still exist, a meeting between the Coordinator, Head Coach and complaining party should take place.

Step 3.  Any unresolved issues should be brought to the attention of the Member Contact team.

If the Member Contact team is unable to resolve the issues, the Grievance Procedure may be initiated.  Please note that in many cases, the team coordinator is the spouse of one of the coaches.  If a parent is uncomfortable approaching the coordinator in this situation, they may speak directly with a Member Contact Team representative.

In the event of a problem or grievance, the parent of the player must state in writing the nature of problem or grievance within 30 days of occurrence and sent by certified mail to MHC, 5541 Oakville Center, PMB 188, St. Louis, Missouri 63129-3572

The MHC President will appoint a committee to investigate and make a recommendation to the Board of Directors within 30 days of receipt.  The Board of Directors’ decision is final.

This page last modified: January 8, 2004
Copyright © 2003   Meramec Youth Hockey Association.    All rights reserved.