SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER AT QYA

If you are looking to volunteer at QYA in order to help with our check in process due to COVID guidelines, please click on the link below to register for spots.  This link includes spots for skills, practices and games.

This is also a great opportunity for high school students needing to fulfill volunteer hours.  We appreciate the help we've gotten thus far and will continue to need it in order to keep hockey going in Quincy!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f45aba922a6f58-qyhvolunteer

We are now accepting applications for the annual scholarship awards. The award winners will be selected by November 28th. Typically we distribute awards on the last Saturday in November, at a ceremony which takes place at the arena.  Due to event restrictions in response COVID we may have to announce the results remotely and mail the awards. Details on the award ceremony will be available by November 15th.

If you have additional questions please contact Michelle Stenberg @ QYA @ 617-479-8371  x101

Beginning this weekend we will use the attached form for all games. We don't need to collect individual waivers, there will be a sign placed in the lobby that states by entering the facility you assume the risk. This will eliminate most of the paperwork. We need the attached form to maintain contact tracing details and for tracking the number of spectators in the facility.

Team representatives will sign this form, this can be a coach or designated person, they can list players or just attach roster stickers and initials once for all players. Parents will sign in using the SAME form, we only allow one spectator per player. Important note, if someone signs in under another player's name this is not our job to track, we will inform the teams it is their parents duties to honor the state guideline, any disputes must be settled by the teams themselves.

Once we have one spectator per player, no siblings allowed. PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE ON TO YOUR PARENTS, it's not easy telling someone they can't bring their kid into the game.

Official Guidelines:

• Teams must submit the form prior to any player entering the facility 
• Players can enter 20 minutes prior to start; parents can enter to tie skates but must leave once complete. The door monitor should track parents entering early and they should be asked to leave if they try to stay and go directly to stands.
• Parents will be allowed into facility 5 minutes before game start (after the previous games spectators have left and the facility is cleaned)
• Once the parent signs the form NOBODY else will be allowed in - this means NO switching during the game - we are not babysitters...
• No outside food or drink - it is too difficult to maintain a clean rink with coffee cups left behind so this rule remains in effect for now
• Parents need to leave the rink after the game - no loitering at the water fountain, standing off to the side huddling up etc.
• Entry through front door, exit through side doors
• Skate Shop is open for sharpening, check in with the front desk on arrival
• Snack Bar/Warm Room Remain closed

It's been a long few months and we are ready to get back to playing hockey. Registration is open, please visit the link below to register for the upcoming season. Before you register please read the important notes about the registration process, refund policy and special considerations for the upcoming season.

As of July 6th Ice Hockey is still categorized as "High Risk" with restrictions in place stating no games. At this time our plans have not changed, we are moving forward with preparation for a full season. Our refund policy and registration process are well thought out and designed to be flexible in the event there is a shutdown. 

FAQ's

1. Registration will close on July 31st. It is critical that you register before the 31st. In 2019 over 30 players registered after the start of the season. While we accommodated every request it was unfair to other families who registered early. Why? Because we added players to rosters and some teams ended up having too many players which reduced playing time and also resulted in crowded skills /practice sessions. We have to plan schedules far in advance, we need to know how many teams we will have so we can allocate ice accordingly and we need to know how many skills sessions to plan for. If someone does not register before July 31st they will be placed on a  waiting list. This applies to all ages levels. 
2. Payment Schedule - deposit of up to $1 required on all transactions, non-refundable. Payments will begin July 14th and conclude March 14th. We broke down this schedule as much as possible to make it easier on families. If you register after July 14th your first payment is already due. After the 14th if you choose payment plan on exit you will have to pay $1 + the first months payment
3. Refund Policy - full tuition refund (minus $1 deposit per player) is available up to September 1st. Should you change your mind and decide you do not want play we will refund your tuition paid for July/Aug. After September 1st there will be no refund but we will stop processing payments. After September 1st we are locked in in terms of cost paid out to other programs in preparation for the season.
4. Outstanding Balances - twenty families have not paid any dues for last year and seventeen families have partial tuition outstanding. An email was sent out in June  to everyone that had a balance due and only half the families responded. Any balances due will be carried forward and invoices will be sent out monthly. Please contact Jay Ronan if you have any questions.
5. Voting for Board Members - we have four seats up for election, voting takes place at the end of the registration process. One family/one vote. Results will be kept confidential and limited to three members of the Arena Board who will oversee the process.
6. We will offer a house league this year but unlike the past three years there will be a cost for the program separate from the travel registration. At this time we cannot provide any details as we have to wait for travel registration to complete before determining which hours can be allocated to House league. We plan to start House League in November, sooner if possible
7. We plan to re-open the rink by the end of August, conducting some limited tryouts and practices sessions prior to setting rosters. The Quincy Youth Hockey and  Arena Boards of Directors will convene the first week in August to finalize plans for reopening and we should have an announcement with full details ready by August 10th. This will provide families with enough time to review the guidelines for participation and their decision to register, in time to request a refund if desired.
8. Jerseys -  We are buying stock Jerseys this year with the classic QYH Logo. All teams will have numbers 1-20, #30 for the goalie. This was the format for many years and in light of COVID we decided to revert to this format as safety net. Typically we spend $45,000 per year on Jerseys and the planning begins in June. We could not follow the same process for sizing and as such could not afford to buy custom jerseys in advance. When we make our announcement on the 10th of August it will include final decision on how we include players names, jersey assignments etc. The details are still being discussed.
9. Coaches registration will open in August. Everyone interested in coaching has to register and sign waivers. In light of COVID we expect major changes to how coaches are expected to run practice, manage the bench during games and the locker-room pre-game routine. We expect to have all the details confirmed by August and will send out an email and post to Facebook when the link is open. Simply put - some people may not want the responsibility this year. We can't assume all coaches will return and do not want to make any assumptions until all the details regarding responsibilities are confirmed.
10. Club Team Discount is now available on checkout, choose age-level, club team option. We will require proof of enrollment as a full time player by September 1st. If you are on the roster for the 14U National Bound team you qualify for the club discount.

From what we know now we can expect the following, at least through the opening and start of the season. Of course anything can change and we will adjust our policies and process accordingly. We hope to be able to return to normal but we are planning for the restrictions in place now.

Keep in mind that during Skills sessions we have as many as 125 people in the rink at one time. During  split ice Mite games  we have over 250 people in the building during the transition from one game to the next. No where in the rules at this moment is any of this allowed. So we are patiently waiting for final guidance prior to the start of the season. We expect to communicate the details on August 10th.

Examples of requirements and restrictions in place now:

• Adults entering the rink will have to physically sign a waiver for themselves as well as their children before the start of the season
• Separate doors for entry/exit
• Staggered Ice hours (5pm practice ends 5:50, next one starts 6:10). Everyone must be out of the rink before anyone can enter
• Locker rooms closed
• Dress before you enter, only skates and helmets can be put on in the rink
• One adult per child attending practice/games

5,000 Puck Challenge

Some of you may have already seen this, but this is always a good one to fall back on.  Have your player shoot a total of 5,000 pucks. Practice variety: wrist shots, backhands, snap shots and slap shots.  For those players who have better command of some of the shots mentioned, have them isolate targets for every 50-100 pucks they shoot daily; top corner, low blocker etc.

Keep a running tally over the next few weeks and send me an email when your player reaches 5,000.  Some of you may already keep track and have a head start; that’s totally fine. We’ll keep a list of players who complete this challenge.  You can also post their 5,000th shot on Facebook and tag QYH. We’d love it if players were wearing their QYH jerseys in their posts.

50 Puck Challenge

Some of you may have seen this as well, but this is great for stickhandling and focus.  Line up 50 pucks (or other stationary objects that won’t move; coffee cups etc) in a straight line.  You want a distance roughly 1 foot between each puck. The goal is to stickhandle between each puck down the line without touching ANY puck.  If you touch or move a puck, you start from the beginning until you make it through without touching. Most examples of this online are being done on the ice and sadly we don’t have any ice to work with.  If you do this in the street or at a park, you can stickhandle with a street hockey ball or golf ball.

Click on these links for examples.  Oh by the way goalies, you can take part as well. 

https://www.nhl.com/video/sparky-does-50-puck-challenge/t-277350912/c-5339704

PODCAST LISTENS

The Hockey Think Tank

     Episode 89 - Mark Dennehy

     Episode 41 - Wendy Glover

     Episode 18 - Ryan Hardy

More Hockey Think Tanks Listens

            Episode 98 - Tommi Niemela

            Episode 5 - Kendall Coyne

            Episode 9 - Adam Nicholas