HOCKEY FAQs
Q. We never hear anything. How can we find out what is going on?
There are many different ways to find out what is happening at FYHA. Following are the most common:
A. Our web-site: The FYHA web-site, www.fyha.org, is one of the best resources of information, contains the most recent and up-to-date information regarding our Association and your team. Go to www.fyha.org for all FYHA association information.
B. Team Manager: Every team, whether House or Travel, has a team managers, and they are usually very pro-active in disseminating information. The Coach is another great source; however, when in doubt, do not hesitate to call or email either of these excellent sources of information. All Team Managers are listed on our website at www.fyha.org and can be found under the “Teams” tab.
C. Email: You are always welcome, and are in fact encouraged to contact any Board Member regarding any issue you may have. If you are unsure as how to direct your question, please visit the website at www.fyha.org and click on contact us. The current Board members will be listed, as will their respective contact information.
Q. How long is the season?
The Travel teams will generally start practices in August for the season that will start in September. The Travel season will then run through March/April, depending on playoffs and tournaments. The House program is broken into two sessions, more about this below. But regardless of the program, the schedules for all teams, Travel and House, are posted on the website calendar.
Q. Is Hockey a weekend sport?
In most instances, the answer is yes. Hockey games are generally played on the weekends, both Saturdays and Sundays. The City gives us the best ice times for weekday practices and we usually meet our maximum allotment. High school, Figure Skating Club, public skate, and other Flagstaff skating organizations share both weekday and weekend ice time. For these reasons, we play most all our games on the weekends. Exceptions, however, are when a team is playing in a tournament over a holiday weekend. Because there are usually a large number of teams, it might be necessary for games to be scheduled on a Friday or Monday, but if that is the case, the kids are out of a school for the holiday weekend. And there are instances in which it is necessary for Travel teams to have to play on a Friday morning very early which necessitates travel the day before. The decision about whether to pull a child from school early or for the day, however, lies entirely with the parents.
Q. Competition (Travel) vs Recreational (House) League?
The House League is our program for kids and parents who want to play at a recreational level and not incur the time and/or expense associated with traveling both inside and outside of Arizona. FYHA's goal is for players to have fun, learn from practices and scrimmages, and may play a few games against other teams. There is no travel required.
The Travel League is our program for kids and parents who want to play at a higher and competitive level; players are evaluated and tryout for the Travel team based on their age. Players practice at least twice per week, play competitive games against traveling teams in Flagstaff, and will often travel over night to play opponents that may be in the greater Phoenix area, Las Vegas or elsewhere. FYHA supports our players’ aspirations of playing high school and college hockey, and perhaps even the NHL!
This is a personal decision that can only be made by the player and their family. Some children crave steady competition, and others are in it strictly for the exercise and camaraderie. The House Program offers fun non-checking games from 6U up through and including 12U. The Senior House Program may have instances in which checking is allowed.
The Travel program offers checking at the Bantam level (13 and up). If your child shows interest in playing high school hockey, it is recommended that the player join FYHA’s Travel league program. It is also recommended, but not compulsory, for competitive players to join the travel team at the 8U - if a team is even offered. Please keep in mind, though, that there is a tryout involved for competitive hockey and the player will need to be selected for the team. If that happens, the family will need to commit to a fairly rigorous travel schedule, as well as regular practices to prepare for competition. Travel players can expect a fair distribution of ice time, but with a higher degree of competition, the coach may choose to play stronger players in close game situations. Our coaches can also remove a player for disciplinary reasons or if they feel a player may be at risk. If you have any questions, then in doubt, check with the Travel team head coach for their team’s specific philosophy on player ice time during competitive games.
The House program is designed for skill development and hockey awareness without the necessary travel commitment. In other words, House players will still practice and play, but it will be significantly less competitive. No travel will necessarily be required, although a few games against ‘close’ out of town teams may get scheduled if agreed upon during the 2nd session, and missing practices here and there to accommodate family is generally not a problem. FYHA asks that every new player to hockey complete at least one season at the House level before they tryout for a competitive level program. There may be a few exceptions, but it is unusual. House players can expect equal ice time (except for rare disciplinary issues).
HOUSE is also different for each group. For players in the 12U/14U/16U groups, depending on the number of kids registered, may all practice together, with a 12U/14U team playing some games against outside teams on weekends, and a couple of the games being away games, and possibly one (1) tournament. The Midgets will have a separate team for games, but similar game structure.
Q. Is hockey dangerous?
Hockey is a contact sport, and injuries can happen in any contact sport. However, hockey players wear more protective equipment than kids who play in most other contact sports. Although the risk is present, FYHA coaches take the time and effort to teach our players how to be safe on the ice. Like other contact sports, the rink is a controlled environment with adult supervision. Contrary to opinion, hockey children are NOT more violent than children in other sports. Fighting IS NOT tolerated and players will be suspended for severe violations of the rules. This IS NOT the NHL and intentional and unnecessary body contact is not allowed.
Q. Is hockey good exercise?
Studies have actually shown that hockey is one of the best team sports. Where else can you put a 6 year old in a freezing environment and they come off the ice sweaty? Studies have actually shown that kids who play hockey also tend to stay in better shape as adults than kids who play other team sports!
Q. How long is each House Program session?
FYHA offers two, roughly 11 week session for our house programs. The first generally runs from the end of September to approximately mid-December. The second session starts immediately after the New Year and runs through about the end of March. You can choose to participate in the fall session, the spring session or both. Because our House league will have teams and games, etc., it will not be broken into fall and spring sessions. Latecomers will be assessed on an individual basis.
Q. What are the different House Groups Names and Ages?
FYHA is growing. With more participants comes the chance to organize our House league!
Groups
Depending on registration numbers, FYHA tries to field House teams at the following levels:
Mini-Mites (learn to skate program) 6U (ages 6 & under)
Mites 8U (ages 8 & under) 8U Select (Enhanced Development)
Squirts 10U (ages 10 & under)
Peewee/Bantam/Midget (aka Senior House) 12U/14U/16U
**Depending on the number of registrations and available ice, the last age group may be more divided up (i.e. Peewee/Bantam House (11-14yrs), Midget House (14-15yrs) and/or the other groups may be divided into two groups as well.
Q. What is the cost to rent equipment?
The cost to rent equipment is $65.00 per year (includes both 11 week sessions or any portion thereof). A $125.00 deposit is required and $60.00 will be refunded at end of season/session if all equipment is returned within two weeks of the session's end. Bring cash or check to rink when fitting.
FREE equipment rental for first-year skaters! $100.00 deposit will be fully refunded when the equipment is returned. Prices are subject to change. To set up an appointment to get your child fitted or to see when we are holding public fitting please contact the Equipment Manager at equpmentmanager@fyha.org.
Q. I want to get my own equipment. What do I need?
From top down: Helmet with facemask/cage, mouth guard, shoulder pads/chest protector, elbow pads, gloves, hip pads or padded hockey pants, protective cup, shin guards, hockey skates and stick. Optional: neck guard. It is recommended that all protective equipment be designed specifically for ice hockey. Behind the Mask in Phoenix (www.behindthemask.com) is a great resource. You can also try Play It Again Sports in Phoenix for second-hand equipment.
Q. Does my child need to know how to skate?
No. You will find that our excellent coaching staff is very effective and skilled at teaching players to skate (and save you some frustration). The MiniMite/6U program gets those kids skating in a matter of just a few sessions. However, if your child has not skated before, we highly recommend that as soon as they learn, they could spend extra time at the rink during the public skating sessions. It really builds their confidence and it’s great fun for the whole family.
Q. How old do you need to be to start hockey?
We start the MiniMite/6U children at about age 4, although FYHA has very rarely turned away anyone who really wants to play hockey! At that age, you can expect a very short attention span, but don't worry about it; it’s part of being young! Beyond that, any age can play hockey. Some children are intimidated if they start after the age of 12. There is just so much to learn, but it CAN be done.
Q. Is it expensive?
Some people have heard horror stories about how expensive hockey can be. We are fortunate to live in an area that offers better ice rates than rinks in the valley or throughout the nation. We also benefit from fundraising efforts by many dedicated volunteers that help keep costs low. If you divide the cost of a full season of hockey by the number of months they participate, it works out to about the same cost, or less, per month as little league baseball or youth football. And now, with the advent of ebay and other internet sites, people are able to purchase used hockey equipment relatively inexpensively.
Q. Are the practices held in the very early or late hours?
No, we are so very fortunate here in Flagstaff to have the support of a municipal rink through the City of Flagstaff. Because we are a small town and our program is small, there are almost enough "premium" ice times for everyone to be happy. Our practice schedule never ends later than 9:30 pm. And, unless you choose to participate in a 6:00 a.m. “Pond Hockey” or “Skills Session” which are offered weekly throughout the season, our team practices usually start at or around 5:00 p.m. during the week. USA hockey requires that we schedule younger children for the "milder" times. As they get older, we can schedule practices and games in the early mornings and late evenings if necessary.
Q. Why is the registration fee structure the way it is?
Registration Fees are derived as a function of the ice cost and the administrative fees for FYHA. 80-90+% of your registration fees go directly to support the cost of the ice. The remainder covers administration fees, league registration fees, Referee fees, end of the year Banquet, tournament registration fees, etc.
Q. Do we have to travel a lot?
No, travel is involved unless you choose that level of play for your child and your family.
