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Admin
 
Arkansas Hockey Association
Webmaster
Arkansas Skatium
1311 Bowman Rd
Little Rock, Arkansas
72211
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 FAQs |
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Frequently Asked Questions....
General Questions...
Q:Where can I play Ice Hockey in Central Arkansas?
A: The teams of the Arkansas Hockey Association are based at the Arkansas Skatium located at 1311 Bowman Rd in Little Rock.
Click here for map.
Q:What are the age groups for hockey?
A: Boys and girls can start playing hockey almost as soon as they can get up on skates! Age groups are as follows:
Mini-Mite - under 7 (as of Jan 1 each year)
Mite - under 9 (as of Jan 1 each year)
Squirt - under 11 (as of Jan 1 each year)
PeeWee - under 13 (as of Jan 1 each year)
Bantam - under 15 (as of Jan 1 each year)
Midget - under 17 (as of Jan 1 each year)
Adult - 18 and over
There are many young players who achieved great success but didn't start playing until age 11 or 12. Our emphasis at all levels is teaching hockey, not winning at all costs.
One of the main concerns of prospective hockey parents is the physical nature of the sport. While there are some risks to playing hockey at all levels, at the Mini-Mite, Mite and Squirt levels intentional body checking is not allowed. There are inevitable collisions on the ice, but we do not allow any children to step on the ice without a complete set of equipment.
Q:What hockey programs do you provide?
A: The AHA provides house and travel hockey programs.
Q:Is tournament participation required? Is it included in the fees?
A: Tournament participation is encouraged at all levels. Fees for tournaments are generally paid separately from registration fees and are dependent on participation and team scheduling.
Q:My daughter is interested in playing hockey. Does AHA have girls-only teams?
A: No, the AHA does not have any girls-only teams. However, girls are welcome to play at all levels. At the Mini-Mite, Mite and Squirt level, which are non-checking levels, there is not a large difference between the abilities/capabilities of the boys and girls, and you will frequently find girls on these teams. Girls can also continue to play at the checking level (Pee Wee, Bantam and Midget). If you have concerns about your daughter playing on a team, please contact any of our board members and we can put you in touch with the parents of one or more of the girls that play on our teams to answer your more specific questions.
Q:How long is the hockey season?
A: Practice starts in October and the season ends in the March/April time frame depending on the exact game schedule for your team.
Getting Start in Hockey...
Q:Do I need to know how to skate?
A: We do require players to have basic skating skills before they can join a team. A coach will evaluate basic skating skills of your child. Check with a coach if you have any questions regarding your child’s skating ability. It is highly recommended that a child interested in playing hockey participate in a beginning hockey class to learn the basics of skating before they register for a team. However, this is not mandatory and we will generally put all interested players on a team provided they meet the basic skating requirements of the coaches.
Q:I’m getting ready to attend my first ice hockey instructional class. What equipment do I need?
A: First call and ask the rink what equipment you need. Usually they will have skates and a helmet you can rent for a small fee (much cheaper than buying both just to find out if you’ll like the sport). You will need a stick with a wooden or fiberglass blade (plastic blades crack very easily). So a stick, skates and helmet are essentials.
You should also wear knee and elbow pads and gloves of some sort. The pads will keep you from hurting yourself if you fall (and you will). Hockey gloves are ideal but expensive, so if you choose not to buy them at least wear winter gloves, so when you fall your hands won’t freeze. Padded shorts are nice, but again expensive if you’re not serious about the sport.
Q:Is a mouth guard required?
A: Yes. It is always safer to wear a mouth guard. Even if you can’t get hit in the mouth, you can still bite your tongue or crunch your teeth when you fall or get checked. Start wearing a mouth guard at an early age and you will get used to it very fast and your teeth will be safer in the long run.
Q:What type of helmet do I need?
A: You will need a regulation hockey helmet with either a clear plastic face-mask or metal cage. The most important thing is to make sure the helmet is certified. There will be a certification sticker on the helmet.
Q:Where can I find information on hockey classes?
A: The Arkansas Skatium offers skating and beginning hockey classes all through the year. It is highly recommended that a child interested in playing hockey participate in these classes to learn the basics of skating before they register for a team. This is not mandatory and we will generally put all interested players on a team provided they meet the basic skating requirements of the coaches.
House Hockey...
Q:What is house hockey?
A: House Hockey is intended to provide recreational and developmental level hockey for players of all ages. In order to provide regular league games we are currently associated with the Memphis House league.
Q:What house teams do we have?
A: We have a complete range of house teams from mini-mite through Midget.
Q:How often do house teams practice?
A: Each team practices twice a week. Practice nights depend on the age group. Check with you team manager or coach for more details.
Q:Is there travel involved?
A: Yes. As part of our participation in the Memphis House League we travel to Memphis for games about once a month during the season. Trips generally require a one-night hotel stay. We also travel occasionally to play games against house teams in Springdale, Tupelo etc and participate in additional tournaments throughout the season both at home and on the road.
Q:How much will this cost me?
A: Basic registration fees are $100 for the house program. Ice fees for practice time vary depending on the rink and time slots available. Check with you team manager for details.
Travel Hockey...
Q:What is travel hockey?
A: Travel Hockey is intended to provide competitive hockey for more experienced players. The AHA travel teams are known as the Arkansas Chaos and compete at the Tier II B level against teams from across our region playing in the Southern Youth Hockey League. The goal of the AHA travel division is to provide the highest quality competitive hockey program possible and our coaches are committed to creating the best travel hockey program in the state.
Q:What Tier II B travel teams do we have?
A: During the 2001/2002 season we were able to field teams at the Midget and Peewee levels. This year we have Midget and Bantam teams. We would like to have teams at other age levels but obviously this depends on the number of players that try-out for each age group.
Q:What is the format of the Southern Youth Hockey League?
A: The SYHL format consists of one round robin tournament at each teams location. This year there are 5 teams at the Bantam level. All the teams will be here October 26/27 for a round robin. Then we visit the other four locations to reciprocate.
Q:Is travel hockey more expensive?
A: When you think of "travel", the word "money" usually comes to mind. As you are all aware, in order for any of our teams to get games against other teams we all have to be willing to travel. However, with the SYHL round-robin format the travel team gets to play quality opponents with only 4 out-of-town league trips so the cost is kept very reasonable. The SYHL round-robin league tournaments are scheduled to start after 2pm on Saturdays so it is usually only necessary to have a one-night hotel stay. You will also find that plenty of parents are willing to take your player if you can't make a trip.
Q:How much travel is involved?
A: In addition to SYHL weekends, we also add additional games and tournaments if the parents and players are interested and we try to limit trips to around a 5-hour driving range as much as possible. Last season the Peewee team played one weekend in St Louis against four different teams, and participated in the annual Freedom Tournament in Huntsville. We also hosted the annual Kalley Lundeen Memorial Tournament in Little Rock. We plan on doing a similar type of schedule again this year.
Q:Does travel hockey take up more time?
A: The travel teams practice twice a week, same as the house teams. Travel team practices are currently Tuesday and Thursday nights. The travel teams generally roster only 11-13 players on a team. This ensures that our coaches can give the team focused attention during practice and ensures that each player gets plenty of ice time during games. However, it does place a premium on each player attending practice and games.
Q:This is competitive hockey, how much playing time will my child get?
A: You can be assured that your child will receive plenty of ice time. With a small roster everyone plays, and plays hard!
Q:How do I get my child playing at this level?
A: Participation at this level is typically based on try-outs held prior to the season. However, the opportunity to play at this level is open to everyone in the Arkansas Hockey Association. If you are interested in having your child play at this level either this season or future seasons, please contact the AHA Travel Director, Paul Petrarca at Amenco3@aol.com for more information. Again, for this season we have travel Bantam and Midget teams but we would like again be able to have teams at other age levels depending on the number of players that try-out for each age group.
Q:How much will this cost me?
A: Basic registration fees are $125 for travel programs. Ice fees for practice time vary depending on the rink and time slots available. Check with you team manager for details.
Give Me More Information...
Q:Who can I contact to get more information?
A: Phil Collins, AHA Webmaster at Webmaster
Q:Who can I contact to register?
A: Susan Collins, AHA Registrar at Registrar
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