2020-21 Return to Hockey

SMHA Return to Hockey (August 17th 2020)                   

Welcome Back!!! 

Please read this entire article carefullly as it contains very important information about the upcoming hockey season.

Hi SMHA Families. We know that the last few months have been both challenging and difficult for everyone. We hope that you continue to remain safe and healthy. As you can imagine running a Minor Hockey Association during a pandemic has been challenging to say the least. We know how important hockey is for our Community and want nothing more than to get your children back on the ice as safely as possible. Our Executive Council have been working around the clock reviewing every available option to us in order to bring you an experience during this unprecedented time.

In order for us to move forward, SMHA is required to comply with the Province’s emergency orders, public health directives, City of Ottawa facilities management policies as well as Hockey Canada and HEO (Hockey Eastern Ontario) directives. To comply with current regulations, we are required to introduce modified programming for the upcoming season which we refer to as “non-traditional programming.” We are currently forbidden from partaking in traditional programming at this time due to the ongoing pandemic.

It is our intent to run non-traditional hockey programs beginning in mid-September (with and estimated start date of Saturday September 26^th), however hockey this season will look different from what our families have come to expect in previous seasons. We will continue to run this program until the end of December or until such time as we can commence league play (Stage 4). The focus of our programming will be “development”. When/if league play is permitted later this season, we will run a try-outs and evaluations and form traditional teams at that point.

As the situation with this pandemic continues to be fluid, our programming will also have to be adaptable in a constantly changing environment. What we can offer and when we can offer it may change over time as restrictions are eased or tightened.  Our non-traditional programming, which focuses on developing our players, will include skill development, conditioning, and scrimmaging. Please note that at this time, and for the foreseeable future, tournament play is not permitted.
On Friday August 14th, The City of Ottawa announced that they are currently reviewing existing contracts with Minor Hockey Associations across the city. As such, while we have a plan to move forward with concrete dates, we may have to push our starts until the end of September. Because we offer programs in several rinks across the district, nothing has been confirm as of late & we are working with our existing timelines until we know more. SMHA Executives are currently working with The City of Ottawa to finalized these expected start dates and will be shared with its members over the coming days/weeks.


Programming for 2020 / 2021 (Phase One)
We will be offering sessions at both the Competitive (RAMS) and House League levels during the first phase of our programming.
Due to the vast geographical landscape of D4 comprising of 7 associations and arenas within 4 municipalities, a cookie-cutter approach across all of the D4 associations is not feasible.  As such, the Lanark Carleton Minor Hockey League (LCMHL) & the Ottawa B Hockey League (OBMHL) will not be operating until Phase 4 of Return to Hockey. 

Within our association, there will be no ‘teams’ created but rather player ‘groupings’ or ‘bubbles’ with the size of the groupings dependent on public health guidelines, facility limits, return to hockey limitations and registration numbers.  These bubble sizes will include players, coaches, trainers and parent volunteers.  These age bubbles would be further subdivided into smaller groups for development and scrimmages at the discretion of SMHA Executive.

Please Note: Rostered Teams from the 2019/2020 Hockey Season will act as our baseline for creating groups.

SMHA is also investigating supplying some 3^rd party instruction from Skating & Goalie Development Coaches as we move through Phase 1. (Approval from HEO Required).

A second program will be developed for the January-April timeframe based on public health requirements and the conditions that we encounter this fall. As we near December we will have a better idea of what this program may look like and will share this information with you.  An additional registration will be held at that time.
 
Registration
 
Online registration will open on August 18^th 2020 and will close on August 31^st 2020 @ 11:59pm. As our current mailbox at JLA remains closed, we can only accept online registrations & payments at this time. SMHA will offer alternative payment options. Please check www.stittsvilleminorhockey.com for more on registration. We will be updating our landing page with additional information shortly. 
Below are the Fees of Ice touches during our Phase 1 period of September 26^th to December 31.
 
Program                               Fees                                            Frequency
U7 (Initiation)                        $385.00 (Cash Price-$375)         up to 24 sessions (approx. 2/week)
U9 (Novice)                            $385.00 (Cash Price-$375)         up to 24 sessions (approx. 2/week)
U11 (Atom)                            $385.00 (Cash Price-$375)          up to 24 sessions (approx. 2/week)
U13 (Peewee)                        $385.00 (Cash Price-$375)         up to 24 sessions (approx. 2/week)
U15 (Bantam)                        $385.00 (Cash Price-$375)         up to 24 sessions (approx. 2/week)
U18 (Midget)                         $260.00 (Cash Price-$250)          13 sessions (approx. 1/week, see note 2)
NOTES:

1. Players interested and selected for the Competitive RAMS development groups will pay an additional RAMS fee (TBD) and receive 1 additional session per week.
   1. (More information can be found on the RAMS Landing page)
   2. RAMS development groups could begin as early as September 10^th.
2. U18 House will be exclusively 3 vs 3/4 vs 4 scrimmage format plus goalies (subject to availability) or Shooter Tutor/Flat Goalies *** See Health and Safety protocols for play restrictions.
3. Every effort will be made to have consistent ice-times across all levels throughout phase 1 to allow families to schedule priorities.

 
Refund Policy
PLEASE NOTE:  We have modified our refund policy during ‘non-traditional’ programing.  

• If the program is closed down by the City for public health reasons and we are still obligated to fulfill our contractual obligations to the City we cannot guarantee a refund.
• Withdrawals requested prior to September 26th of the program will receive a 50% refund.
• Withdrawals on or before October 10th will receive a 25% refund. No refunds will be provided after October 10^th.
• Should we be unable to fill a group, the SMHA reserves the right to cancel the group/bubble and provide the participants a full refund.
• There will be no refunds for missed ice times due to illness or injury.

 
Program Policies for Phase 1
In addition to relying on our member families to ensure their own health and safety and follow all public health requirements, the following restrictions will be in place:

• Skills, drills and scrimmages will be the on-ice activities.
• No officials will be used during this period.
• Jerseys and socks will not be provided for this program.  Players will be asked to have a white (light) and black (dark) practice jersey for scrimmaging. These can be obtained from our SMHA vendor should you not have one.
• Maximum 25 Skaters/Goalies/Coaches per “bubble” for U7-U15.
• Maximum 40 skaters/goalies and 8 coaches and trainers per bubble for U18 house. Groups of 10 to allow 4 vs 4 scrimmages will be created.
• Per current City of Ottawa arena protocols, parents and/or spectators will not be allowed into the arena buildings for all program levels. Parents are expected to drop players at the building entrance. Coaches and parents volunteers will tie skates if required.
• U7 programming will be hosted in Beckwith only.
• U7 Players will be allowed one parent in the arena building at Beckwith only.
• Players will be assigned to a “bubble” based on their previous level (last season) - Competitive to House League. No sort outs or tryouts at this time.
• Parent volunteers will be assigned to a “bubble” for Managerial Duties, dressing room & 2-deep rule.
• No player/coach/volunteer movement between bubbles can occur at this time (e.g., no coaching/volunteering for two teams at different levels, no affiliation). Subject to change at any time with HEO approvals.

 Health and Safety Protocols

1. Players must arrive fully dressed. Dressing rooms may ONLY be used for tying skates (rink dependent).
2. It is mandatory that all individuals wear a mask in public places of the facility including the bench area. A mask is not required when on the ice.
3. No physical contact between players; proper distances must be maintained even in scrimmage play. A minimum of a stick length is required.
4. The SMHA and all members must follow all the health protocols mandated by the Ontario Government, Ottawa Public Health, and the City of Ottawa.
5. Players/coaches/volunteers will be required to submit to a wellness questionnaire prior to entering the facility before each session. This link will be provided to your player once teams are assembled and need to be populated at least 4 hours to your scheduled ice time.
6. Should the SMHA receive a notification from Ottawa Public Heath on a positive test from one of our members, the entire bubble will be shut down for the time recommended by OPH.
7. If sessions are cancelled by the City, we will inform people of any refund based on our financial obligations to the City.
8. Please Note: Parents / Guardians will not be allowed in City of Ottawa Arenas during this first phase. This is currently a City of Ottawa policy as of August 17^th 2020. SMHA is currently working with the City to review this policy as it relates to safely allowing parents / guardians (especially at the younger ages) to enter a building or assisting with a player.

 
The health and safety of our players is our number one priority so there will be protocols put in place that each family will need to follow.  The various facilities may also have procedures and restrictions in place that limit the number of people within the premises which may restrict or prohibit spectators.  Details of the protocols or restrictions will be communicated to families closer to the first ice times.

We hope that the information we are sharing will help you make a decision on whether returning to hockey is right for your family.  We understand that many of you may have hesitations so we will continue to offer as much flexibility so that when the time is right for your family, we can welcome you back to the rinks!

We understand there will be a number of questions and concerns coming out in the next few weeks. We ask that you be patient as we work through this unique situation. We are developing a FAQ to help with the navigation and once the “Bubbles or Groupings” have been decided there will be a clearer line of communication for additional questions.  
In the meantime, if you have immediate questions, we ask that you address your program convenor first as everything will filter upwards in order to have a unified understanding of the issues and transparency for all concerns.

Convenor U7 @ convenorinitiation@stittsvilleminorhockey.com
Convenor U9 @ convenornovice@stittsvilleminorhockey.com
Convenor U11 @ convenoratom@stittsvilleminorhockey.com
Convenor U13 @ convenorpeewee@stittsvilleminorhockey.com
Convenor U15 @ convenorbantam@stittsvilleminorhockey.com
Convenor U18 @ convenormidget@stittsvilleminorhockey.com
Competitive Convenor @ competitiveadmin@stittsvilleminorhockey.com
 
As always SMHA runs on volunteers and this year is no exception.  If you can help in any way, please sign up via our online form to help out.  Click Here to volunteer!
We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing our players back on the ice.
 
Yours in hockey,
SMHA Board of Directors