Avalanche Announce CAHA Player Pass
In an effort to grow the game of hockey and provide special experiences to the youth hockey community, the Colorado Avalanche and Colorado Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) are proud to present the CAHA Player Pass.This new program will provide CAHA State Championships at Pepsi Center on March 14 and 21, 2010, support of Tier teams attending Nationals,and special access to deeply discounted Avalanche tickets. Each player, coach, and referee will have access to $22 tickets throughout the season with $2 of each ticket sold donated to the purchaser’s organization!
For more information about this program, click here.
Grow the Game Initiative Announces HockeyShot as Founding Sponsor
The Grow the Game Initiative has announced HockeyShot as a founding sponsor.HockeyShot, which is one of the largest online specialty retailers of hockey training equipment in North America, has announced their support of the Grow the Game Initiative. JP Brun, Co-Founder of HockeyShot stated, “We are so pleased to be a part of the Grow the Game Initiative and applaud their work in building excitement in youth hockey programs throughout the U.S. We are delighted to help in their efforts to develop an interest and passion in young players that will continue to grow throughout their lives.”
One key focus of the partnership will be HockeyShot’s support of each state’s Grow the Game programs. Hockey Shot will support the Initiative by offering regular reviews of hockey training equipment as well as providing prizes for various promotional contests within the program.
“We are thrilled to have HockeyShot on board with the Grow the Game Initiative. Their knowledge of the training tools that will help players develop skills provides a valuable source of information to our readers. They are a top-notch organization and we are excited to work with them as we Grow the Game of hockey across the United States,” TK Stohlman, President of the Youth Sports Coalition stated.
Future plans for the HockeyShot and Grow the Game partnership include working together to increase player participation and player recruitment. Other plans include local state contests to increase hockey participation as well as development of Grow the Game materials to help parents improve the youth hockey experience for kids.
About Hockey Shot
HockeyShot has become one of the largest online specialty retailers of hockey training equipment in North America, carrying an excellent selection at competitive prices and priding itself on customer service and satisfaction. They offer hockey training instructions, videos, tips and other hockey resources. HockeyShot manufactures some of its own products under the HockeyShot brand and is a distributor for many other products. For more information on HockeyShot, visit their website at www.HockeyShot.com.
About Grow the Game Initiative
The Grow the Game Initiative is a national program to grow the game of hockey across the U.S. Founded by the Youth Sports Coalition the Grow the Game Initiative’s goal is to grow the game of hockey so that all players learn life lessons through hockey participation.
Editor's Note: For more information on the Grow the Game Initiative, click here...
Colorado Amateur Hockey Association Signs Up Over 300 New Players
In this Grow the Game success story, Rich Smith with Colorado Amateur Hockey Association explains how they signed up over 300 new hockey players for their One Goal event. Rich also has valuable advice for other hockey volunteers looking to increase their hockey registrations. Thank you to Rich Smith and Colorado Amateur Hockey Association for sharing their success story. As a thank you for sharing his success story, Total Hockey is giving Rich a $25 gift certificate to TotalHockey.net. If you have a success story that you would like to share, please click here.Grow the Game: Would you please provide a brief bio of yourself?
Rich: I was born and raised in Colorado Springs, Co the youngest of four kids. I have a wife-Julie and 3 kids, Logan, plays U18 Major AAA for Thunderbirds, Lauren, who is cheerleader for Littleton High School and Kyra who is a goalie for the Colorado Select U14 AAA Team. I starting skating at the age of 4 and started playing hockey at age 6. I got involved in hockey because I asked my mom if I could do karate and she said “no” its way to dangerous, so then I asked her if I could play hockey because my best friend played hockey. She said, “ I don’t know anything about hockey but sure” I grew up playing hockey and fell in love with the sport. I played through high school at Cheyenne Mountain High School in Colorado Springs. After school I continued to play off and on in men’s adult leagues and when my son was 6 he asked if he could play, so I got into coaching. I’m currently a Level 4 CEP and I’ve been coaching now for 10 years. I have held various board positions over the year and I am currently Co-Director of Coaching for the Colorado Select and Director at Large for CAHA. I’ve coached at all levels from 8 and Under through High School to AAA.
Grow the Game: What programs to grow the game have you implemented in the past?
Rich: In 2008 I implemented the state's first “One Goal Program." In 2009 we implemented an all “Girls One Goal Program."
Grow the Game: Which grow the game program would you recommend for other hockey associations?
Rich: I think any program that gets kids out on the ice to have fun and learn how to play is the ultimate goal. I have found that the One Goal Program is most popular and the One Goal Brand is recognized around the country.Grow the Game: Would you please provide a brief overview of the most successful program? (How to implement, lessons learned, marketing of the program, etc.)
Rich: 2008 One Goal Program was where we learned the most about growing the game. The program was planned about 4 months in advance. The goal was to get 200 kids to come to four sessions over 2 days. As a selected city the One Goal program provided funding and a PR firm that allowed us to communicate the event through the public via radio and limited print media. We put flyers and posters up all around Denver. Each association was given flyers to distribute to schools and other public places.
The first thing we had to do was find support for the program. One Goal, Colorado Amateur and USA Hockey provided funding for the event. Players Bench hockey stores provided the staff and the One Goal equipment. Their staff also helped fit the kids in skates and equipment and ensured no player went on the ice with gear that didn’t properly fit. Denver University and Denver Pioneers Youth Hockey provided the ice and skates at Magness Arena to host the program. We also had the support of the Colorado Avalanche that advertised the One Goal commercials on Altitude TV Network during the games. This prompted people to go to the website. All media steered the interested party to the One Goal website which provided a direct registration link to Colorado Amateur Hockey Association. We capture all-important information including the sizes of skates, age, address, email etc.
The next concern was filling this program up. After the first 2 weeks we only had around 30 players signed up. We were concerned until the radio ads aired on 8 local radio stations. The next 3 weeks we ended up getting almost 300 kids sign up. We now had a new problem, what to do with all these kids! We opened it up to 60 kids per session and were able to support a total of 240.
The next part was organizing how we would handle the 200 kids over 2 days and 4 ice sessions. We reached out to all the local associations, tier teams and others involved in hockey for assistance. The goal was to get around a 1-helper- to 2- One Goal players ratio so we needed 25 on ice coaches. We also needed help getting the kids dressed and ready to go and also needed a 1 to 2 ratio. We ended up having players from many of the local hockey associations in the Front Range area, which gave up their Saturday and Sunday to help.When the kids arrived we gave them a bag and had a player go with them to help them get dressed. Once dressed they were escorted out onto the ice and a on ice player would take the new player and skate with them until they felt comfortable of being on their own. We had bumpers on the ice that the kids sat on. We had some player who would push the One Goal kids around on chairs or spin the bumpers in circles. The kids had an incredible time. We had well over 25 players on the ice helping including the DU Pioneer players. We had a good mix of female and male One Goal players as well as our volunteers were also mixed of female and males.
The biggest challenged we faced was the ½ hour between the first and second sessions and we had to get the first group undressed and the second group dressed ASAP. Our volunteers pulled it off by getting the kids undressed in 1 hall way and bringing the bag over to another hallway where group 2 was waiting to get dressed. It work well but I would schedule the second group 1 hour after the first group.
After the program the players all left with smiles on their faces. The volunteers said it was the most fun they have ever had putting on an event. Local associations reported a lift in 8 and Under enrollments that year with one club stating they had over 28 kids register for their U-8 program as a result of this program.
Grow the Game: What is the participation/turnout that you received from implementing this program?
Rich: We ended up with over 240 kids because the demand was so great. We also had additional 90 kids on the wait list. We ended up giving the list to all the associations to market to the One Goal Players.
Grow the Game: Do you have any other suggestions for other associations and teams who are trying to grow the game?
Rich: The best advice I can give is to get a lot of help when running these programs. You have one shot to make a great impression and you need to have a lot of on ice and off ice help to make things run smooth.
Grow the Game: What is your favorite thing about hockey?
Rich: My favorite thing about hockey is its face paced, fun, exciting, an awesome workout, and the great friends you meet along the way!
Editor's Note: Special thanks to Rich Smith with Colorado Amateur Hockey Association for sharing his Grow the Game success story. As a thank you for sharing his success story, Total Hockey is giving him a $25 gift certificate to TotalHockey.net. If you have a success story that you would like to share, please click here.
Hockey Guild Presents Quest for the Crown
The Hockey Guild is proud to present their second-annual "Quest for the Crown" charity hockey festival from April 30 - May 3 at Big Bear Ice Arena. There's something for everyone in the hockey family at this four-day hockey event, including ice and table hockey tournaments, sled and street hockey events, a silent auction, great food, great drinks, NHL Playoffs on HDTV's and much more. Just visit www.questforthecrown.org for all of the details.
Colorado Girls One Goal Program – Was It Worth It?
The Colorado Girls One Goal program ended last Saturday with some very happy little faces. The program registered 85 girls from ages 4-11. Out of the 85 we were able to accommodate 60 players on the ice for six weeks. Out of the 60 players we were aware of only 3 girls that didn’t want to return. That is a huge success as it proves to me that these girls had fun and enjoyed being out of the ice.Was it worth it?
We received many great comments about how well organized and fun the program was for these girls. I received a comment from a mom that stated “We would never have tried hockey if it wasn’t for the One Goal program." Another comment we received was “My daughter is enjoying this because she is playing with other girls her age." And one parent stated, “My daughter loves it because you have older girls helping her from the time she walked into the door to the time she leaves. The organization is amazing."
Below is an email I received from another family who had 2 girls attend the program.
“Thanks for an amazing first experience with girls hockey! The girls learned so much and had fun at the same time! The support of the older girls was outstanding. We appreciate this opportunity and will speak highly of Colorado Girls One Goal often. Our sincere appreciation." From - John and Christine Cullen
The success of this program could not have possible without the huge dedication and commitment of our volunteers. It was a collaboration of players, coaches and associations from around the metro area that made this program happen. I want to recognize those who helped make this program as great as it was.
- Arvada Girls Hockey Program and specifically Jennifer Tatnall and Hillary McNeish who coordinated the Arvada girls in helping us almost every weekend.
- Denver University Jr. Pioneers players- Julia Lisella Remi Maryin and Taylor Kreiling and others from DU.
- Logan Smith and Dominic Granato from the Colorado Thunderbirds Midget Major AAA Team. Logan attended almost every session.
- Paul Davern from USA Hockey- Chief in Coach- Rocky Mountain District
- Mary Davern from CAHA who helped organize the website and online registration
- Colorado Select Hockey Association players, coaches and parents for hosting and running this wonderful event. The commitment was enormous and we had participation from just about every team specially the U19 A team, U12 AAA team and U12 A team.
- Ken Gleason and Michael Jennings from Colorado Select U8 program for their huge commitment to attending almost every weekend.
- Special thanks needs to go to Stephanie Hodge, John Dohner and Will and Heather Williams from the Colorado Select for their incredible commitment and donation of time to this program. They were invaluable to this process and this program would not have been as successful as it was without their devotion.
- Thank you to Colorado Amateur Hockey Association and Aquafina for their sponsorship in making this program a reality.
As a Director for Colorado Amateur it’s my responsibility to help grow and retain youth hockey players in the state of Colorado. This program was a success because of all the volunteers that gave their valuable time and commitment in helping...not because they had to but because they want to see hockey grow. Should these girls who participated in this program continue with hockey, it’s a result of the incredible efforts of all these individuals above.
I can't thank you all enough!
Sincerely,
Rich Smith
Director at Large
CAHA
Help a Local Hockey Player in Need
On Christmas day Andrew “Cookie” Pfankuck, a defenseman on the Arvada Midget Major A team was diagnosed with Acute T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia. The Arvada Hockey community is working in conjunction with the Colorado Avalanche to support Andrew in his fight against cancer. You can make a difference in helping us raise funds to support Andrew and his family offset the high medical costs it will take for his treatment. These treatments will help save Andrews life.On March 25th the Colorado Avalanche have set up a fundraiser with the purchase of tickets to the game that day. A portion of the proceeds from the ticket sales will go directly to Andrew. All tickets must be purchased through the link below. Andrew will be at the game and even gets to go on the ice with the AVS before the puck drops, what an amazing experience that will be! Please join us at the game. Thank you for helping to make a difference in a very special young man’s life! To read more, please click here.
Hyland Hills Bantam AA Wins Silver Sticks
Congratulation to the Hyland Hills Bantam AA team for winning at Silver Sticks! The Jaguars claimed the Silver Stick trophy January 11 by winning the championship game 1-0 deep into an overtime period after battling one of Canada's top youth hockey teams through three scoreless regulation periods.The Jaguars are the first Bantam AA team west of the Mississippi to win the tournament and the only team from Colorado. It is one of just 16 U.S. Bantam AA teams to claim the top prize in an event that attracts more than 65,000 players from America and Canada who compete in qualifying regional tournaments every fall hoping to attend the finals in Port Huron, Mich. To read the complete article, please click here (pdf).
The Hockey Guild Host Team From Australia!
On January 8th The Hockey Guild is hosting a VERY cool "After-Hours" game with an adult team all the way from Australia, the Sydney Pirates!!! Click here for more information or view details below!
The Hockey Guild vs. Sydney Pirates
January 8th, 2008 at 7pm
Colorado Avalanche vs. Chicago Blackhawks
Ticket options: (no additional taxes or fees)
ADT Club Level $55 (usually $112)
Upper Level $27
To support Adult Hockey in Colorado, the Colorado Avalanche will donate $5 per ticket.
For more information, click here.
Big Bear Classic for Adult Teams!
With league playoffs already in full swing, more than 50 adult hockey teams in the Big Bear Adult Hockey League have started down the road to the Big Bear Classic! Eight divisions are hosting their own battles to see which two teams in each division will advance to the League Championships, which are held under the bright lights of Pepsi Center. Be sure to check here daily for updates on the playoff race as well as updates on the Big Bear Classic, which is held on Sunday, December 28!CLICK HERE TO VIEW / DOWNLOAD THE EVENT FLYER
Launch of The Avalanche Guild
The Hockey Guild is proud to announce the launch of The Avalanche Guild (www.theavalancheguild.com) their new website totally dedicated to bringing hockey fans one step closer to the Colorado Avalanche experience.This site is home for all of their exclusive on-ice events at Pepsi Center, including Avalanche After-Hours games, Battle for the Banner and their new championship events with Big Bear Ice Arena and the C-470 youth hockey league! Check out everything The Avalanche Guild has to offer today by clicking here!
