Golden Minor Hockey Association

New Coaching Rules

BC Hockey announced today that steps will be taken to increase the level of safety for coaches taking part in on-ice activities.

At meetings held this past weekend in Richmond, the BC Hockey Executive Committee passed a motion which will effectively require all coaches to wear a helmet during team practices. A directive was issued today to all member minor hockey associations in BC and the Yukon notifying them of the requirement, which will take effect on December 1, 2008.

"The decision is viewed as a necessary step in the evolution of safety requirements for hockey participants, and has been in development over the past couple of years" noted BC Hockey Risk Manager Randy Henderson. "We had put our plans on hold in anticipation of a national directive on the subject, but when we received word last week from the Hockey Canada Safety and Risk Management Committee that the release of a national policy was not imminent our Board decided it was time to take action here in BC."

The decision sets out that failure to wear a helmet by a coach at practice will result in the pulling of BC Hockey's sanction of the practice. Unsanctioned activities are not covered by the association's insurance policy. The new policy will mean that all coaches who participant on-ice with their players will be required to wear a CSA approved helmet. "This policy is being introduced with the coach's safety in mind" added Henderson.

For more information about BC Hockey, please visit the BC Hockey website at www.bchockey.net

Comments (0) Added by jlhaslip October 27, 2008 (11:05PM)

BC Hockey Introduces New Online Clinic Registration Process

BC Hockey has fully integrated an on-line program registration process for all programs in the 2008-2009 season. Previous seasons the system has been piloted using various programs including recreational and high performance player camps. They will continue with this system.

For clinic registration we have progressed to the point where on-line pre-registration and payment for all delegates in all programs is required. The process has been made possible by the advent of the Hockey Canada Registry. Care has been taken to ensure confidential and secure processes. Several provinces are unveiling the system for their members this season and it is expected that the entire country will maximize use of the system in the coming years.

The process was unveiled at the BC Hockey Annual General Meeting in June in Penticton. At the AGM general member information sessions and program specific seminars introduced attendees to the upcoming registration process as well as the operation of the system.

The benefits of the system include:

1. Advanced preparation for Program Leaders considering the number and scope of the delegates attending an event.
2. Instantaneous updates of certifications, post-clinic, leading to less delay and fewer complications with team personnel approval.
3. Improved accuracy of delegate information since the delegate completes all personal information
4. Listing of all confirmed events for one stop shopping by interested members via the BC Hockey web site.
5. Sets the stage for on-line learning expected to be piloted by Hockey Canada in the near future
6. Introduces the ability to stay in touch, post-event, with participants at the discretion of the participant.

BC Hockey has produced several resources to guide users through the process. In addition, Program Coordinators and instructional staff are currently experiencing orientations sessions. We urge prospective applicants and host organizations to become familiar with the process by accessing the following resources;

1. Clinic Host Guideline (pdf)
2. Clinic Process - Host Association (pdf)
3. Clinic Process - Delegate (pdf)
4. FAQ document (pdf)

For more information about BC Hockey, please visit the BC Hockey website at www.bchockey.net or email info@bchockey.net .

Comments (0) Added by jlhaslip September 14, 2008 (12:29PM)

Coaches Description