Scrimmage Guidelines
First and foremost, any feedback you have is welcome... what's working, what's not working, whatever. The goal is having fun... if there's something that can be done to make it more fun, I'm all ears!
The scrimmages have been running since April of 2007... they started off cozily on the studio ice at Leddy and have grown well beyond my expectations. The goal originally was to get my Full Stride D3B team players out on the ice in a non-game environment to work on trying new things, getting to know their team mates, and to have fun. Now, the scrimmages are made of not only of Full Stride players from all divisions across many teams, but also from a whole host of new people, and it's been a real blast getting to know many of you whom I otherwise would only have ever played against. I also think it's pretty cool that we have parents out there with their kids, and siblings and couples playing also. I hope that everyone else is having as much fun as I am!
That said, I would like people to continue coming out and having fun, and still maintain the interesting cross-section of players that we have. So, I'd like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the guidelines that govern our conduct at the scrimmages.
1. Above all... HAVE FUN! That's what the greatest game on Earth is all about! =)
2. Recognize that the group is a mixed bag of talent, and will remain that way. Not all of us played either pro, semi-pro, college, high-school, or even pee-wee for that matter. Adjust your expectations accordingly, but also recognize that everyone is there for the same reason... to play!
3. Expanding on #2, if you have a chance to be a teacher, teach! If you have a chance to be a student, learn! Everyone gains when people take the time to ask and answer questions and share ideas about the game. Don't be afraid to ask!
4. Hockey is a team sport. I strive to get two full lines on each side for each scrimmage. Remember that everyone is paying the same amount and expects their fair share of ice time. If you're no longer on the ice with your line mates, that's a good indication that it's time to change, whether you think you're tired or not. Long shifts are a downward spiral... if you take one, the guy who replaces you will take one, and then because you sat so long, you'll take a longer one the next time out, etc. Short shifts will keep you fresh and keep the pace up for the full hour.
5. Many of you have been reffed by me... if you think I'd call you for something you're thinking of doing, even if it would be cheap and the wrong call (as usual), DON'T DO IT! Keep the sticks down, no hooking, holding, picking, interference, tripping, slashing... I think you get the idea... if there's a referee hand symbol for it, don't do it! The scrimmages are non-contact. Everyone recognized that there will be contact made playing hockey, however it's your job to not put yourself in a position that will result in unnecessary and even dangerous contact with another player. Remember that many of the participants have never played contact hockey and don't know how to safely brace for a hit.
6. Teams will be split into DARK vs WHITE. Please come to each scrimmage with one of each since you won't know beforehand which side you'll be playing for. Colours that don't really fall into dark nor white would include yellow, anything that starts with "powder" or "light", and any colours used liberally on Trading Spaces. These are cause for confusion out on the ice for those of us with aged failing vision (gotta have some excuse for all my picked-off passes!) White jerseys that are no longer white probably shouldn't be worn for different reasons!
7. I strive to make even sides by splitting the teams up based on talent as I perceive it. Sometimes it works... sometimes it doesn't. When it's not working, I will either wait a bit to see if a team is going to start clicking, or make some adjustments on the fly. Please don't take it personally if I ask you to switch sides to help balance out the playing experience for everyone. I also try to mix it up so that everyone gets to play with and gets to know new people, and to keep it fresh and avoid any animosity or rivalries from developing. The recurring theme is: we're all there to have fun!
8. On the subject of keeping it fresh for everyone, that is the exact reason that I send out the emails to a very large group of people (200+ email addresses!) and limit the attendance generally to 20 skaters and a pair of goalies. There are no automatics for any scrimmage... if you're not one of the first 20 confirming a spot, you're on the reserve list. Most nights, we have more than 20 responding wanting to play. If you are one of the 20 and discover you can't make it to the scrimmage, please drop your spot soon as possible so one of the reserves can take your spot. My cell number is in the scrimmage emails and I pretty much always have my cell with me. If you reserve a spot and don't show up, I have to ask that they still be responsible for covering the fee for the vacant spot. This is truly a not-for-profit venture and margins are pretty slim between ice time expenses, web expenses & puck purchases.
9. Most nights the players will just rotate off the bench in the order they got to the bench, taking the position of the player coming off the ice. When you come off the ice, announce the position you're playing clearly so the player headed out knows where to play. If you are more comfortable playing a particular position, arrange it with whoever is out on the ice when you head out, or just let the next person go out until the position you want becomes available.
10. Administration of the scrimmages involves finding and booking ice time with the fewest schedule conflicts I can manage, maintaining the mailing list, sending out the scrimmage notifications and compiling the responses, setting up the teams, making sure we have enough pucks, and collecting the cash and paying the rink. Please make every effort to have the last question you ask yourself as you head out to hockey right after "Do I have my jock?" be "Do I have my money?". It makes my life that much easier to not have to compile and maintain another list and I can keep a knee-capper off the payroll! =)
11. Some notes about U18 Skaters: While I encourage parents and children signing up for the scrimmages, preference will be given to adult skaters. When signing up a U18 skater, please check the box indicating they are U18. U18 skaters will be indicated on the list with an * beside their name, and they will be sorted below adult skaters in the order they signed up. I had the great pleasure of playing hockey with my dad in a pickup skate for over a decade and then with my own kids and want everyone to have the same opportunity I did. How young is too young? Teenagers develop at different rates. I'm very reluctant to allow children younger than 14 to skate, and a child's size and skill level will be factors also. The overriding consideration will be safety and I will always err on the side of safety. Skill level Your child must be able to compete at the level of the adults. On any given night the skill level of the group can be quite varied. In addition, kids today get better training and can be far more skilled at the game than when most of us were kids (or adults, for that matter). Please remind children who have advanced skill levels to play at the level of the group. As adults, we all enjoy a challenge and the opportunity to learn, but nobody enjoys getting smoked all night long.
If you got this far, thank you very much for bearing with me and my liberal use of the letter U where you don't expect it, and I look forward to getting out on the ice with you next time you're able!
Geoff