Welcome to the

Central York Girls Hockey Association

You will find answers for many frequently asked questions below.

The Central York Girls Hockey Association is run by volunteers.
We need your help. No experience is required.
You will be asked to volunteer when you register.

FAQ’S

My daughter hasn’t played hockey before. Is that ok?
How do I register?
How much are the fees?
When does the season start?
How long is the season?
When and where are the games and practices?
When do the ladies play?
When will we have a schedule?
How many teams/players/divisions are there?
Do you have a learn to play program?
How do you place girls on a team?
Can my daughter play with her friend?
Can my daughter play in a different division?
Do the teams go to tournaments?
How can I help?
What equipment does my daughter need?
Can I get a refund?

My daughter hasn’t played hockey before. Is that ok?

Girls join our league with a wide variety of backgrounds at all ages. They come from boys hockey, ringette, figure skating and no skating experience at all.  House League welcomes all girls.  We offer free development sessions throughout the year that include power skating and goalie clinics to develop skills at all levels for house league players.

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How do I register?

We offer 2 convenient ways to register for hockey this season beginning in May.

1.    Online Registration – full payment by credit card

2.    Download Registration Form  - mail or drop off in the “Panther” drop-box located in the lobby of the Aurora Community Center.  Fees must be paid in full by cheque, Visa™ or MasterCard™ or in 3 installments by cheque.

A copy of the girl’s birth certificate is required as proof of age if she is new to Girls Hockey.

An OWHA Release Form is required if she played in another Girls Hockey Association last year.

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How much are the fees?

To encourage early registration we offer Early Bird discounts. We are excited to announce that entry into our 7th CYGHA Panther Pride Annual House League Tournament (Nov. 22-24) is included in the fee this season for Novice through Midget.

The fees for the 2013/2014 season are:

The fee covers ice time, jerseys, socks, insurance, referees, a team and individual picture, development clinics, a year end banquet*, trophy, Panther Pride HL tournament (novice-midget)

* No banquet for Midget Division

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When does the season start?

Mid September

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How long is the season?

The season starts in September and ends at the end of March. The season culminates with a championship day with all players involved. A banquet follows the championship games the next day for FUNdamentals through Bantam divisions.

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When and where are the games and practices?

We play in Newmarket(Magna Centre, RJ Twinney, Hollingsworth) and Aurora (SARC, AFLC)

Games will be played on Saturdays and practices are on Sundays with the exception of the Midget division, which has 1 game on Sunday evenings and a 2nd game on a weeknight at least every other week and no practices.

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When do the ladies play?

Division 2 Monday or Tuesday night

Division 3 Sunday night

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When will we have a schedule?

We will receive ice permits for the 2013/2014 season sometime in July. Ice times will not be finalized until we know how many teams we will have in each division in September. We will give each division regular playing times similar to the 2013-2014 season where possible.   

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How many teams/players/divisions are there?

There were about 600 players last season on 42 teams in 8 divisions and programs including our Women's division. All girls play in age-appropriate divisions of 4 to 8 teams, as follows:

The maximum number of players placed on a team is 16. Teams of less than 16 players may be formed depending on the registration numbers.

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Do you have a learn to play program?

We offer our very successful FUNdamentals program. The program is intended for beginners. Girls born in 2007 with hockey experience may be allowed to register in Novice Division as well. Please contact the office to discuss.

For program information - http://www.girlshockey-centralyork.com/league.php?scriptName=LEAGUEINFO&leagueID=11369&leagueInfoID=24443

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How do you place girls on a team?

We hold evaluations the first weekend of the season. All girls are divided randomly into squads and attend 2 skates. The girls will skate, participate in a series of appropriate drills and play in a scrimmage. They will be rated by the division coaches. This information is combined with ratings from the previous season, if applicable. Each division holds a draft to form teams. We strive to build equally skilled teams from the start of the year. Once teams are formed, there is no player movement.

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Can my daughter play with her friend?

As a rule, the Association is not obligated to meet any player requests and takes these under advisement when submitted. Typically, these player requests are allowed at the Novice and Atom levels but scrutinized more closely at the Peewee, Bantam, and Midget levels.

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Can my daughter play in a different division?

Requests for under age players to “play up”  in an older division are discouraged at the House League level as the Association believes that girls should be socializing with their own age groups. The following conditions would need to be met in order for any request to play up being considered:

·Registration numbers of the age appropriate division not being adversely impacted.

·Competitive balance of the age appropriate division not being adversely impacted.

·The skill level of the requesting player is rated as 7 or above and verified by the Convenor.

·The requesting player is in their senior year of their age appropriate division and is deemed to have the emotional and/or physical maturity to play at the older age level.

·Request to play up has been received by the CYGHA prior to August 1st for the upcoming season

The Convenor of the age appropriate division has full authority to deny requests to play up even if all conditions have been met. If that Convenor decides to support the application, they will discuss the request with the Convenor from the older age division. If approved at the Convenor level, the request will be forwarded to the Vice President, House League who will make the final decision.

Note:  The VP of Houseleague also reserves the right to approve playing up requests that are deemed to be in the best interests of the Association. 

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Do the teams go to tournaments?

All teams participate in our annual House League Tournament held each November at Magna in Newmarket. Over 60 teams from throughout Ontario participate. It is typical for teams from Atom up go to 1 or 2 of tournaments a year with one of these being an out of town tournament. This is decided by each team. Tournaments are often a highlight in the season for the girls.

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How can I help?

We need almost 200 volunteers to run the house league. Coaches, assistant coaches and female trainers are required for each house league team. Each division requires volunteers to assist with coordination, communication, game sheets and statistics. We strongly encourage women to assist as bench staff. No experience is necessary. It is mandatory for all volunteers to have volunteer screening from the York Central Police or your local police department and Speak Out certification if a volunteer will be interacting with the girls on a regular basis. Trainers must be certified and take a course offered through the OWHA for which they will be reimbursed.

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What equipment does my daughter need?

We provide jersey and socks

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED FOR PLAY

• CSA approved helmet with full face cage or shield
• Neck Guard (BNQ certified)
• Mouth guard(optional, strongly recommended)
• Shoulder Pads
• Elbow Guards
• Jill
• Garter Belt/Shorts with Velcro (to hold up socks)
• Hockey Pants
• Shin Guards
• Skates
• Gloves
• Stick

Extras

• Hockey Bag
• Stick tape
• Sock tape
• Pony tail elastics or head scarf
• Light long sleeved t shirt and pants to wear underneath equipment

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Can I get a refund?

Refunds will only be considered based upon the following:

1.    A full refund minus a $25 administration fee will be issued for a request received before the start of opening weekend. 

2.    A full refund less $100 will be issued for a request received between the start of opening weekend and October 31st.

3.    No refunds will be issued after October 31st.

4.    A request for refund for medical reasons submitted after October 31st must be accompanied by a doctor’s report and will be reviewed by the Executive.

5.    Any request for refund that does not fall within the criteria as described above will be reviewed by the Executive.

6.    A Refund Request Form available for download on the website must be submitted to the CYGHA office.

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