Dear Avenue Road Hockey Families,
On behalf of the ARHA Executive, I would like to welcome you to the 2019–20 season. We are very excited to get started and look forward to your participation and feedback as the season progresses.
Our executive team continues to expand so we can serve you better. We have a new Houseleague GM this season. Avi Hyman has a long track record of success within our organization and brings some exciting new ideas to the table. In addition, we have also added a Houseleague Asst GM, Sarena Kornblum, who will focus on the younger divisions, ensuring our LTPD (Long Term Player Development Model) program is meeting expectations and requirements. Sarena will also be starting to plan our Tyke Jamboree and an exciting new end of season Banquet. Lastly, we have also added to the executive a GTHL GM, Peter Rewega, who will be responsible for all of our GTHL A teams. This is our inaugural season and look forward to continued expansion and development in the GTHL. We have also added some new faces to the executive this season in terms of an Asst GM Select, Robert Klein and an Asst GM GTHL, Rafi Younger.
There are another seven executive team members and divisional convenors and a multitude of coaches who volunteer their time that deserve our appreciation and our gratitude. Thanks to all of you for your continued support and dedication to ARHA. It’s the volunteers that truly keep the league running smoothly and ensure that the players enjoy their hockey experience. I also want to sincerely thank one of our outgoing executives who has been an integral part of our organization over the last 13 years. Steve Gryfe has given so much of his time to make our organization what it is today. His tireless efforts and dedication to our league over his many years of service have enabled us to continue to thrive in his absence. Thanks for all your support and efforts Steve!
We have some exciting new developments to share with all of you for the upcoming season. We have recently launched our new ARHA website. We partnered with Team Snap on this initiative and excited about the potential it will bring to our organization. Not only will we be able to improve the timeliness of our communications and information but we are also able to provide each and every HL and Select Team with their own Team Snap portal so they can use with their respective teams. Please take a tour and if you have any suggestions or feedback, please reach out to erin.cash@avenueroadhockey.com. We have also launched our new Instagram account, @AvenueRoadHA, and encourage you to follow us there.
We have also launched our new ARHA merchandise portal so all families can show their Avenue Road Ducks pride. We have partnered with Major Hockey and encourage you to check out what’s available and place your order at arhaclothing.itemorder.com. Go Ducks Go!
We continue to improve and advance the adoption of Hockey Canada’s Long Term Player Development Model which aims to increase time spent on player skills development and the amount of puck touches, shots, and passing by changing the dimensions of the ice surface. I know many of you have seen the new board systems that we purchased last season to help with the implementation of this program. It is important to note that the LTPD goes from Tyke to Atom. We have posted LTPD guides for each division and encourage you to have a look. Please direct any of your queries to your coaches or convenor.
This year we are continuing to offer skills training sessions for our Houseleague players in Atom to Midget. We have made some changes to the program, based on the results of the last two seasons, and decided to charge a nominal fee of 90.00 for a seven-week session. We also moved the location to Baycrest Arena to make it easier for players to participate. We will have a highly qualified skills instructor running the drills and a maximum number of players so that everyone gets individual attention. The first session runs from Oct. 27th to December 8th with Atom & Peewee players at 9:00am to 10:30am and Bantam & Midget players at 10:30am to 12:00pm. In order to participate, you must register and mail in your cheque. For more details, look at the website.
This season we have decided to bring back select players from Atom to Bantam into our regular HouseLeague format. In years past, we use to run a modified Select HouseLeague program but due to changing circumstances, it was necessary to include these players. We are very excited about this development and have worked with all the coached to ensure all players have a great experience.
In order for our league to continue to thrive, we need the help and support of many people. We are very fortunate to have a loyal community of sponsors who make it possible for our kids to play while keeping costs at an affordable level. On behalf of the ARHA, we thank you for your contribution and dedication to our league. If you would like to sponsor a team or have your corporation prominently displayed on our boards or in the arena, please let us know.
The Executive is committed to making sure that every player has the best hockey experience possible in a safe and fun environment. While we try our best, we realize that there is always room for improvement. We are here to listen to your feedback and suggestions, so please forward any inquiries to me directly at neil.greenbaum@avenueroadhockey.com
I want to thank all the parents and players at ARHA for your support of our league and hope your have a great season. I know there are many more games to play and even more great memories to create between now and March. I look forward to seeing you at the rink – please make sure to say hi and introduce yourselves!
Sincerely
Neil Greenbaum
President
Avenue Road Hockey Association