Masco Hockey  

Policies and Procedures

Registration

All players will participate at the level specified by USAH for their age. If a player is found to be in violation by playing out of a registered age level without Board of Director approval (other than being allowed to play up a level for no more than five league games- see call-up rules below), the player and that player's coach will be removed from the program for 1 year. Registrations are held in the Spring for the following season.


Tryouts

The purpose of tryouts is to evaluate a player's skating ability, hockey skills and commitment to teamwork in order to place him or her within a team that will provide the best environment for improving their self-confidence and enjoyment of the sport of ice hockey. A Board-approved committee of evaluators using a standardized scoring system will assess skating ability and hockey skills at each level during scheduled tryout sessions. All levels will include a scrimmage component as part of the evaluation process. Additional input to a player's respective hockey abilities and understanding of team concepts will be provided by the previous year's coach. That input will be solicited through standardized coaching evaluation forms that are provided to coaches prior to the completion of the season.


Tryouts for all travel teams (Mite-Midgets) will be held in the spring as close as possible to season's end. Mite Development evaluations (tryouts) will be held in the fall. The Board of Directors is responsible for establishing the rules and formats associated with the tryout sessions. Tryout formats for each level may vary in relation to the age and experience of the player pool trying out for that level.


Alternate Player Policy

  • 1.1 - The use of Alternate Players will be evaluated by the Board of Directors on an annual basis;
  • 1.2 - When authorized by the BOD, alternate players will be allowed to play on the Masconomet Youth Hockey teams under the following conditions:
    • 1.2.1 - Requests for alternate player status must be submitted in writing by a parent or guardian using the Masco Youth Hockey registration process;
    • 1.2.2 - Each team may only have a maximum of three (3) alternate players on the roster, exclusive of goalies.  Each team may be comprised of a maximum of 15 skaters and 2 goalies;
    • 1.2.3 - Players who request alternate status must have tried out during the spring annual placement tryout to be eligible for participation as an alternate for the following winter season.
    • 1.2.4 - Alternate determinations shall be approved only after the full-time player rosters have been set and finalized.
    • 1.2.5 - Players whose registration request is approved will be added to the Team roster and will be offered the following consideration:
      • 1.2.5.1 - Alternate players will commit to paying 100% of the player’s prescribed dues for the season and payment will follow the same terms and conditions of full-time players;
      • 1.2.5.2 - Alternate players will be eligible to attend all of the Team’s scheduled practices and invited to participate in games at the Coach’s discretion with the restrictions set forth below;
      • 1.2.5.3 - Alternate players are permitted to play in up to 60% of games.  Deviations to this requirement must be approved by the Level Director;
      • 1.2.5.4 - Alternate players are permitted to play in all tournaments and playoffs if eligible under tournament and league by-laws;
    • 1.2.6 - An Alternate player that wishes to play full-time, may do so at any time during the season provided there is room on the roster (less than 15 skaters) and the request is submitted prior to the roster deadline.
    • 1.2.7 - In the event that an alternate player moves to full-time status, roster adjustments may be considered per 1.2.2;
    • 1.2.8 - Alternate players that are approved to move to full-time status will be billed for the full dues.

 

Team Assignments

All players wanting to be placed on a travel team for the upcoming season must register and attend tryouts. A player's inability to attend the tryouts as a result of a family-related conflict and/or illness or injury requires timely notification to the registrar and will be evaluated by the Board on a case-by-case basis. Team assignments will be determined using tryout scores (drills and scrimmage) and the prior year coach's evaluation. The top-rated players within a particular level will be placed on the "1" team, the next highest players on the "2" team and so on. Roster sizes and cut off points will be highly dependent on the size and composition of the overall player pool. All MYH rosters are subject to the final approval of the Board of Directors.


Prospective players relocating to the Tri-town area or players returning to the program after the tryouts have already been conducted will be assigned to a team, roster size permitting, based upon an on-ice assessment of the coaching staffs at the appropriate age level. These assessments and placements will be performed in the Fall when the teams initially return to the ice. Players moving into the Tri-town area after tryouts have been conducted are eligible for participation on any team within their respective Level. Players already living in the Tri-town area that fail to try out without receiving a proper waiver from the Board will not be eligible for consideration for that Level's "1" team.


Notification

Due to the time required to thoroughly review the tryout results, incorporate player evaluation forms and finalize coaching assignments, players are not likely to be notified of their team placement until sometime after mid-June.


Placement Requests

Specific team assignment requests must be submitted to the Board of Directors and will be considered only if the request is for participation on a less competitive team within the player's age bracket.


Waivers

All waivers shall be approved by the Board of Directors. Players seeking to obtain a waiver must have no financial obligation due to MYH.


Playing Above Age Level

As a general rule, Masco Youth Hockey does not allow or encourage players to tryout above his/her age level. There may however be a situation where the program allows a player to tryout in a higher age bracket if that placement is determined to be beneficial to the program as a whole. All petitions for placement above a player's age level should be submitted directly to the President of the Association and any decisions will be subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.  PLEASE NOTE:  USAH does not allow Mite age kids (8 & Under) to play up without an officail Waiver granted through USAH.


Player Call-Ups (Games & Practices)

From time to time players are called-up to play and/or practice with a higher-level team. The final decision of who is called-up resides with the higher-level team's coach. However, the higher-level coach must consult with the lower-level coach to call-up a lower-level player for both games and practices. A player's assigned team schedule shall always take precedence. Call-ups must conform to the rules of the Valley League. They allow a player to play in six games (excluding the parity round) for the same higher-level team. If that player participates in a seventh game, they will be rostered on the higher-level team for the remainder of that season. A player is never allowed to play down a level.


Position Rotation

It is the philosophy of MYH that Mite and Mite Development players including goaltenders should play all positions in order to develop good skating skills and a complete understanding of the game. Therefore the program does not endorse the concept of dedicated position players or goalkeepers at the Mite or Mite Development level. MYH provides goaltending equipment to teams that do not have dedicated goalies.


Number of Players per Team

Individual team rosters will generally have no less than ten and no more than fifteen skaters, exclusive of goaltenders. The number of teams at a particular age level will be determined by the number of players registered at that age level, allotting approximately equal numbers of players to each team.


Ice Time During Games

MYH policy is all skaters receive approximately equal ice time. The only exception is the last three minutes of a game being at the coach's discretion.


Conduct

In an effort to provide an atmosphere conducive to learning, it is critical that all children conduct themselves in an appropriate manner showing respect for their teammates, coaches, parents, opponents and referees. Initial infractions will be handled with warnings from the coaches. If continued misconduct occurs, the parents will be contacted and it may be necessary to suspend or remove the child from the program, pending a review at the Board level. First Offense: 1 game suspension and full week suspension from practice Second Offense: 5 game suspension and all practices leading up to 5 games Third Offense: Removal from program for 1 full calendar year, no refunds.


It is the Board's unwavering expectation that everyone associated with the MASCO Youth Hockey Program will conduct themselves in a dignified and respectful manner at all times. MYH follows the USA Hockey Zero Tolerance Policy.


It is the policy as written by USA Hockey that there shall be no sexual and/or physical abuse of any minor participant involved in or associated with any and all activities organized and sponsored by Mass Hockey. For a complete description of these policies refer to the USA Hockey Annual Guide.


Practice and Game Policies

Players are expected to make a sincere effort to meet the bulk of their practice and game commitments. As such attendance will be considered in a player's overall evaluation when a player is considered for placement the following year. The Board supports the notion that players who consistently miss practices and/or games without a legitimate reason can be disruptive to the team as a whole and may be subject to some form of disciplinary action (typically less ice time during the next game commitment) as deemed appropriate by the coach. If the situation becomes too difficult for the coach to manage, the coach may refer the matter to the Board for further action. The Board recognizes that no two sets of player and family circumstances are exactly alike and accordingly the Board is committed to arriving at a solution that is mutually beneficial to a player and their respective team. Regardless, the Board expects players and their families to make their best effort towards meeting practice and game commitments.

Players should be fully dressed and ready to skate 10 minutes before scheduled game and practice commitments. Players should plan to arrive 30 minutes prior to game commitments. During this time coaches will usually hold a pre-game meeting where plays and strategies for the game are reviewed. Most games will be followed by a 5-10 minute post-game meeting where the coaches can evaluate the team's performance. Post-game meetings are closed to everyone except players and coaches subject to the discretion of the coaching staff.


Parents and siblings are never allowed on the ice or in the bench area during games or practices.


Parents should be aware that although game schedules, especially for teams that participate in two leagues, can be somewhat inconvenient, it is beyond the control of the MASCO Youth Hockey Association. Games are scheduled by either the Valley League or the Dual State League. Once MYH receives the league schedules, a coach's meeting is set-up and the games schedules and practice times are immediately distributed. The program makes every effort to distribute schedules in a timely manner.


Coaches

Our head and assistant coaches at each level are dedicated volunteers and without them the program would not exist. It is the requirement of the program that all coaches be certified by USAH through their "patching clinics". The patch requirements for MYH coaches and their bench help is discussed in detail by clicking to the Coaching Certification Page.


For more information on patching clinics contact the program's Ace Coordinator

Each head coach is approved by the Board of Directors following the tryouts. When choosing head coaches the Board considers:

  • The candidate's knowledge of the sport and ability to work with the age group
  • Previous experience and level of commitment
  • Survey results and
  • The benefits of exposing the players to a variety of coaching philosophies

Head coaches select their own assistant coaches usually from a list of volunteers provided by the Board of Directors. All coaches, Team managers, Board members and on-ice help must satisfactorily complete the CORI process.


Team Manager

Each team will have a volunteer Team Manager to work as a liaison between the parents and the coach. This role is extremely important to the team, second only to the coaches. The Team Manager typically handles many of the administrative details including but not limited to: phone calls to the team members, handling changes in practice or game times and the preparation of schedules. If you are interested in becoming the Team Manager, please contact your coach directly.


First Aid

All coaches must have a first aid kit accessible at all games and ractices. The first aid kit will be supplied by MYH. Parents should complete a Consent to Treat and Medical History form to be kept by the coaching staff in case of a medical emergency.


Jersey Number Policy

All player number assignments will follow the guidelines as set forth in this policy. For players born in even numbered years, three even numbers shall be submitted as choices for jersey numbers. If all three numbers have been assigned to other players within the group of potential teammates (typically the year of, the year before and the year after the player’s birth year), then the Board appointed Equipment Manager has the right to assign an even number which is not in use. For players born in odd numbered years, three odd numbers shall be submitted as choices for jersey numbers. If all three numbers have been assigned to other players within the group of potential teammates, then the Equipment Manager has the right to assign an odd number which is not in use. The only exception to this guideline is the use of sibling jerseys. The Board will allow the use of a sibling jersey number as long as it does not create a conflict with other players within the group of potential teammates that have already entered the rank of playing on a MYH travel team.


In the event of a future conflict where two players using the same number are rostered on a given team, the Equipment Manager will determine who has participated in the Masco program the longest. The player with the most seniority will be allowed to keep the number unless he/she wishes to change. The player with the least amount of seniority will be asked to change jersey numbers at their expense. To the extent a player leaves the program and re-enters, the previously used jersey number shall be allowed only if no conflict exists, regardless of seniority.

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