Representative Hockey Training Groups
Hello Rep families
The WGMHA in consultation with our Tier 1 coaches and our Hockey Development Coordinator Laura McIntosh and Goalie Development Advisor Jory Elliot have created a model for Representative Hockey to “return to training” in the form of “Training Groups” at Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3 - to be led by respective coaches and with ongoing support from Laura and Jory, and other training resources. These Training Groups will start in early September.
Every WGMHA 2019-20 and newly 2020-21 registered Rep players will be invited to join a Training Group, and encouraged to register with the WGMHA if they have not done so. These groups are being formed for the purposes of assembling practice plans, ice allocations, flexible grouping sizes and coaching leadership appropriate to level, skill and the current uncertainty around return to play possibilities later in the year. Training Groups may change size and composition as circumstances evolve and the WGMHA will continue to make every effort to safely transition back to play under OWHA and Waterloo Health Region guidelines.
These groups are NOT tryout groups and are NOT teams - they are groups for WGMHA player training purposes. Training may and hopefully does include intra-squad game play subject to facility and OWHA limitations. As in past years, we will look to do cross-division and cross-level events as fall programming evolves and provide a range of training activities similar to those a team would undertake normally. Should circumstances evolve in the OWHA to the point where rostered game play becomes a reality - the WGMHA will at that time determine how to proceed with determining rosters.
Training Groups are being determined by our Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 coaches in consultation with Laura McIntosh and Jory Elliot, WGMHA hockey development coordinators. Tier 1 training groups will be significantly larger than a traditional roster and practices are being designed to accommodate limited players-per-ice session. Ice time will be assigned to training groups on a basis proportionate to division - much as has been the case in the past. The processes for Training Group coaches to enlist additional coaching and staff (trainer, manager) support will be outlined separately to the coaches. Budget planning is underway, again under OWHA restrictions, and will be outlined at a parent meeting for each Training Group. These meeting dates will be posted on the website and communicated by the Training Group coach.
Based on goaltender numbers in age categories and in consultation with Jory Elliot, some training group goaltenders will be scheduled to do some rotations between Tiers on an occasional basis. A regular repeatable schedule will be created once ice times are finalized.
While Training Groups are not teams nor are they rostered, for the purposes of player selection the WGMHA and the League Management Committee (LMC) are adhering to published procedures in the Manual of Operations (2020).
Invitations will be going out shortly to Tier 1 training groups, followed by Tier 2 and then Tier 3. You can direct your questions to this feedback form and we will do our best to provide answers in upcoming posts, and update a section that will be created on the website, and in the Training Group parent meetings upcoming.
Steven Woods,
Director of Rep Hockey for the League Management Committee and WGMHA
