January 7, 2013 –MAHA Board Meeting Minutes

Attending: George Tucker, Bryan Carson, Rick Viens, Shelley Payne, Tony Niemo, Casey Ratti, John Anderson, Pam Billings, Scott Smith

General Membership: Fred Schroeder

Fred Schroeder mentioned that he felt that we should consider doing cross ice for MHL. Specifically he felt it would be great for the minors. Non Travel/MHL only players can be intimidated by some of the better players. 3 on 3 cross ice would allow these players more touches with the puck and allow for better skill development. The board said they would discuss the concept this summer when planning for next season.

December Meeting Minutes: Reviewed and approved unanimously

Old Business:

State Tournament: Based on the most recent standings all MAHA teams are going to stay at the level they started in for the state tournament. The U12 team has decided that they will be in the state tournament.

Report of Directors:

Pam Billings: Budget is almost together and will be sent out before the next board meeting. The referee scheduling and payment software is up and running. MAHA to request $9500 from FOMH with funds going towards goalie gear ($3800), scholarship funds ($5500) and goalie clinic coaching fees ($700).

Casey Ratti- Learn to Skate 2nd session is up and running with 20 skaters. The coach Steve Holmes is awesome according to feed back we have had from some parents.

Shelley Payne – Shelley is working on setting up a girls goalie clinic.

George Tucker – George will discuss with FOMH the thought of MAHA putting together a program for all the upcoming tournaments. There would be on set fee for advertising in all programs for all 3 upcoming tournaments.

Rick Viens - We need to work on getting concessions together for the upcoming tournaments. Options include BBQ burgers and dogs, a food truck, crock pots…… Whatever we do we need to streamline concessions. Rick and George to discuss this with rink mgt.

New Business: Skip Brush: So far we have ADK for U14 and Squirt levels. Pewee B orange and black will be playing. We need to make sure we fill the tournament soon.

At 9:15 George Tucker made a motion to adjourn. Bryan Carson seconded the motion and it was approved unanimously. Next meeting February 4th at 6:30 PM.

February 4, 2014 –MAHA Board Meeting Minutes

Attending: George Tucker, Bryan Carson, Rick Viens, Tony Niemo, Casey Ratti, John Anderson, Scott Smith, Shannon Gleason, Pam Billings, Terri Phelps

General Membership: Scott Barnes

Scott came to the board to discuss his child getting extra ice time with the squirt team during practices. His son plays for the Glades as a goalie and participates in MHL so he gets a chance to work on skating skills. Scott had asked the coach and coaching director if his son could practice with the squirts once in a while since he was not able to make it to some of the MHL practices. He was told he could. A parent brought this to the board and was concerned about parity in our organization and equity in ice time (getting what you are paying for). There was also another Glades player that had been practicing with the Squirts periodically. The message from the board was that this should not be allowed, “you play what you have paid for.”

Scott also was concerned about what he had heard about evaluations. He described what he had heard and that kids that had been cut from certain teams should not have been. The board explained the evaluation process and discussed who had been involved in evaluations and that there was never a situation where a coach of a team was on ice for evaluations to select players for their own team.

Team Coordinators: Teresa Anderson, Jason Laroque, Kim Crawford, Shannon Gleason, David Pistilli

Team Coordinators were present to discuss the upcoming tournaments that are being held and the Memorial Sports Center. Job duties were discussed along with the need for additional teams for Skip Brush and Crock Pots, Cookies etc… for the upcoming Skip Brush tournament. The rink is hosting one of the Squirt play down weekends, the U12 play down weekend and the Championship weekend.

January Meeting Minutes: Reviewed and approved unanimously

Old Business:

State Tournament: We will be hosting U12 and Squirt Play downs and Championship weekend. All board members will be needed to help fill job slots. Parents from all teams are encouraged to volunteer for jobs as well. A sign up board will be put up in the rink.

Report of Directors:

Shannon Gleason – Shannon has 3 interested parents who might be interested in splitting up the scheduler job. 1 would cover preseason scheduling, 1 would cover referees and 1 would cover in season scheduling.

Teams needing extra ice for practicing for Skip Brush should work directly with Bill Ford to schedule ice time.

New Business:

Skip Brush: Matt Brush has put together a select U12 team from a bunch of players from a few different organizations. Since the Skip Brush Tournament is outside the regular season this is allowable. It has not happened very often but does not go against any MAHA policy.

Coaches and team parent should continue to get the message out that we are looking for teams. We are now on the VSAHA and USA Hockey website.

At 8:15 George Tucker made a motion to adjourn. John Anderson seconded the motion and it was approved unanimously. Next meeting March 4th at 6:30 PM.

March 4, 2014 –MAHA Board Meeting Minutes

Attending: George Tucker, Bryan Carson, Rick Viens, Tony Niemo, Casey Ratti, John Anderson, Shelley Payne, Shannon Gleason, Pam Billings, Terri Phelps

General Membership: None present.

February Meeting Minutes: Reviewed and approved unanimously

Old Business: None

New Business:

Championship weekend: Terri is in charge of the tournament and the job chart is up and being filled in. Gate receipts will be kept by MAHA. Tickets are $2 for adults $1 for ages 12-18. Tony is in charge of security and should be there for at least the Bantam, Pewee and Midget games. FOMH is proving drinks for the teams. Alan Duclos is making a trophy stand to hold all the plaques. There are 2 games on Friday night and games start at 8 am on Saturday and 9 am on Sunday.

The board is actively searching for new members and discussed possible candidates.

Skip Brush: George Tucker will be the tournament director for the weekend. Still need to collect money from a few teams and some rosters. Pam will work on getting the programs printed and George will work on the updating the program. Shannon to send George the template she has. T shirts will be handed out as gifts to each player. Black for the coed teams and orange tie-dye for the girls teams. The hustler award will be handed out at each game with. The opposing coaches selecting for the other team. Trophies and medals are ordered and will be here by then. Boys high school team may be organizing raffle baskets.

Report of Directors:

Shannon Gleason – MHL Championship and playoff games have been scheduled. The minors only have 3 teams and one has not won a game all season. It was decided that the other two teams would automatically be in the championship game and that the minors would all be involved in one last ADM practice on next Monday.

George Tucker – George will communicate the additional funding request to FOMH outlining what the additional $3775 will be used for.

Bryan Carson- Our internet service can only send an email blast containing 100 emails. Bryan has talked with Rick Marshall about updating our account to allow for more. This additional service is $140 more per year but it is still cheaper than sending things via snail mail.

Pam Billings- We are in the black as far as finances go and bills are being paid. Certificates to hand out to players are being printed and Whitney Cups will be in by Friday.

John Anderson - Can’t wait for championship weekend and is excited about some the new board members we have been discussing. The U14 championship game will be one to watch.

Casey Ratti - Casey is getting things ready for preregistration.

At 8:45 George Tucker made a motion to adjourn. John Anderson seconded the motion and it was approved unanimously. Next meeting April 8thth at 6:30 PM.

MAHA Board Meeting Minutes April 8, 2014

Attending: Rick Viens, George Tucker, John Anderson, Casey Ratti, Shelley Payne, Bryan Carson, Heather McDonough, Shannon Gleason, Hannah Brush, David Pistilli, Pam Billings, Tony Niemo, DeeDee Flagg Guest: George Whitney gave a well-received history of his role in MAHA from its inception in the early 1970s. Rick was able to show him the cup named in his honor, and describe the rationale for its award every year, as well as the fact that it does not repeat. There was consensus that this type of “graybeard” testimony was useful for board members to understand where we’ve come from. General Membership: None March Meeting Minutes: Reviewed and unanimously approved. Old Business: None New Business: Salut - Rick farewelled the four departing board members: Scott Smith, George Tucker, Shelley Payne, and Shannon Gleason, and hailed five incoming members: Booth Hodde as Coaching Director, Heather McDonough as Special Events Coordinator, Hannah Brush as Preseason Scheduler, DeeDee Flagg as Skip Brush Tournament Director, and David Pistilli as Secretary. Skip Brush - George presented the tournament as an overall success, with acknowledgment of the difficulties associated with a three team format, and some essentially meaningless games on Sunday morning. He posited that the tournament likely needs to strike a balance between parity and eliteness, acknowledging one team that was clearly at a higher level. Rick emphatically endorsed parity for the tournament in the future, stating this year’s tournament was hampered by lack of a second weekend and the fatigue associated with hosting the state playoffs and championships. He proposed an early start, with booking of both ice and hotels by December. Shannon asked if the tournament must take place in March, at the end of the season, to which the general answer was no but that March is traditional. That said, the direction to DeeDee was to see if there were lulls in the athletic rhythm of the town and propose alternate dates for the board to consider if so. There was some sentiment for October and Thanksgiving, as well as for the traditional end of season event it currently is.

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Heather asked if there might be the opportunity to have Middlebury families host visiting players. There was receptiveness to that but also acknowledgment of the difficulties in managing it. George highlighted one team’s positive experience at an inn in Brandon, and the general consensus was that if MAHA could get out in front of the hotel room situation, that would suffice. Casey asked if the tournament fee was sufficient, as it is clearly lower than most others. Discussion acknowledged the lower fee but also pointed to the no-frills nature of the tournament. George offered that the t-shirts were well-received by players as tournament mementos but that, if they weren’t included in the cost of registration, would have sold briskly. There was discussion about not having an admission fee to attend games, to which the general consensus was that it was probably a good thing. Shannon emphasized the need to build the tournament into the schedule not later than May, and Shelley talked about the need for a website, an effort DeeDee was already starting. There was discussion about including other social media, like FaceBook, as well as the opportunity to include information in the Addison Independent if it is packaged and publication-ready, not only for the tournament but throughout the season. Final thoughts: 100 programs would probably suffice ... 75 minute game slots were sufficient with 10/10/12, 12/12/12, and 12/12/15 formats ... concessions were adequate ... starting early on Friday was good because there was no school. Around The Horn: Shelley proposed assuring awards for the MHL championships. Bryan informed that the USAH platform to link USAH membership with registering for a specific club program is no longer available. USAH next year membership should be available o/a May 1st, and he will endeavor to muscle the MAHA registration process using Google applications. There was robust discussion on dates for preregistration, fees, discounts, and heating. Rick concluded the discussion by directing we press ahead with preparing for preregistration and the board will discuss fees at the next meeting. Bryan also proposed not subscribing to the higher level electronic mail service that would permit more addressees for mails from the association, and directed new board members to send their contact info to him at the MAHA webmaster address.

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George stated that he had not heard from FOMH about $3775 despite repeated electronic queries. Rick spoke to the participation of MAHA in the Memorial Day parade, to include notifying parade organizers, alerting families of players, securing jerseys and banners, and scheduling the ice resurfacer. There was some discussion about jersey collection as still ongoing, that several different processes had been followed by different teams, and that there might have been some jersey intermingling. John proposed an equipment return day, just as there is an equipment issue day in the fall, to which most concurred. Rick directed Tony to account for all the jerseys soonest and advise the board on issues, if any. Rick also asked if the town rec flyer had already been published, and discussion evolved to assuring there would be a circular available before the end of school to disseminate among the various schools in ACSU, including approval by the supervisory union leadership. There was a question about how the VSAHA perceived MAHA’s execution of the state championships. Rick answered that there was little feedback but the impression was that it was well-received, with no incidents, few complaints, good processes, happy FOMH, and adequate if perhaps overworked volunteer staff. Concessions? B- Pam related the U14 girls progress in the regional championships, how they won their first two games but lost 3-1 to the eventual regional champion, a juggernaut team with 25 girls. There was impressive investment by Middlebury’s girls in the season, with genuine disappointment in the result but pride in the accomplishment. There was discussion about the position of Girls’ Director becoming vacant with the departure of Shelley Payne ... general consensus was that the vacancy was okay in the short term ... and there was concern about the viability of a U14 program next season, with most of the players moving up to high school, and only one U12 player and two PeeWee players eligible to move to U14. Rick set the next board meeting for May 6th at 6:30 PM, with Skip Brush, registration fees, jerseys, the parade, and team sizes as agenda items. The board concluded official business at approximately 8:15 PM.

MAHA Board Meeting Minutes May 6, 2014

Attending: Rick Viens, Booth Hodde, DeeDee Flagg, Tony Niemo, Pam Billings, David Pistilli, Hannah Brush, Terri Phelps, Bryan Carson, Casey Ratti, John Anderson General Membership: None April Meeting Minutes: Rick proposed, based on April’s model, an expedited workflow for the minutes that would distribute them electronically for comment shortly after the meeting and publish them to the website for public view as soon as possible after each meeting. Bryan heartily endorsed and all concurred. Old Business: None New Business: Crisis - Rick began the meeting philosophically by defining a crisis as an event which can be perceived as negative change, especially when it occurs abruptly, with little to no warning -- and one which MAHA should strive to avoid. He motivated board members to work hard in the off-season to avoid crises during the season. To that end, he exhorted the board to fight through the malaise of a long winter season, spring sports, school end, and summer vacation to encourage early registration for next year to allow maximum possible planning, as well as thank them in advance for upcoming work throughout the summer. Memorial Day Parade - Rick spoke on Heather’s behalf to relate that parade prep was proceeding apace and that Bill Ford had been coordinated with to provide the ice resurfacer. He directed Tony to assure jerseys would be available for participants. He directed Bryan to publish a mail to all MAHA members to advertise for parade participation. The girls high school team would be encouraged to wear their state champion jackets. There was discussion about swag; pucks were deemed too expensive and t-shirts too few; candy was agreed upon as the give-away of choice to mindlessly attract children and to keep dentists in business. Team Size Projections - Rick and Casey compared notes on committed and likely numbers for next year’s teams, with the following conclusions: Jamboree Mite: approximately 17 Squirt: 15-17, likely one team PeeWee: 20 - 30, including MHL; likely two teams

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Bantam: approximately 30, likely two teams U10/12: approximately 12, one team U14: 9 high schoolers and 3 middle schoolers. Robust discussion ensued: Rick expressed deep concern about the ability to field a team, and talked to reaching out to nearby programs to discuss combining. He was emphatic about not waiting until the season begins to construct a working way forward. Some members wondered aloud about the inclination for eligible 9th graders to play for the high school versus playing for MAHA. The possibility for a player to practice with the high school but play for MAHA was suggested, and endorsed roundly, as it might offer some girls much more playing time on the ice. It was clear from those with affected players that the girls are motivated as much by social interaction as they would be by ice team, and that success would hinge on weaving both together thoughtfully. Rick, first, directed that board members do everything possible to encourage participation by eligible girls to play; second, directed discussion with the high school coach to understand his support for a “blended” team; and three, directed continuation of already-begun discussion with Rutland to consider combining programs. Again, he is not willing to wait for October to figure out what is going to happen. Additionally, Rick directed Booth to consider head coaching assignments for the likely teams that will be constituted in the fall, and that Heather use the skeleton schedule established last year as the number of teams is roughly the same, with some plus or minus between PeeWee and Bantam. Skip Brush - DeeDee reported that March is still the best month for the tournament, after considering the town rhythm for supporting events during the season, and other state and regional tournament conflicts. She stated that the end of March appeared best to deconflict with the Jay Peak tournament at the beginning of March, and assure hotel availability in and around the Middlebury area. She has contacted multiple hotels, to include Courtyard, Brandon Lodge, and the Middlebury Inn; each indicated its willingness to block 10-40 rooms for tournament attendees who would confirm NLT 30 days prior to occupancy. Winter rates would still be in effect; Courtyard’s discounted rate was still $200 per night. The general consensus was that it was preferable to have a menu of hotels for families and teams to choose from that would distribute business broadly. Substantial discussion ensued about the availability of ice in late March, and the expense of continuing practices that late into the season. Hannah noted that it was sometimes difficult for Squirts to prolong their season into March, after having effectively concluded mid to late February. Tony posited that some families rebound after having a

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breather at the end of the season, and others proposed that the tournament need not execute over two sequential weekends if there are conflicts with other tournaments. Rick suggested that people come to Skip Brush as much for the experience of coming to Middlebury, as well as playing hockey. Rick directed that DeeDee focus on the last two weekends in March, and proceed to work with hotels to present availability during that time. He asked Hannah to put it on the schedule for the same time, and state that he and DeeDee would work with Bill Ford to understand the ramifications of scheduling a tournament that late in the season. State Update - John provided a recap of state level discussion: • The same weekends in March for playoffs/championships are envisioned for this year. • Mid-season assessments for team level will be replaced by end-of-season

assignments for playoffs. Discussion ensued about the need to enforce reporting as the season goes along.

• There will be renewed focus on standardizing team books, with the possibility of

statewide training for team coordinators, or at least registrars. • Roster discipline will be enforced, with dual-rostering no longer available. • Mini jamborees are being encouraged, with the opportunity for multiple teams from the

same programs to play each other on the same day, and emphasis on non-traditional matchups that would bring teams from different parts of the state together. Substantial discussion addressed the difference between a jamboree and a tournament, single v. multi day events, and the cost associated with hosting or attending such an event. Rick suggested that national level money might be available for conducting such an event, and the board remained open to the idea.

SafeSport - Rick reported that this concept is being codified throughout USAH, and talked to the necessity to embrace the concept in principle and in practice. SafeSport seeks to eliminate misconduct, foremost child sexual abuse, as well as bullying, hazing, harassment, and emotional abuse. MAHA will direct that all coaches, board members, and locker room monitors complete the training modules provided by USAH. Handbook Update - Rick asked all board members to consider what might need to be updated in the MAHA handbook, and directed Casey and Bryan to be prepared with a final version by August. There was some discussion about specificity v. generality, especially to provide sufficient flexibility to adapt to particular circumstances. Bryan talked to how much work had been done in recent years to make the document as general as possible. Rick invited special attention to the evaluation process, and agreed that the document is in very good shape.

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Along The Boards: Casey addressed the loss of a regular season scheduler, and Hannah volunteered to become the single scheduler for the season, in addition to the preseason. Bryan volunteered technical support to post schedule changes to the web site, and Casey and Hannah agreed to proceed mutually and carefully with scheduling of referees for travel as well as MHL games. Bryan reported the release of the early registration mail to all MAHA members, as well as the assignment of the domain name to host the Skip Brush web site. He pointed to his work ahead to announce the Memorial Day parade to MAHA members, to remind members of early registration, and to look ahead to locking down the handbook by August. Pam reported that she had essentially finalized bookkeeping for the season, and recommended consideration of closure of accounts that were hopelessly past due. She also noted payment outstanding for background checks that were only billed in late March. Tony reported that all jerseys were present or accounted for. There was some discussion about whether old or new jerseys would be used for the parade; general agreement was that the best jerseys needed to be on display. He further reported that the equipment shed was in good shape after the winter, and that goalie equipment was accounted for as well. Matt Brush is holding the new sets of equipment IAW previous agreement. DeeDee reported that the Skip Brush web site was up and running, and will soon be advertised to the greater Internet. Rick spoke briefly about member-to-member support by FOMH having run its course. Rick set the next board meeting for June 3d at 6:30 PM, with registration, Skip Brush, the evaluation process, U14, coach count, and goalies as agenda items. The board concluded official business at approximately 8:15 PM.

MAHA Board Meeting Minutes June 3, 2014

Attending: Rick Viens, Tony Niemo, David Pistilli, Hannah Brush, Terri Phelps, Bryan Carson, Casey Ratti, John Anderson, Heather McDonough Absent: Pam Billings, DeeDee Flagg, Booth Hodde General Membership: None May Meeting Minutes: Approved without discussion. Old Business: None New Business: Early Registration - Casey reported more than 100 registrants, with the following breakdown:

Age Group Registered Pending Total

Bantam ’00-’01 22 5 27

PeeWee ’02-’03 27 3 30

Squirt ’04-’05 18 5 23

U14 ’00-’01 6 5 (tops) Unknown

U12 ’02-’03 7 1

U10 ’04-’05 2

Mite 31 (4 new)

MHL Only 3 She noted the PeeWee numbers included 3 former MHL-only players, and 2 transfers from Rutland. Bryan also noted that some families had not completed the second step of registering for MAHA after registering with USAH, and that he had purged the registration form of double entries. There was general consensus that there would be sufficient numbers to field two teams of Bantams, PeeWees, and Squirts, pending evaluations in the fall. There was some discussion about permitting transfers to play in end-of-season championships, to which the general agreement was that it was not permitted except in unusual cases, with some

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consideration given to female programs, and to consider that when forming teams. Rick asked Casey to follow-up on league sign-off for the transfers and directed Tony to assure sufficient quantities of jerseys. There was extended discussion on the topic of girls hockey, mostly on the U14 level. The group reviewed the two most plausible options for fielding a team as one, obtaining permission from the high school to allow willing U14-eligible ninth grade girls to practice with the varsity team but play with MAHA; or two, to combine forces with Rutland U14. There was consensus that it would not be a good idea to dilute the U12 program by soliciting girls to “play-up” to U14. There was considerable uncertainty about the likelihood of players to practice for one program but play for another; about the team-building for both MUHS and MAHA or MAHA and Rutland players coming together to play games; and about the logistics of rostering players, combining practices, and allocating resources. Tony was passionate about exploring the high school/club fusion as a model for both U14 and Bantam programs, with the potential to provide additional playing time for the youngest high school players while reinforcing the club programs. There had been entry level discussion but no commitments from either the MUHS coach or the Rutland club on either option. Rick stated that he would work through a likely U14 coach to represent to both organizations and determine the most feasible way forward, and that he is committed to determining the outcome by the August board meeting. Skip Brush Tournament - Hannah spoke on DeeDee’s behalf to relate the initial feedback from Bill Ford was that the last weekend in March would be difficult to support due to outdoor temperatures. There was agreement that we had to deconflict with the North Branch tournament, that we could split between weekends if necessary, and that we would consolidate into one weekend as a last resort. Rick will reengage. There was enthusiasm for the website DeeDee had built and the hotel agreements she had arranged, and a feeling that the tournament could easily sustain two weekends of high level play. Circle-to-Circle: Hannah related that she had a couple of draft schedule scenarios and would wait for team number determination and coaching assignments before going final. There was discussion about Learn To Skate scheduling, and agreement that scheduling the second session to start later, specifically the weekend of January 10th, would work well. John expressed support for the league’s mini-jamboree focus based on his lax experiences this spring. There was general consensus that more games per distance traveled was good, although it would increase scheduling and logistics difficulty to host.

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Tony reported that all the jerseys had been returned after the Memorial Day parade, and expressed confidence for allocating two sets of Bantam jerseys. Terri reported that there had been no state activity over the last month. Casey solicited information to meet deadline for the town fall recreation flyer, and the board agreed to fall registration dates of 20 and 24 September, a Saturday and Wednesday. Rick suggested not meeting in July and set the next board meeting for August 5th at 6:30 PM. He directed work on Skip Brush, U14, and the Handbook be done via electronic correspondence. The board concluded official business at approximately 8:00 PM.

MAHA Board Meeting MinutesSeptember 2, 2014

Attending: Rick Viens, Tony Niemo, David Pistilli, Hannah Brush, Terri Phelps, Bryan Carson, Casey Ratti, John Anderson, Booth Hodde

Absent: Pam Billings, DeeDee Flagg

General Membership: None

August Meeting Minutes: Approved without discussion

Old Business: None

New Business:

Registration Update - Casey reported that she had printed applications for pre-registrants and that she was prepared to work with Pam to obtain sufficient copies of all other documents that will be needed. Much of the board appeared to be available to help with the Saturday registration on 20 Sep; fewer with Wednesday, 24 Sep, but sufficient given the traditionally lighter numbers that night. Bryan volunteered to assist Tony with equipment. Bryan will also send out an email reminder to all pre-registered families o/a Monday, 8 Sep.

Skate With The Tigers - Rick and Hannah confirmed 10 hours of ice scheduled in 8x1:15 blocks for 13-17 Oct. There will be an additional dryland component TBD, and there will be a goalie portion. The cost will be $90, and will serve as a fundraiser for MUHS hockey. Break-even is 24 registrants; for each 11 additional, MAHA will be able to donate approximately $1,000 to MUHS. Rick asked all board members to encourage participation.

Vermont Principals’ Association - Rick announced the recent VPA decision to permit high school students to play for non-school teams, and proposed the board consider policy whereby MUHS (and other high school?) students could also play youth hockey for MAHA. This sparked considerable discussion that included opportunity for those high school players who would otherwise not see a lot of playing time, the chance for a bona fide high school practice squad, concern about team cohesiveness if players do not also practice with their youth team, the role of coaches in assuring fair playing time and relative status on the team, and what it should cost for a family to have a player both in high school and youth sports. The general consensus was that it would affect relatively

few players, at least this year, and there were no decisions made regarding policy. Rick did direct Casey to offer a split season tuition for families who definitely know at registration that their high school player will MAHA before the season and in the Skip Brush Tournament at the end. Rick also noted that he had begun the dialogue with the high school coaches about what any implementation would look like, and took an action to solicit the MUHS athletic director for his intent for the upcoming season. Much of the decision making is out of the board’s control.

Parent Coordinator Meetings - Rick talked to how crucial these are in recruiting families to participate in the association and their players’ development, and the talking points he has developed to be delivered during the meetings. The meetings will be scheduled once teams are decided.

Evaluations & Prospective Coaches - There was considerable discussion about evaluation do’s and don’ts. The consensus was that simplicity, directness, adherence to published standard, and transparency are desirable. There was agreement that evaluator participation had to be 100%, and that prospective coaches would have input immediately following assessment. Booth assured that he is taking this into account, and will communicate to all evaluators and coaches to assure their availability and participation throughout all sessions.

Booth is targeting 25/26 October for this year’s evaluations. Tony will obtain the 7th & 8th Grade football schedules so Booth can deconflict Saturday morning’s football games with Squirt and PeeWee evaluations.

Booth continued that he is looking for one additional evaluator, and one PeeWee coach.

There was some discussion that the board consider a policy that would prohibit parents from observing their child’s evaluation in order to relieve the pressure on the child but no action was taken. Their was also a suggestion that the evaluators consider a Q&A session with parents following evaluations, which Booth said he would consider.

Move-Up Policy - Bryan reported that MAHA’s policy is in conformance with VSAHA and USAH, essentially having adopted the state process. Rick outlined the process as essentially an administrative one at the local level, with the decision deferred to the state.

Skip Brush Tournament - Bryan spoke on DeeDee’s behalf to endorse her website, event sign-up process, and FaceBook page. He encouraged everyone to visit the page and “like” it. He nominated DeeDee to take his place next year.

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One-Timers:

Terri will attend the state meeting along with Hannah, and assist her during the scheduling process. There was no other news from the state level.

Casey noted that state policy permitted only the first two games against the same opponent for boys, and first three games for girls, to count toward the minimum requirement to qualify for tournament play at season’s end. There was concern that this could affect the U14 team but it was noted that girls teams require fewer games than boys for qualification. The consensus was that this was intended to spread competition outside a particular region, and would likely not impact any MAHA team.

Bryan noted that the MAHA handbook had been updated recently and asked board members to read it carefully for accuracy. He agreed that he would send email announcements about registration, Skate With The Tigers, and evaluations.

Tony asked if it would be possible to submit a Skate With The Tigers announcement into school bulletins; Casey will make this happen.

Hannah asked when the schedule should be published on the website, offering that it is helpful for parents to know what they are signing up for when they register. The consensus was that it is normally loaded one month prior, and would be a good idea to get October’s loaded before registration on 20 Sep. Bryan offered to help with bulk loading the schedule. Hannah also asked if there was a distance restriction she should consider when scheduling games at the upcoming state meeting; consensus was that virtually all of the state was in play.

David debriefed the FOMH ring manager’s efforts to utilize the college velcro by next spring, and to replace the metal halide lights with LEDs this fall. He noted that the banner/trophy/plaque policy was being updated and solicited input from board members if they desire.

Rick concluded the meeting by proposing board members consider an alternative meeting schedule through December to accommodate the board treasurer, who is taking evening classes. He will work with all board members to determine a suitable alternative, if possible.

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MAHA Board Meeting MinutesOctober 6, 2014

Attending: Rick Viens, Tony Niemo, David Pistilli, Hannah Brush, Terri Phelps, Bryan Carson, Casey Ratti, John Anderson, Booth Hodde, Pam Billings, DeeDee Flagg

Absent: None

General Membership: None

September Meeting Minutes: Approved without discussion

Old Business: None

New Business:

MSC Ice Prep - Rick asked for all hands to help Bill Ford out as available to paint the ice, including the new “look-up line,” at the rink this Thursday and Friday night. Many indicated they could be there for one night or the other, and were confident there would be strong numbers of volunteers.

Coaching Assignments - Rick and Booth briefed that the coaches meeting had gone well, with all head and assistant coaching slots filled save for one PeeWee head coach. Booth is further looking for the final of three evaluators for assessments to be conducted the last weekend in October.

Coach Certifications/SafeSport/Background Checks - Rick and Booth discussed assuring current certifications for all coaches. Terri offered that Mite coaches can still work with expired certifications. In addition to coaches and locker room monitors, Rick directed that all board members complete the SafeSport training available on the VSAHA website. Finally, Pam reiterated her request that all coaches and locker room monitors accomplish/reaccomplish background checks this year to establish a good baseline.

Registration - Casey reported a total of 167 registrants, including Learn-To-Skate youth, leaving approximately 150 skaters to form travel and in-house teams. There was confidence that there would be two teams at the Bantam, PeeWee, and Squirt levels, and that there would be sufficient numbers of girls to form distinct U10/12 and U14 teams. It was implied that, pending decisions by skaters and their families, several girls would be dual-rostered between coed and female teams through the fall, and that distinct U12

and U14 teams would coalesce after Christmas to move forward to state championships.

MHL - Tony reported that there were sufficient numbers to support 3 Minor and 5 Major MHL teams. There was some discussion about assigning coaches and hosting a draft to place skaters but, with the Majors season beginning 23 October, Tony and Booth agreed to form teams and adjust as necessary as the season progressed. The same will happen for Minors. Rick directed that parity be paramount.

Parent Coordinator Meetings - Rick suggested seeking coach input to line-up parent coordinators prior to meetings that must take place toward the end of October. Casey and Booth will team to accomplish this directly in order to facilitate photo night preparation for early November. Last option will be to solicit for a volunteer on-the-spot at the meetings.

Team Photos - Photos are scheduled for the nights of 3 and 4 November, with the same company as last year. Board members concurred with the photographer’s recommendation that individual photos be taken off-ice, with team photos on ice, for minimum disruption to practice. Casey took receipt of the photo order forms from Rick.

Skate With The Tigers - Casey reported approximately 30 registrants for the SWTT preseason fundraiser. Late registrants would be welcome, although drop-ins will not. Rick suggested a stick-and-puck coupon for those registrants who miss one of their four sessions due to an overlapping sport conflict but it was decided that it would be awkward to implement uniformly.

Spring Evaluations - Rick suggested the association consider evaluations in the spring in order to leverage skater currency and get a jump on forming teams for the fall. Downsides could be player and family fatigue at season’s end, and accounting for reevaluations following a strong summer. Board members agreed to poll other organizations for their experiences and make a decision over the winter.

Rebounds:

Terri debriefed from September’s state meeting that there are computer applications available at admkids.com for free and for pay, and that the slightly higher pay option might offer a better value as it affords access to all applications. flexxCOACH, a web app that supports coaching, is available for $90/year. There was a question about whether that supports only an individual or an entire organization; she will check. She

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asked Booth to remind coaches to bring pens and food to coaching clinics, and offered that there might be a 15 December Level I coaches clinic to catch-up late arrivals.

Bryan briefed that the website might be dormant for several hours in the upcoming weeks due to an upgrade by the hosting service used by MSC.

Hannah briefed that she had concluded a meeting with Rick Marshall to understand and utilize Arbiter, the referee scheduling program.

Casey asked if we would have sufficient Bantam jerseys; Tony confirmed, on the strength that there were essentially 36 sets of jerseys for every level, although some cross-leveling will have to take place.

Pam briefed that she had signed the ice contract with MSC, that there was ultimately strong preregistrant follow-through at the final registration signup, and that many registrants were pleased that heat was included in the baseline price.

DeeDee briefed that the Skip Brush Tournament had garnered its first registrant, from Massachusetts, and that early registration will be available through Christmas. This was the earliest registration in memory, and all agreed a good portent of things to come.

Rick proposed a fundraiser that would bring a quality sled hockey team to the rink to play a coach team, with sponsorship either by the American Legion or the Veterans of Foreign Wars. All thought it had good potential for success as many in the community would be genuinely interested in disabled athletes, some of whom are veterans, and that there could be profit if sponsorship could be guaranteed. Rick will move forward to develop.

Rick concluded the meeting by confirming November’s board meeting for 6 November at 7:15 PM, as well as December’s board meeting for 4 December at 7:15 PM.

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MAHA Board Meeting MinutesNovember 6, 2014

Attending: Rick Viens, Booth Hodde, DeeDee Flagg, Pam Billings, David Pistilli, Hannah Brush, Bryan Carson, Casey Ratti, John Anderson

Absent: Tony Niemo, Terri Phelps

General Membership: None

October Minutes: Approved without discussion.

Old Business: None

New Business:

Evaluations - Rick offered that the evaluations had gone very well, while expressing disappointment over the resignation of one skater due to disagreement with their placement. He commended Booth that they were well-organized, evaluators were at full strength and fully present, standards were well advertised, and results well communicated. Others offered that particular strengths were jersey assignments ahead of time and online posting of results. Rick encouraged the board to solicit input from other associations about their experiences with Spring evaluations in order for MAHA to consider the same. Casey and Hannah suggested it would ease the pressure at the beginning of the season, and many felt it would present the skaters at their strongest. DeeDee recommended the board make that decision early to best communicate to families, and John recommended that we not change at this point with the process working as good as it is. More at future meetings.

Picture Nights - The consensus was that these had also gone extremely well. The off-ice setup for individual photos permitted players to pose as they were ready before practice, and each skater having their own envelope permitted players to intermingle between teams. The on-ice team photos were minimally invasive, taking less than 10 minutes total, at least on the first night. Pending what the individual photos look like with the faux background, everyone agreed the process is just about perfected.

Skate With The Tigers - Rick reported that SWTT had netted $1,500 for the MUHS hockey programs, with 45 skaters enrolled. The consensus was that the program had executed well, with a good balance of rigor with fun, and that the dryland component was instructive for the younger/newer skaters. Rick suggested the board consider ways to reinforce the relationship between MAHA and MUHS skaters so the youth feel welcome and aspire to continued participation, especially through high school.

Skip Brush Tournament - DeeDee reported one Bantam and one PeeWee team already signed up, with shell documents created for their and future registrants use. She advertised posters available for placement at VSAHA rinks board members visit as they

accompany their players to away games. There was discussion about ordering t-shirts early to assure availability, making sure they don’t have dates on them to assure future use, and agreement that the shirts were probably the best swag from former tournaments.

Bantam Player Sharing - John indicated Bantam coach interest in sharing players back and forth to balance and assure proper numbers for each team. There ensued spirited discussion initiated by Bryan about the most recent Bantam B game that had the players at a disadvantage over low numbers due to injury and resignation, and the need to assure player safety as well as appropriate competition. The association is balancing fielding one strong and one less strong team against assuring adequate numbers to keep play fair and safe for the weaker team. Booth will dig-into the particular Bantam B situation but the consensus was that it is early in the season, that play and schedule will level out, that coach involvement and leadership is paramount, and that sharing should be encouraged for these teams. David was uncomfortable with fluid rosters. Hannah noted that a player must go the state tournament with whatever team they skated for in the first game of 2015, and it was agreed we must pay close attention to the administrative details as the season irons out to assure proper placement at season’s end.

After-Hours Ice - John asked how extra ice time can be acquired by teams for practice or additional games; the consensus was to have the team work directly with MSC; Hannah will facilitate where necessary; and the teams will be individually responsible for payment.

U10 Waivers - Booth offered a motion that MAHA permit six Mite age (U8) female skaters to play-up to the U10 team. This will permit the fielding of separate U10, U12, and U14 teams, creating a relatively smooth pipeline for the development of the girls game. Pam seconded; all present voted in favor, none were opposed or abstained. MAHA will forward the request to VSAHA.

Female Double-Rostering - Casey noted some parent dissatisfaction with permitting female players only to be rostered on two teams simultaneously, with the implication that these players bump male players from better teams or get extra ice at the same cost as others. The consensus was that these dual rosterings are done at the association’s request, not the player’s, in order to permit the girls teams to exist and to permit the development of female hockey. The girls are appropriately placed by skill level on the coed teams and only enhance the level of play of those teams. It’s clear to them and to the coaches which team is primary, and which practices and games have priority. There was some sympathy toward the appearance of favoritism but acknowledgment that these actions permit MAHA to field the strongest coed teams possible and to simultaneously develop girls hockey.

Registration Deadline - Casey proposed MAHA consider a fall registration deadline, with late payment penalty, in order to facilitate the process of placing players, assigning coaches, evaluating, etc. An fair amount of extra time was spent this fall chasing the

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small numbers of players assumed to want to play but not yet registered. The board will consider this in the spring.

Learn To Skate - Rick noted that Steve Holmes would be unable to supervise this for the upcoming season and asked all to consider “outside the box” candidates to replace him. Booth felt one of the several new parents might be in a position to lead the program, and Rick stated he will ask Steve to get the program started this weekend but will follow-up immediately to relieve him.

Slap Shots:

Pam reported that receipts and expenses were flowing smoothly, with relatively low numbers of scholarship applicants within the budget estimate. The scholarship request will be communicated to FOMH. There was also discussion on payment of referees and the discussion was that it would flow through Rick Marshall via Arbiter.

Bryan gave his one season notice, noting he had been associated with MAHA since 2006 and had been on the board since 2007. He indicated potential willingness to continue to support back-end IT for the association but would be unable to perform the myriad data entries, postings, and communications for MAHA beyond this season. His service was more-than-duly recognized, and Rick thanked him for the long heads-up. There was some discussion of contracting for service vice relying on a board member; the board will take up the discussion in the spring.

David reported on MSC lighting, stating that FOMH was still in the process of replacing the metal halide lights with LED ones, and that the intent is that the LED lights become the normal lights while the flourescent lights will become the game lights. The wiring for switches to facilitate this has already been done, and the LEDS will be installed soon.

He also reported that FOMH had contracted with a wholesaler to supply the concession stand, which should lead to healthier, easier-to-prepare, and more profitable offerings. A point of sale cash register will also be added to the concession booth to more easily provide and monitor sales.

He finally reported that grant money was available at the state level for equipment, either personal or for the rink. Booth mentioned he had observed a useful piece of equipment for goalies to practice defending against deflected shots; Rick asked him to supply a photo and he will seek purchase or construction.

David was asked to convey a request for parking lot lights back to FOMH, which he will dutifully do next week.

Rick noted that “Try Hockey For Free” Day was this Sunday from 3:30-5:00 PM. Tony Niemo will lead it.

The board concluded official business at approximately 9:15 PM.

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MAHA Board Meeting MinutesDecember 4, 2014

Attending: Rick Viens, Tony Niemo, David Pistilli, Hannah Brush, Terri Phelps, Bryan Carson, Casey Ratti, John Anderson, Pam Billings

Absent: DeeDee Flagg, Booth Hodde

General Membership: Carl Crawford, Fred Schroeder, Jenry Moorsman, Sherm Grant

November Meeting Minutes: Approved without discussion

Old Business: None

New Business:

MHL - Fred began the meeting by stating that the MHL was not serving its original purpose, namely to provide an opportunity for play to non-travel players, and had become simply a vehicle for travel players to get another game. He further expressed dissatisfaction with the time of games, feeling they are too late for at least some of the players. He offered that two of his PeeWee B players should probably have been MHL-only, and asked if they had been offered that option at registration. He further expressed opinion that we have too many games and not enough practices, and proposed that the MHL consider a restructure to a 3 on 3 format that would better suit skills development. Carl later added that there had been unnecessarily aggressive play, jumping of lines, and lack of awareness on multiple occasions that led to poor experiences for some of the players on MHL Majors teams.

There ensued spirited discussion where board members offered the following points:

! -- That house league is intended to provide fun local play for all registered players. It is not intended for skills development, and that 3 on 3 seems more like drill.! -- That registration is not the proper place to dissuade a player from travel play -- evaluations will determine a player’s appropriate placement. The registrar does encourage Learn To Skate for those younger registrants with no prior experience.! -- That B teams will never turn down a player that shows interest, unless that player is a hazard to themself or others.! -- That MHL should be able to accommodate players who are on different learning curves, and that simple exposure to better play and skating will help those players who need it.

! -- That MAHA is abiding the intent of the practice/game ratio with two practices per week and normally two games per weekend, in that the USAH ADM 4 or 5-to-1 practice-to-game model includes off-ice strategy/tactic instruction and physical conditioning.! -- That coaches are welcome to implement 3-on-3 drills in their non-ADM practice.! -- That coaches need to enforce good sportsmanship by their players, and that poor behavior should be brought to the attention of the MHL commissioner and the coaching director.

There was acknowledgment that 3 on 3 hockey is valuable, can and should be fun, and that there might be an opportunity to include a 3-on-3 tournament in the spring. Fred volunteered to be involved with whatever evolves from this.

SQ A/SQ B/U12 Double Rostering - Jenry and Sherm sought clarification to apparently conflicting board guidance on sharing players between the three teams. Their vision, determined after substantial research and consultation with board members and parents, was to offer the opportunity for four Squirt B players to “play up” on those occasions when the four female Squirt A players were fulfilling U12 responsibilities. They planned carefully to balance that with the minimum number of games each player needed with each team to make that team state tournament eligible, as well as to make sure the first game played after the new year, which would determine roster eligibility for each player, would be correct.

There ensued again spirited discussion about double rostering, growing the girls game, player v. parent desire, team cohesion, player safety, and association responsibility to players and parents. It was ultimately determined that this plan was more or less what the board had agreed to the week prior to Thanksgiving, and Jenry and Sherm were directed to implement what they had briefed.

Coach Certifications/SafeSport/Background Checks - Casey briefed that 9 coaches still require clinic attendance to complete their certifications, and that many still lack SafeSport certification. Rick directed that Booth assure that the necessary coaches are on track to complete their training, and reiterated that all board members must complete the SafeSport computer-based training module.

Funding Request to FOMH - Pam briefed that scholarship requests totaled $5,000 this year. Rick directed an additional $1,000 to cover damaged uniforms, additional goalie equipment, and helmets. David will convey to FOMH.

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Fundraiser - Rick was concerned that MAHA board members did not have sufficient free time to lead the proposed sled hockey fundraiser but wanted to continue discussion with Carol Weston, FOMH VSAHA rep, to figure out how to bring a sled hockey team to town and expose Middlebury citizens to it. David will discuss with Carol.

Backchecks:

Housekeeping - Tony asked for heightened coach attention to puck collection at the conclusion of practices, as well as other equipment, that needs to be stowed between sessions.

Pucks to Away Games - Fred asked if VSAHA could implement policy that home teams provide pucks for the visiting team at all games. It was decided that the tradition of bringing pucks to away games was too ingrained to change at this time.

Team Photos - There was general consensus that the off-ice photos looked unnatural and that, even though the off-ice method was better for practice, it was worse for the end product.

Play Hockey For Free Day - Tony reported that attendance was light. Rick briefed that VSAHA publicity was not permitted because Middlebury’s day was one removed from the national day, due to ice availability. All agreed to endeavor for better publicity next year.

Website Appearance - Bryan briefed that the website had lost one aspect of its traditional appearance due to an upgrade of Google calendars that had not been accommodated by third party developers, one of whom MAHA uses to publish the website. He will attend to the issue when he has time in the next month or so.

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