january 5 2016 maha board meeting rec dept. warming hut 6pm · coaching - levi briefed his...

January 5 2016 MAHA Board Meeting

Rec Dept. Warming Hut 6pm

Board members present: Booth Hodde, John Anderson, Levi Doria, Eileen Sears, Carl Crawford ,Hannah Brush, Tony Niemo

Also Present: Steve Holmes

No comments from general membership

1. It was decided not to hold a second session of ‘Girls Learn to Play Hockey’. Those girls from the first session who were inclined to sign up for a MAHA team/program had already done so, and interest from further ‘unsigned’ girls seemed too little to justify a second session. Any girls who had expressed interest ina second session will be encouraged to join an existing MAHA group

2. Feb 20 from 1-2 pm set aside for a second ‘Play hockey for free day’. MAHA board members and coaches will be on hand to help make this a success and will promote it on the web and through broadcast advertising at the local schools

3. SB: TEAMS NEEDED! Coaches and coordinators encouraged to spread the word when interfacing with other programs.

4. MAHA waiting to hear from state for potential tournament assignments at MSC. It has been communicated to the state that we would encourage any and all tourneys that they would assign us. No exact timetable for learning assignments, but should be in the next week or two.

5. Finances:

a. The full-freezer idea spearheaded by Missy Wisnowski is full-speed ahead.

b. Two Bros. Frank Nisun Day to benefit Midd Hockey – MAHA unanimously agreed to be on board to promote this event to be held this Saturday, Jan. 9 and may not benefit directly from the ‘take’ but will do our part to help promote it realizing that whatever is good for all of Middlebury area hockey is good for MAHA.

c. Grant money – how to spend it?? How do we find out how closely we need to follow our proposal as far as where the allocated money is spent? Ideas for necessary items (some of which were named in the proposal, others not) included: Reversible practice jerseys/pinnies for all teams, or general MAHA sets to be held at rink, depending on cost and coaches’ opinions on which would be the better more efficient way to do it (Booth to talk to FnG); goalie gear – particularly squirt-sized glove(s) and blocker(s); rebound boards, or materials to build rebound boards; more pucks.

6. Discussion ensued regarding theMUHS member-to-member program ending and the effects this might have on MAHA participation from families outside of the MUHS school district. Topic To Be Continued….

Meeting adjourned 7.15 (??)

Minutes of the MAHA Board MeetingFebruary 2, 2016

7:15 PMMiddlebury Interactive Languages

Attending: Pam Billings, David Pistilli, Casey Ratti, John Anderson, Booth Hodde, Hannah Brush, DeeDee Flagg, Levi Doria, Eileen Sears

Absent: Carl Crawford, Steve Holmes, Tony Niemo

General Membership: None

January Minutes: No discussion.

Old Business: None

New Business:

Grow the Game Initiatives - Try Hockey For Free Day is February 20th, with ice currently reserved for 1:00-2:00 PM. The event still needs to be publicized, organized, staffed, and equipped.

- DeeDee will post an announcement to the website- David will post an announcement to the Middlebury Front Page Forum and

circulate the text for others to post to neighboring FPFs- Casey will investigate circulating an announcement/flyer to area schools. Time

is short with winter break the week of the event- Booth will work with Steve Holmes to see if there are Valentine’s Day cards as

there were Halloween cards with the first day; if so, he will work to circulate them to all members so as to disseminate within the schools via their children

- Booth will work with Steve to collect/download any other promotional or motivational materials for advertising or give-away

- Booth and Levi will work together to staff the event on the 20th- David will check with Bill Ford to understand how rental skates might be

provided

Skip Brush Tournament - DeeDee briefed that there were virtually no takers for this year’s tournament, despite her statewide coordinator publicizing efforts and printed materials distribution. Board discussion included redoubling contact efforts via coaches and coordinators, reducing the tournament to one weekend, canceling the tournament

outright, or converting one or both weekends to a 3-on-3 format and widening the tournament pool. David talked to the ice revenues FOMH depends on and Pam talked to the expense of conducting the tournament and the need to break even. General consensus was to continue to advertise through this last weekend of the regular season and through the two weekends of playdown but the board needs to finalize a decision by the next board meeting, scheduled for March 1st.

State Tournaments - David briefed tournament placements, locations, and our host of one half of the Squirt B tournament on the first playdown weekend. DeeDee has developed a spreadsheet to collect volunteer assignments for the weekend, and David will advertise this via team coordinators. David will serve as site coordinator for the majority of the weekend, and will keep all informed of additional need. There are only ten days remaining to organize volunteers, print programs and tickets, inform arriving teams, and execute the tournament next weekend.

Fundraising - Pam briefed the freezer raffle is on track with the purchase of a freezer and the donation of items to stock it. She recommended 13 Feb for the drawing of the grand prize and 10 consolation prizes, simultaneous with a high school hockey doubleheader. She has received approval to sell tickets at high school hockey games, and Eileen will seek additional approval to sell them at basketball games. She has printed 200 tickets, to be sold for $10 each, and distributed tickets for sale via team coordinators.

Finance - Pam noted she had not yet received the approved FOMH contribution to MAHA, nor the Shaw’s donation; David will follow-up with FOMH.

2016 Programs - Booth noted renewed interest in a Midget program in 2016, due to high school roster restrictions and a bubble of high school aged players. The consensus of the board was that it was desirable to offer a program in 2016, and that should be advertised this spring in advance of fall registration.

Board Composition - Booth noted that the positions of Registrar and Treasurer were coming open this spring, and that the position of Communications remained open from this year. David additionally noted that the position of Secretary, combined with State Representative this year, would be a good entry level position for someone interested in board participation. He additionally recommended the board consider reviving the position of Tournament Director to prepare for future state playdown, championship, and Skip Brush tournaments. Multiple names were discussed for possible recruitment, and appropriate members were tasked with initial contact.

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Coaching - Levi briefed his participation in an ADM presentation, and his desire to nominate MAHA to become a model ADM program for the region. He will work with the state and the regional ADM coordinator to learn more.

Girls Programs - Eileen briefed Matt Brush’s participation in a working group of U14 coaches led by Patrick Lowkes of Rutland. The working group is confronting the decline of U14 programs across the state and investigating the feasibility of regionalizing the U14 programs across associations. The general consensus of the board was that this was a perennial problem but there was renewed hope that the reinvigorated Learn To Play Hockey For Girls program would build a pipeline to adequate numbers of U10, U12, and U14 players for MAHA. The board expressed confidence in and support of Matt’s work on behalf of girls hockey, and will stay abreast of the situation via Eileen.

VSAHA/FOMH - David briefed the need to execute the grant monies awarded to MAHA from the state, with a report and receipts back to VSAHA; Booth will work with Steve Holmes to identify and purchase the items nominated in the grant. David also briefed the Girls Tier 2 National tournament hosted by VSAHA at the end of March/beginning of April, and MAHA’s nomination to provide scorer’s and timekeepers on 2 April at Cairns. He will circulate the link to seek volunteers. Finally, he briefed the renewed effort to finish the rink expansion and will keep the board apprised of developments therein. MAHA will be expected to shoulder a certain portion of the fundraising effort.

Equipment/MHL - The need to replace Steve Holmes as coach of the major league Avalanche was discussed, as was the desire to clean out and organize the shed in the spring in advance of summer hockey and fall registration.

The board concluded official business at approximately 9:15 PM, and adjourned until the meeting scheduled for 1 March at 7:15 PM.

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Minutes of the MAHA Board MeetingMarch 3, 2016

7:15 PMMiddlebury Inn

Attending: John Anderson, Hannah Brush, DeeDee Flagg, Booth Hodde, David Pistilli, Casey Ratti, Eileen Sears

Absent: Pam Billings, Carl Crawford, Levi Doria, Steve Holmes, Tony Niemo


February Minutes: No discussion.

Old Business: None

New Business:

MHL - It was agreed that the remainder of the season would consist of a two game, randomized playoff series at the Minor and Major levels, with championship games to follow; Hannah will schedule. Additional discussion involved tracking records in future years via a score sheet to be posted on the bulletin board in the hallway; institutionalizing the heritage of season champions through some tangible representation at the rink; and considering a discount next season for MHL only players. Booth reinforced the importance of ensuring a quality experience for every player.

Skip Brush Tournament - DeeDee briefed that there were three BM and four U12 teams, including our own, registered, with hope for a fourth BM team. The tournament will consist of a BM field the weekend of 12-13 March, and a U12 field the weekend of 19-20 March. It was determined that Hannah could reutilize some reserved ice for Mite and other MAHA purposes; the remainder would be turned back to the MSC hopefully for sale to other groups. David underscored the importance of the tournament to the rink budget. DeeDee proposed that next year we consider a PW/BM tournament over Thanksgiving weekend, and a U12/U14 tournament the second weekend in March. David will present to FOMH for scheduling.

Midget Program - Booth presented a proposal to reinstitute a Midget program next season in response to a bulge of eligible players at the high school level and the desire of the coaches for an additional avenue to play for those that would otherwise not see

much game ice. Initial discussion conceptualized potential shared HS/BM practices and coaching. The time and physical demands on players and their families were concerns. The need to identify a coach, fit ice into the overall schedule, identify and research other programs, and flesh out concepts were discussed, as was the value of a literal or figurative JV program. It was agreed to press ahead with a Midget offering next year, with near term need to advertise the intent.

Grow The Game - Booth briefed the strong showing of the second Try Hockey For Free day last weekend. Coupled with THFF and the Learn To Play Hockey For Girls program in the fall, there was satisfaction with GTG efforts this year and portent for the future. The need to identify a strong champion and institutionalize him or her as a board position was discussed. David also identified the near-term need to execute the 75% GTG grant MAHA received, with an accompanying report and receipts back to VSAHA.

Finance - Booth briefed the $1,500 donation from Shaw’s, to be passed to MAHA by FOMH, as well as the roughly $1,500 net from the recent raffle. David briefed the approximate $575 from the two state tournaments MAHA hosted.

VSAHA - David briefed the VSAHA desire to transition all member association to Sports Ngin as the registration/scheduling/tournament web platform of choice; to restructure board meetings to include outbriefs from committees composed of member association representatives; to elect new officers; to receive reports and receipts associated with grant monies; to solicit volunteers for the Girls Tier II National Tournament; to schedule the district ADM coordinator for clinics next year; and their action to fine associations non-compliant with game score entry. He will draft a note for Booth to communicate board concerns with Sports Ngin cost, ease of use, interoperability, and vendor stove-piping to John Cioffi, and will work with Booth to execute MAHA grant monies and report back to the state within the next month.

FOMH - David briefed the resuscitation of the rink expansion committee, and the multi-phased approach to raising money over the coming year. He also briefed the purchase of a used Zamboni ice resurfacer from Cairns Arena, and the need to shelter it at the rink, possibly in the equipment shed.

Board Vacancies/Recruitment - Booth noted again that the positions of Registrar and possibly Treasurer were coming open this spring, and that the position of Communications remained open from this year. Casey recommended divesting the registrar of Learn To Skate and Communications duties, and suggested that two new individuals share the resulting Registrar duty. David noted that the position of

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Secretary, combined with State Representative this year, would be a good entry level position for someone interested in board participation; he additionally recommended the board revive the position of Tournament or Special Activities Director to prepare for future state playdown, championship, and Skip Brush tournaments, as well as individual events like parades, picnics, etc. He further recommended that a Grow The Game position be added to the board. DeeDee suggested that the webmaster duty could reasonably be combined with Communications but should be divested of Skip Brush Tournament responsibility. Multiple names were discussed for possible recruitment, and appropriate members were tasked with initial contact.

The board concluded official business at approximately 9:30 PM, and adjourned until the meeting scheduled for 5 April at 7:15 PM.

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Minutes of the MAHA Board MeetingApril 5, 2016


Attending: John Anderson, Pam Billings, Hannah Brush, Carl Crawford, Levi Doria, DeeDee Flagg, Booth Hodde, David Pistilli, Casey Ratti

Absent: Steve Holmes, Tony Niemo, Eileen Sears


March Minutes: No discussion.

Old Business: None

New Business:

SafeSport - Carl reported that there did not appear to be additional work required in the near future, although the upcoming year would be busy with recertification of coaches. David posited that there might be improvements forthcoming with visibility to certification and recommended contact with the state coordinator to be best postured for the upcoming season. All agreed that the institutionalization of the spirit of SafeSport was the most important action to accomplish, and that Carl’s management of the certification process has been superior.

Schedule - Hannah reported no activity in the near future on schedule. David reported thought at the state level to pull scheduling up from member associations in order to assure proper depth and breadth of scheduling; that is, playing every team in each division at least once home and away in order to properly place and seed the state tournament. He had recommended against removing flexibility and discretion from the local scheduler, arguing that compliant organizations would be punished, which all concurred with.

Coaching - Levi reported his intent to solicit current coaches for their feedback on the season, as well as to gauge availability for the upcoming season. He further briefed his intent to pursue the possibility for MAHA to become a model ADM program.

Sport Ngin - Booth briefed his initial contact with the Sport Ngin representative. It will take five weeks for the Sport Ngin team to develop a website for MAHA but only five

days to develop a registration capability if we want to use that for pre-registration. Downsides are that Sport Ngin would NOT port any data over from our existing League Athletics site, and would charge both a transaction and percentage fees for handling money. He will work with DeeDee on the way forward in anticipation of turning on the registration feature by next month. It is not mandatory but seems inevitable that MAHA will at least try Sport Ngin for at least one season.

Finance - Pam reported on the draft wrap-up of this season’s accounting. Income was approximately $3,000 less than budgeted while expenses were approximately $3,000 more than budgeted, resulting in a net $6,000 loss for the year. This effectively depletes the association’s cash reserves. Much discussion ensued to include tuition, scholarships, and fundraising, with the consensus that fees needed to reflect costs and that, while a non-profit corporation, MAHA needed to have a modest cash reserve. Booth asked Pam to develop a draft cost-based expense budget for next season so the board could best determine fees in advance of a desired preregistration announcement in May.

Preregistration - Casey briefed a projection of 25xBM, 19xPW, 26xSQ, and 30xMite returning skaters, not including girls. She further reported 22 x 2001 year-group eligibles for a potential Midget program.

New Programs - Booth discussed the strong participation in Grow the Game initiatives this season, to include Learn To Skate, Learn To Play Hockey For Girls, and Try Hockey For Free, and the desire to continue these next season. A building interest in a Midget program was also discussed, and would be desirable if a coach, ice, and player participation were assured. He will continue to develop the concept with the high school and the board.

Board Composition - The following positions are vacant or will become vacant this year: Communications, Registrar, and Treasurer. The following positions are double-tasked and will become vacant after next season: Secretary and State Representative. Finally, the following positions are proposed: Tournament Director, to take the place of Skip Brush Coordinator and handle the duties of hosting state tournaments; and Grow The Game Representative, to continue the entry level work begun this season, as well as develop a midget program. Pam Billings volunteered to continue Treasurer duty at least through registration in order to smoothly transition to a successor. Mike McAuliffe was discussed as a possible Communications Director, and Booth agreed to follow-up with him. Lorraine Tobias and Eileen Sears were proposed as possible Registrar successors, and Casey agreed to follow-up with them. Steve Holmes was discussed as a Grow The Game Representative, off-ice, and Booth agreed to follow-up with him. Carl

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Crawford expressed interest in perhaps assuming some duties associated with hosting local tournaments, less the marketing associated with the Skip Brush Tournament. David will follow-up with him.

Player Development - David opined that the association could do a better job of overseeing player development from entry to exit, and guiding families along the road to best experience and best player for high school and/or select play. There was discussion that touched on individual v. association responsibility, coach involvement, and potential for ADM best practices, especially if MAHA becomes a model program. Booth and Levi will follow-up for consideration of standardizing coach evaluation of each player at beginning and end of next season.

Skip Brush Tournament - SBT was acknowledged as struggling and not a money-maker, for reasons of timing, lodging, and declining interest. DeeDee proposed breaking the tournament into boys in the fall and girls in the spring, and volunteered to attend the August scheduling meeting in order to gauge interest in BM and PW teams for a Thanksgiving date.

By-Laws - Were acknowledged to require update; David and Booth will work in the off-season.

FOMH/MAHA Relations - Were acknowledged to merit care and feeding; Booth will meet with Rick Marshall soonest to explore ways to bring the two organizations closer together, especially with respect to fundraising.

VSAHA/FOMH - David briefed the state’s efforts to improve the championship tournament process by enforcing rigor in declaration, scheduling, and potentially adjusting championship format to double-elimination vice the current three game minimum model. Any interested parties are welcome to a series of state “open mic” nights to express their input. He further briefed the progress of the rink expansion committee toward the possible completion of the buildout by the conclusion of next season. MAHA families could expect to contribute what would be considered a modest sum this summer as the campaign concludes its major donor phase.

The board concluded official business at approximately 9:25 PM, and adjourned until the meeting scheduled for 3 May at 7:15 PM. Topics will include finance, with the setting of next season’s registration fees; preregistration; board vacancies; and the Memorial Day parade.

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Minutes of the MAHA Board MeetingMay 3, 2016


Attending: John Anderson, Pam Billings, Hannah Brush, Levi Doria, Booth Hodde, Tony Niemo, David Pistilli, Eileen Sears

Absent: Carl Crawford, DeeDee Flagg, Steve Holmes, Casey Ratti


April Minutes: No discussion.

Old Business: None

New Business:

Grow The Game - Tony briefed his close relationship with the state level coordinator, Mike Smith, and his desire to host Mike here, perhaps at a board meeting. David offered that we had an especially strong season, with Learn to Skate, Learn to Play Hockey for Girls, the two Try Hockey For Free days, and the vibrant Mite program. If MAHA has anything to be proud of, it is hockey at the 8U level, and Mike would certainly like what he would see.

Midget Program - Booth briefed that he and Levi had met with MUHS coaches and there is support for a program that will complement the high school program, especially as MUHS has approved member-to-member for hockey and there are 35 eligible players. Initial vision is that Midget players would skate with the high school twice a week, and with MAHA once per week, and that at least one Midget game per weekend would be scheduled. Costs would be shared between MUHS and MAHA, with MAHA funding pre and post season ice, as well as game ice. There was considerable discussion about expectations of families, costs, and the possibility of a Midget program fulfilling the role of JV. Booth and Levi will continue to develop the program with MUHS over the summer, and a Midget program will be part of the preregistration announcement for MAHA.

Memorial Day Parade - Tony volunteered to walk point for MAHA’s participation in the parade, which will require donations to purchase candy to dispense from the FOMH ice resurfacer.

Preregistration - Booth proposed that preregistration be accomplished via current means; that is, the USAH portal for member renewal, and the League Athletics platform for MAHA record-keeping. Any information will be manually ported to the SportNgin platform when it is established.

Finance - Booth presented an in-depth overview of income and expenses over the last three seasons, prepared by Pam, and an initial analysis of income and cost per program and per skater. The association has run deficits of approximately $6,000 in 2013-14, $15,000 in 2014-15, and $6,000 in 2015-16. Considerable discussion resolved to refine the analysis so that the association could make decision on how to become self-sustaining in the immediate future, which will require thoughtful tuition increases, meaningful discussion with FOMH to understand fundraising and FOMH’s role in supporting youth hockey, and considered reinvestment to recapitalize and grow the association. Booth is scheduled to meet with Rick Marshall, FOMH president, and will continue to work with Pam to refine financial information and file our tax form for last year.

Board Composition - Booth presented Tournament Director, Communications, Secretary, Registrar, and Grow the Game Coordinator as open or new positions for the coming season. Eileen offered that she and Lorraine Tobias were in agreement that they could assume a restructured Registrar duty for next season, and would work with Casey to define and assign roles for each. Two additional names were again mentioned for Communications; Booth and Hannah will contact each to determine interest and appropriateness. Finally, a traditionally interested parent was again proposed as Grow the Game Coordinator; Booth and David will approach him. Tournament Director remains open but requires a body.

The board concluded official business at approximately 9:25 PM, and adjourned until the meeting scheduled for 7 June at 7:15 PM. Topics will include finance, with the setting of next season’s registration fees; preregistration; board vacancies; and administrative work to be accomplished over the summer break.

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Minutes of the MAHA Board MeetingJune 7, 2016


Attending: Hannah Brush, DeeDee Flagg, Booth Hodde, Tony Niemo, David Pistilli, Eileen Sears

Absent: John Anderson, Pam Billings, Carl Crawford, Levi Doria, Steve Holmes

General Membership: Amanda McNulty

May Minutes: No discussion.

Old Business: None

New Business:

Registration - Booth, DeeDee, and Eileen discussed use of the current website to collect pre-registration information and intent to use the new website to provide the forms for actual registration in the fall. The vision is that most families will be able to complete forms at home and mail-in their registrations, leaving the in-person sessions for families that require additional information or equipment. The new website will not have credit card payment enabled yet due to costs. Booth will work with DeeDee over the summer to fully implement the new website on the state-mandated platform, SportNgin.

Preregistration - DeeDee briefed that the current number of families is 19; Booth agreed to publish weekly reminders throughout June to attract additional registrants.

Registrar - Eileen formally volunteered to become registrar and briefed a good changeover session with Casey Ratti. Considerable discussion revolved around splitting off communications duties, with Lorraine Tobias, originally envisioned as co-registrar, assuming that responsibility. Initial communications would involve advertising the upcoming season to families through take-home materials from school and the Town of Middlebury Fall Recreation flyer.

Finance - Booth related his meeting with Rick Marshall, FOMH President, to understand roles and missions of the two organizations and his optimism about their support to youth hockey. He is working with their treasurer and Pam to review finances over the last three seasons and prepare our annual tax return, due in July.

Board Composition - Booth again presented Tournament Director, Communications, Secretary, Registrar, and Grow the Game Coordinator as open or new positions for the coming season. Eileen was formally accepted as Registrar; she and Booth will work with Lorraine Tobias to see if she will accept the role of Communications Director. Booth and Hannah will follow up with two others parents mentioned for Communications to gauge interest and appropriateness for this or other positions. Amanda McNulty was recommended for Grow the Game Coordinator and will consider it. Eileen also formally resigned as Girls Program Director and members of the board will solicit for interest in accepting that mantle. Tournament Director remains open but requires a body.

VSAHA/FOMH - David presented current state thought concerning end-of-season tournament play as grouping teams at the beginning of the season according to national, regional, and state tournament intent; removing randomly discarded games for odd-number play-ins; and as seeking to reduce or eliminate two weekend playdowns. The annual scheduler’s meeting should happen in late August and the annual Face-Off meeting in mid September; he will publish to the rest of the board upon release.

Off-Season Homework - Booth presented the following as work that will be accomplished over the summer: program development, especially Midget; website migration; communications and advertisement preparation; coach recruitment and education; Thanksgiving Skip Brush Tournament preparation; and perhaps bylaw and handbook review.

The board concluded official business at approximately 9:15 PM, and adjourned until the meeting scheduled for 9 August at 7:15 PM. Topics will include registration, communications, advertisement, and season preparation.

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Minutes of the MAHA Board MeetingAugust 2, 2016


Attending: John Anderson, Pam Billings, Hannah Brush, Levi Doria, DeeDee Flagg, Booth Hodde, Tony Niemo, David Pistilli Absent: Carl Crawford, Eileen Sears

General Membership: None, although Tony thanked the board on behalf of all members for their work to make hockey available for the youth of the area.

June Minutes: No discussion.

Old Business: None

New Business:

2016/2017 Program Definition - Booth briefed that this season’s program would look essentially like last year’s, with the addition of a midget program. Important grow-the -game initiatives like Learn To Skate, Learn To Play Hockey For Girls, and the 2+2 Challenge of Try Hockey For Free will be continued.

Preregistration - DeeDee briefed that the current number of preregistered players is approximately 100, considered a strong start. Final registrations should number above 150.

Coach Recruitment/Education - Levi briefed that he had communicated with all of last year’s coaches, 50% of whom had replied, and none of whom had declined to continue to coach this year’s teams. There are several additional coaches he and Booth are recruiting. He does not have visibility into the currency of coaching certification for all coaches but will work with Eileen to see if she can provide it.

Website Migration - DeeDee briefed that the new web site will be available shortly but that registration information cannot be transferred from the old to the new site, so preregistered families will have to re-register in September. She plans to provide multiple laptops at the registration site so families can electronically register on the spot.

Registration - Registration was tentatively set for 17 and 21 September, with the possibility that could become 21 and 24 September if there is an unavoidable conflict with Woofstock, scheduled also for 17 September. Either a Communications Director or the Registrar will disseminate registration information via school district and individual school processes, and electronic mail to MAHA families.

2016/2017 Tournament Schedule - DeeDee briefed that she will gauge interest in a Thanksgiving Weekend Skip Brush Tournament for Bantams, PeeWees, and Squirts at the fall scheduling conference, scheduled for the end of August. If so, MAHA will commit to conducting a boys tournament in the fall, and a girls tournament in the spring, the second weekend of March, deconflicted with the North Branch School tournament also scheduled in March. State playdowns will take place the second and third weekends in February, the state finals will take place the first weekend in March, as will the high school playoffs. MAHA has been offered the chance by the VSAHA to host the New England District Girls U16/U19 Tournament the third weekend in March, which would be a boon to both the association and to FOMH.

VSAHA/FOMH - David briefed the upcoming state Face-Off conference, scheduled for 21 Aug, 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM, at the Double Tree Hotel in South Burlington. Board members need to register for attendance at specific sessions; there is a session for practically every function. The state scheduling meeting is scheduled for 27 Aug at the Blush Hill Country Club in Waterbury; Hannah and DeeDee will attend that. Booth briefed FOMH’s agreement to grant an additional $5,000 to MAHA for last season, which was promptly used to pay the outstanding ice costs from last season.

Board Vacancies - Booth again presented Tournament Director, Communications, Secretary, Grow the Game, and Girls Program Coordinator as open or new positions for the coming season. Booth will work with both Lorraine Tobias and Mike McAuliffe to see if they will accept the role of Communications Director. Amanda McNulty was again discussed for Grow the Game Coordinator; Booth will follow-up. Tournament Director remains open but requires a body if the association is to pull-off Skip Brush, state playdowns, and the NED U16/U19 tournament. David offered that Secretary be lowest priority as he can continue that work this season.

Equipment - DeeDee proposed a clean out day in order to rid the equipment shed of excess equipment, organize the shed for best effect prior to registration, and manufacture racks to hold and protect skates. She will coordinate this with Tony. The need to order especially MHL Majors jerseys was also presented; this will be finalized after shed cleanup and jersey review. Making the jerseys non-specific to a particular merchant is a goal.

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The board concluded official business at approximately 9:15 PM, and adjourned until the meeting scheduled for 6 September at 7:15 PM. Topics will include registration, communications, advertisement, and season preparation.

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Minutes of the MAHA Board MeetingSeptember 6, 2016


Attending: John Anderson, Hannah Brush, Levi Doria, DeeDee Flagg, Booth Hodde, Mike McAuliffe, David Pistilli, Eileen Sears, Lorraine Tobias Absent: Pam Billings, Carl Crawford, Tony Niemo

General Membership: Rodney Olsen

August Minutes: No discussion.

Old Business: None

New Business:

VSAHA Face-Off Conference - Board members who had attended the state’s season-opening conference in August gave brief feedback on the sessions they had attended, ranging from state board structure and vision, through state tournaments and SafeSport, to girls programs and growing the game. David encouraged board members to find their analog at the state level and stay linked-in with them over the course of the season.

2016/2017 Tournament Schedule - DeeDee briefed refreshingly strong Bantam and PeeWee interest in a Skip Brush tournament at Thanksgiving, with lower Squirt interest. A quick check confirmed the PrimeLink Great Northern Shootout is in Plattsburgh this year, but will be in Middlebury next year and will require deconfliction. She will work with a Tournament Director TBD to move out quickly on solidifying and executing the first phase of Skip Brush, with an eye toward repeating for Girls U12 and U14 in the spring.

David & Booth briefed the probability for at least one playdown tournament in February, as well as the New England District Girls U16/U19 Regional Tournament in March, while noting the state’s concern about hotel rooms. David confirmed tournament dates as:

Skip Brush Tournament: 25-27 November 2016State Playdowns: 10-12 and 17-19 February 2017

State Championships: 3-5 March 2017Skip Brush Tournament: 10-12 March 2017NED U16/U19 Tournament: 17-19 March 2017North Branch School Tournament: 24-26 March 2017

Coach Recruitment/Education - Levi briefed that the majority of coaches will be returning for this season, and that most of his coaching positions will be filled but that he is still seeking a PeeWee head coach; he will work with Booth. He received good news during the course of the meeting for a Midget head coach.

Website Migration - DeeDee briefed that the new web site was up and running, and encouraged all boarders to test drive the registration process. She had been able to load the majority of the draft schedule to the site, and will continue to refine and test that process.

Registration - Registration was confirmed for 17 and 21 September, with the promise by the rink of deconfliction with Woofstock, also scheduled for 17 September. Board members indicated their availability for either or both sessions. Eileen stimulated discussion of the process for blending manual and electronic processes, and it was agreed that a hardcopy worksheet would accompany a registrant through a mostly electronic process in order to provide a basis for fee determination and follow-up. DeeDee will develop the worksheet unless a prior year’s form can be used. All other forms will be electronic. Lorraine strapped-on the responsibility to disseminate registration information via school district and individual school processes, other social media, and electronic mail to MAHA families. Forth ‘N Goal and FOMH were also suggested as outlets for disseminating information; David will follow-up.

Board Vacancies - Booth briefed the willingness of Lorraine Tobias and Mike McAuliffe to fill the vacancies of Communications Director and Grow The Game Coordinator, respectively; all board members concurred. Still open are Tournament Director and Girls Program Director; Tournament Director remains the most urgent outstanding need in order to execute the season’s tournament slate.

Practice Ice Availability - Rodney represented a general coach disappointment with the lack of suitable ice for practice last season, especially at the end of the season as practice slots were overtaken by MHL or other priorities. He also represented a desire to have a certain amount of ice dedicated to one or at most two teams, especially as the season wears on, to practice game situations and refine systems. Much discussion ensued during which is was acknowledged that practice ice is in high demand but that a higher priority can be accorded to it so it does not get preempted as the season progresses.

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Alternatives discussed also included rolling teams on and off the ice during multi-team practices, purchasing additional practice ice during non-peak periods, considering off-ice options such as ponds and other rinks, and robusting non-skating off-ice options such as dryland training and classroom instruction. Rodney expressed sincere appreciation for board efforts.

The board concluded official business at approximately 9:15 PM, and adjourned until the meeting scheduled for 4 October at 7:15 PM. The session will focus on preparing to execute the upcoming season, beginning on the 10th of October.

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Minutes of the MAHA Board MeetingOctober 4, 2016


Attending: John Anderson, Pam Billings, Carl Crawford, Hannah Brush, Levi Doria, DeeDee Flagg, Booth Hodde, Mike McAuliffe, Tony Niemo, David Pistilli, Eileen Sears, Lorraine Tobias Absent: None


September Minutes: No discussion

Old Business: None

New Business:

Registration - DeeDee briefed 141 registrants, with 11 additional pre-registrants that had not registered. Booth and Eileen will follow-up with these families to make sure their status is confirmed by season start. Post-mortem consensus was that online registration was generally well-received and will smooth out in the future assuming the same technology platform next year. Further consensus was to roll-out next year’s school announcement earlier, to clarify language between preregistration and registration, and to continue to work on an electronic payment method.

Skate With The Tigers - Only 21 skaters had signed up for the preseason clinic with the high school team, just enough to cover costs. Consensus was that fall sports made it difficult for many to commit but that more skaters will turn out once they can deconflict with their sport. The board agreed to readvertise with Jamboree Mites and have a board member, likely Booth and/or DeeDee, available to register walk-ups on the spot.

Programs - Registrants comprise 38 Mites, 27 Squirts, 11 PeeWees, 20 Bantams, 11 Midgets, 6 U10s, 5 U12s, 7 U14s, 4 MHL-only, 2 Girls Learn To Play Hockey, and 10 Learn To Skate. Considerable discussion ensued over the relationship of the Midget program to the high school program, with consensus that it is a positive story that still needs to be understood by some potential skaters, an understanding that will come from continued discussions between those skaters’ families and the high school coach. Additional discussion revolved around the likely consolidation of the girls programs

into U10 and U14 teams, as was done last year. It was agreed that, while the two registrants for GLTPH would be encouraged to consider U10 enrollment, the program is important to rebuilding the girls program and would be offered if even one participant desired it.

Schedule - The draft season schedule is built but still being loaded to the new web site; it will be available for review by the beginning of the season. Practice begins on 15 October. Parent meetings are scheduled for 17 and 18 October at 5:15 and 6:30 PM each day for the teams practicing at those times. Pam will find the script for the meeting and board members volunteered to be present at each meeting. Consensus was to recruit team coordinators in advance from known families, pending evaluations for the PeeWee and Bantam levels. Coaches get a vote. Evaluations are scheduled for 22-23 October, deconflicted with club football for the SQ and BM age groups. It was agreed that a photo session would be scheduled for after the first game so coaches could maximize on practice.

Officer Updates -

Communications - Lorraine sought to make sure consistent and comprehensive information is briefed to parents at the first meeting; Pam will seek the script and all will make adjustments as necessary. Lorraine also sought clarification to locker room monitor duties; MAHA policy is a monitor will be present for all practices and games. Background checks and SafeSport are mandatory for all LRMs, who will be kept to a constrained number due to cost of the background check.

Treasurer - $41,000 of receipts from registration to date; Pam will work to bounce final registrants against receipts to generate invoices for balances due by the beginning of November. Final payments will be due by 15 December.

Scheduler - Hannah sought clarification for MHL organization: it will be three minor league teams and four major league teams.

Webmaster - DeeDee is working hard to enter the schedule at both the state and local level and expects to complete the task before preseason begins.

Skip Brush Tournament - Dee reported no firm commitments to date for the proposed SQ/PW/BM tournament at Thanksgiving.

Grow The Game - Learn To Skate starts 5 November; will be led by Judson Hescock and Camille Xxxxx. Mike also briefed that first Try Hockey for Free Day is 12 November;

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should be preceded by school announcements, FPF and other forums, and Halloween cards. Also looking at inline skating options for the summer, and use of the tennis courts for dryland training.

SafeSport - Carl is seeking inputs to make sure his database is accurate; coaching director, board president, and team coordinators will assure their respective people get their info to Carl.

Director of Coaching - Levi briefed the development of a coaching philosophy to tie together the different coaches’ efforts; an effort to partner college coaching staff with each team; and the implementation of goal-setting and feedback for each skater on a travel team.

State Rep - David briefed the necessity to confront the proposed enforcement of the state meeting attendance policy; the requirement to process transfer and play-up requests; the requirement to make sure background checks and SafeSport training are current; and upcoming player development tryouts for boys and girls select teams.

Vice President - John forwarded one family’s disappointment with the overlap between evaluations and the conclusion of the club football season; the consensus was that while this is unfortunate, it is also the only time available between season start and first game to get the job done.

The board concluded official business at approximately 9:45 PM, and adjourned until the meeting scheduled for 1 November at 7:15 PM. The session will focus on the beginning of the season.

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Minutes of the MAHA Board MeetingNovember 1, 2016


Attending: Pam Billings, Hannah Brush, Carl Crawford, Levi Doria, DeeDee Flagg, Booth Hodde, Mike McAuliffe, Tony Niemo, David Pistilli, Eileen Sears Absent: John Anderson, Lorraine Tobias


October Minutes: No discussion

Old Business: None

New Business:

Travel teams shook out to two Squirt teams vice three after evaluations, at the A and B level; all other teams remain the same. Tony expressed concern at the loss of a SQ AA team as MAHA eventually feeds to MUHS at the Division 1 level but consensus was that the MAHA teams were appropriately classed for play this year, that we seek the highest level of competition each year, and that this will level out in future years. SQ AA ice will be redistributed as the schedule is reworked. The two Bantam teams were briefed as small and required to double-roster players to account for absences.

MHL first game was established as 22 Nov; Tony will work rosters and schedules this week. DeeDee briefed a proposal by Dan McIntosh to equip Majors with one set each of dark and light jerseys rather than purchasing jerseys for each of the notional four teams; the board approved the concept and DeeDee will obtain pricing information from Dan.

Grow The Game efforts are in full swing with Learn To Skate and Girls Learn To Play Hockey scheduled to begin 5 Nov under the guidance of Juddy and Emmy Hescock, respectively. Matt Brush has agreed to provide MUHS girls to assist with GLTPH as necessary. Try Hockey For Free is scheduled for 12 Nov at 9:15; the event will be republicized the week prior and a correction submitted to the Addison Independent for the right date. 1,000 cards were distributed at Halloween. Mike is working the GTG grant to VSAHA for 4 intermediate goals for 10U play, as well as potentially goaltending equipment. Booth briefed that MAHA had just received last year’s equipment for having participated in USAH’s 2-and-2 Challenge.

Goaltender Clinics - Levi briefed that Chase(?) will conduct all-age group goalie clinics, beginning Friday evening, 4 Nov.

Photos - Hannah briefed that AMV Photography has again been hired to shoot individual and team photos; dates are 7 and 9 Dec.

Skip Brush Tournament - DeeDee briefed that there were still no takers for the Thanksgiving weekend boys SQ/PW/BM tournament. She has refreshed her invitation to coordinators across the region, with a deadline of 6 Nov to inform MSC of the status. There was discussion of the possibility of hosting a Midget tournament that weekend, of organizing a 3-on-3 tournament, and on using Sunday’s ice to make-up games that have to be rescheduled due to various realignments in and out of MAHA. The board agreed to pursue each option, in that order, to best use the reserved ice.

Registration - MAHA now totals 177 registrants, including LTS. Almost all registrants are properly associated with USAH, and all transfer and play-up requests are approved with the exception of a new international player to the MAHA; Eileen is continuing to work that issue.

Website - DeeDee was recognized for her extraordinary effort to implement the association’s website via SportsEngine, including individually loading every team’s games across the state.

Volunteers - All team coordinators have been assigned with the exception of Jamboree Mites; Eileen, Hannah, Lorraine, and Pam are continuing to work. Locker room monitors are identified and in training; Carl asked that they forward their information to him for tracking.

Officer Updates -

Grow The Game - Mike requested and received approval to bring MAHA Mites and coaches to a Rutland ADM clinic being conducted by NED in conjunction with VSAHA. He further requested and received approval to pursue the possibility for CPR training to be provided to coaches via a volunteer at no cost to the association, and to compile a list of emergency clinics across the state in the vicinity of away games so coaches could have a quick reference in the event of an injury.

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Treasurer - Pam presented an initial budget for the season. Numbers are still very soft but there is a shortfall of approximately $6,000 that will have to be accounted for through a combination of increased revenue and decreased expenses.

Scheduler - Hannah

Webmaster - DeeDee

SafeSport - Carl

Director of Coaching - Levi

State/FOMH Rep - David acknowledged the fine work on processing transfer and play-up requests, as well as background checks and SafeSport training. He briefed the need to decide on the proposed rewrite of the state meeting attendance policy, and to nail down the proposed NED Tier 1 Girls U16/U19 Tournament for 17-19 Mar 17. He further briefed FOMH’s search for a new at large member, and the final stages of decision-making for the proposed layout of the rink’s second floor.

President - Booth

The board concluded official business at approximately x:xx PM, and adjourned until the meeting scheduled for 6 December at 7:15 PM. The session will focus on yyyy.

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Minutes of the MAHA Board MeetingDecember 6, 2016


Attending: John Anderson, Hannah Brush, Carl Crawford, Levi Doria, DeeDee Flagg, Booth Hodde, Mike McAuliffe, Tony Niemo, David Pistilli, Eileen Sears, Lorraine Tobias Absent: Pam Billings


Guests: John Cioffi, President, and Nate Isham, Vice President, Vermont State Amateur Hockey Association

November Minutes: No discussion

Old Business: None

New Business:

Try Hockey For Free in November attracted some two dozen participants and nearly netted two Mites. It also pointed out our shortage of loaner gear at the 8U level, explainable by Tony’s equipping of numerous Mite and Learn to Play Hockey for Girls participants. DeeDee briefed that she had approached Play It Again Sports about trading the relatively large quantity of adult gear in the equipment shed for youth gear, and would follow through on that this month. The next Try Hockey For Free day is 25 Feb 17; Lorraine will look into the proper avenues to advertise that in the coming months.

Learn to Play Hockey for Girls was briefed as winding down by 12 December; it had attracted a total of 9 girls, most of whom appeared interested in continuing in normal programs for the rest of the winter. Booth will author a follow-on note to these families inviting them to register in the appropriate program; tuition will be pro-rated.

Grow the Game - Our grant request has been submitted to the state and will be evaluated for decision by next month. Additionally, the increasing collaboration between MAHA, MUHS, and Middlebury College was highlighted, with examples of college player participation at the SQ, BM, and U14 levels, as well as upcoming Mite leadouts for the men’s games this weekend and an exhibition between periods. Booth commented that

college players’ first priority was school, then their sport, and the community last, and asked that initiatives for involvement include the head coaches as the arbiter for player time and effort.

Schedule - Practice, game, and MHL schedules appear to be proceeding apace, with Hannah juggling changes due to PW consolidation and some associations changing the declarations of their teams. A concern was expressed about ice being cancelled too close to execution, not permitting it be reused internally or externally, and all agreed close attention needs to be paid to filling the holes in order to not lose money.

Tournaments - David briefed that MAHA is in the running to receive a state playdown tournament one or both of the weekends of 10-12 February and 17-19 February. Championship weekend is 3-5 March. MAHA is then scheduled to conduct the Skip Brush Tournament 10-12 March, and was selected to host the New England District Girls 16U/19U Tier I Regional Tournament 17-19 March. He emphasized that it will take strong team coordinator involvement to assure family support to execute these tournaments at the end of the season. Lorraine offered to assist in communication to the coordinators. David further briefed that the opportunity host championship weekend in 2019 was available if MAHA was interested. Booth mentioned that the Tournament Director position was still open on the board.

DeeDee briefed that she is beginning to receive queries about the Skip Brush Tournament, and agreed to give Matt Brush first crack at assembling teams to compete at the Girls 12U and 14U levels. John Cioffi and Nate Isham cautioned that we need to register the tournament with the state, and that participating teams have a state approved roster to assure insurance.

Registration/Rostering - Eileen was able to ask questions and receive direct guidance about finalizing rosters by 31 December for tournament play in February and March.

Coach Certifications - Levi and Eileen will work together to understand what coaches still require age-appropriate modules to remain on the roster; 31 December is the deadline for completion. They will further assess SafeSport training and background check completion for coaches.

Learn to Skate, Session 2 - Hannah briefed that it is on the schedule to begin 7 January; however, only two skaters are registered right now. Eileen will be there to accept walkup registrants, and asked for assistance to shepherd newcomers who might need equipment or need extra help to the ice. There was confidence that attendance would

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grow and Lorraine will look into proper avenues to advertise. An issue to resolve is filling the other half of the ice with another program now that LTPHFG is ending.

VSAHA - John Cioffi and Nate Isham fielded questions about ADM and about Tier I expansion in the state/region. They shared member concern about dilution of local association effort but encouraged the continuation of building a strong local base and expressed confidence in their ability to shape higher level hockey in the state. Consensus in the room was that, at the end of the day, the local association will succeed if it provides a service that promotes appropriate skill development and balances competition with fun.

There having been considerable discussion, the board concluded official business at approximately 9:00 PM, and adjourned until the meeting scheduled for 3 January at 7:15 PM.

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january 5 2016 maha board meeting rec dept. warming hut 6pm · coaching - levi briefed his...

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