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F.A.Q. - Frequently Asked Questions Minor Hockey has a lot of rules, regulations; procedures, forms etc and it can be very confusing, even to a "minor hockey veteran". There are a number of different sources of information that you can access. This website contains the By-laws, Policies and Procedures of the CMHA. You should find answers to most of your questions dealing with the workings of the CMHA here. The GHA website is available at www.gloucesterhockey.ottawa.on.ca. Information pertaining to the ODMHA is available at www.odmha.on.ca. Hockey Canada's website is www.hockeycanada.ca. If you still can't find your answer, please contact a member of the CMHA Executive. Listed below are a series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's). Click on the question to see the answer Organization Structure Q. How is the CMHA board appointed? Registration Q. My child would like to play minor hockey. How do I register? Q. Registration is expensive. How can I find out what my registration fee pays for? Q. My child has decided that he/she no longer wishes to play hockey. How can I arrange for a refund? Volunteering Q. I would like to volunteer. What are my options? Team Make-up Q My child's team seems weaker than the others. How can these disparities be addressed? Ice Time Q. Why does my team have half-ice practices when other associations don't? Q Why do Cumberland teams have so many 6:00 AM practices when other associations don't? Complaints Q. What is the process for me to register a complaint? Discipline Q. How does the association determine suspensions and other forms of discipline? Q. I disagree with the suspension assessed. What are my options? Q. Can I receive a copy of the referees report? Fund Raising and Financial Management Q. Are there limits to how much money each parent can be asked for? ** ANSWERS ** Q. I don't understand the difference between the Cumberland Minor Hockey Association (CMHA), the Gloucester Hockey Association (GHA) and the Ottawa District Minor Hockey Association (ODMHA).
A. Amateur hockey is administered in Canada by Hockey Canada. Hockey Canada is divided into thirteen "branches", largely organized along provincial boundaries. Our area is covered by the Ottawa District Hockey Association (ODHA). Minor hockey is administered by the Ottawa District Minor Hockey Association (ODMHA) which is affiliated with the ODHA. The ODMHA is made up of 13 Districts which cover that part of Ontario lying East of and including the Counties of Lanark, Renfrew, and all of Leeds except the town of Gananoque and the portion west of Highway No. 32 and south of Highway No. 15 in the province of Ontario. It covers from Kingston to Hawkesbury and from Cornwall to Ottawa. The Cumberland Minor Hockey Association is part of District XII Cumberland. District XII oversees both the House League (CMHA) and Competitive (Cumberland Junior Grads) programs. The GHA is made up of house league teams from associations located in District IX Gloucester. Cumberland plays in the GHA by invitation each year.
Q. How is the CMHA board appointed?
A. The CMHA Board is dissolved each year at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and elections are held to select the Executive for the following year. The positions of President and Vice-President are elected for two year terms. Q. My child would like to play minor hockey. How do I register?
A. Registration details are available HERE on this website. You will find details regarding cost, boundaries, etc. Each year, there are two registration sessions where you can register in person. You also have the option of registering at any time by mail.
Q I live in Cumberland but my child would like to play in a neighbouring association. Is this possible?
A. Generally the answer is no. Your home association is based on your residency. Movement between associations/districts is permitted under some limited circumstances. The details are contained Transfers section in the Rules and Regulations document (Section 15) on the ODMHA website. For House League players, transfers are typically only granted when registration is full and there is a waiting list.
Q. Registration is expensive. How can I find out what my registration fee pays for?
A. Each year a financial statement is tabled at the Annual General Meeting. This provides details of the Associations expenditures from the previous year. The next seasons operating budget is approved at the May or June CMHA board meeting. The largest cost elements of the CMHA operating budget are ice which costs in excess of $200,000.00 each year and ODMHA league fees (which includes player and team official insurance) at approximately $45,000.00
Q. My child has been cut from the Cumberland Junior Grads and would like to try out for a competitive team in a neighbouring association before accepting a position in House League. Is this possible?
A. For a player to participate in any on-ice activity with a neighbouring association, an approved transfer must have been completed as per the guidelines detailed in the Transfers section in the Rules and Regulations document (Section 15) on the ODMHA website. Failure to complete this process in advance could result in sanctions against the player and coach.
Q. My child has decided that he/she no longer wishes to play hockey. How can I arrange for a refund?
A. Refund details are contained in the registration details section elsewhere on this website. They are also contained in the CMHA Policies and Procedures document. All requests for withdrawal must be made in writing. Q. I would like to volunteer. What are my options?
A. There are three main ways you can volunteer.
The first is to volunteer at the team level. If you would like to coach, contact the Division Convenor. He can describe the certification requirements, describe the time commitment and will ask you to complete a coach application and police check form. The CMHA Executive approves all coach applications. If you do not want to coach but are still interested in volunteering for other roles on your team, speak to your coach or note this on your registration form when you register your child. Other team roles are Assistant Coach, Trainer, Manager, Treasurer, Tournament Manager, etc
The second option would be to volunteer for a tournament. Please contact our tournament manager or any other member of the executive who will advise you of available positions. We are actively involved in two large tournaments each year - the Cumberland Christmas Tournament and the Bell Capital Cup Atom Tournament.
The third option is to become a member of the CMHA Executive. Elections are held at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) each spring. If you are interested, you can review the responsibilities of each role in the CMHA Bylaws document or talk to any member of the CMHA Executive.
Q. I am a high school student and I require volunteer hours. Does volunteer work with the CMHA qualify? A. Yes. Q. My child would like to play for a particular coach or be on the same team as a friend. Is this possible?
A. Possibly. We have in excess of 1500 children registered in the CMHA across 90 teams. First and foremost, we have to ensure that the player is evaluated at the appropriate skill level and placed on a team accordingly. Secondly, we attempt to assemble our teams so that they are all fairly well balanced. If we can accommodate requests after we satisfy these two primary objectives, we will do our best. NOT ALL REQUESTS CAN BE ACCOMODATED.
Q. My child has been placed on a "C" team or a "B" team and I think they should be placed at the next highest level. What can I do to address this issue?
A. We have a very thorough evaluation process. Evaluators will assess players over at least three or four on-ice evaluation sessions involving both skills and game situations. Throughout this process, evaluators look at a variety of issues in determining the most appropriate level for each child including basic hockey skills, skating, hockey sense, size, age, etc. The primary focus is to ensure that the child is placed at the level which will allow them to contribute in a meaningful way and, most importantly, to have fun. If you still disagree with the assessment, you should discuss with your convenor. Q My child's team seems weaker than the others. How can these disparities be addressed? A. We make every effort to balance our teams. This is a difficult and complex task, particularly at those levels with large numbers of teams. If there is a situation where a team is significantly stronger or weaker than others from our association in their division, we will make player changes up to November 15th.
Q. I noticed that some other association's teams are smaller and only run two lines. Cumberland teams run three lines meaning that our kids get less ice time during a game. Why is this the case?
A. Our area has a rapidly growing population. This has resulted in registration consistently growing in our area. In the past four years, we have added nearly twenty teams to the CMHA. Despite this growth, we have had no additional ice facilities and as a result, we have looked to maximize the number of players per team. Some other associations have flat or declining registration numbers and as a result have fewer players per team. It is important to understand that fewer players per team would also have the impact of increasing the cost of registration as it would distribute the costs of running a team across a smaller base of players.
Q. Why does my team have half-ice practices when other associations don't?
A. There are three main reasons why Cumberland utilizes half-ice practices. The first is related to our obvious shortage of ice in Cumberland. By utilizing half-ice practices, we are able to provide more ice time for our players. The second reason is associated with effective utilization of ice. Our view is that effective practices can be run with 30+ players on the ice as opposed to just 15 and we want to maximize our usage. There are fewer half ice practices at the older levels. The final reason is for cost purposes. Each hour of ice costs the association approximately $120.00. If each ream was provisioned full ice practices, it would have a significant impact on registration costs. Q Why do Cumberland teams have so many 6:00 AM practices when other associations don't? A. The shortage of ice in Cumberland has forced us to take advantage of every hour of ice available to us. Unfortunately, this includes 6:00 AM practices. With the availability of the two new ice pads at Ray Friel, we are re-evaluating our strategy for practices
Q. What is the process for me to register a complaint?
A. If your complaint is related to issues associated with your team or the association, you should identify your complaint using the following hierarchy:Assistant Coach or Coach -> Manager -> Division Convenor -> Vice-President (Operations) or Vice-President (Administration) ->President ->District
If your complaint is related to officiating, there is an ODMHA Referee Complaint/Compliment form that should be used. It is available on this website in the forms section. You should consult with your coach or convenor prior to submitting this form. The completed form should be sent to your convenor who in turn will pass along to the President for action. You should never approach an official before or after a game to engage in any conversation - positive or negative.
In all cases, the CMHA advises everyone to observe a "24 hour Cool-off" rule prior to submitting a complaint. In other words, wait 24 hours before reacting. Things will often look different the next day. Q. How does the association determine suspensions and other forms of discipline?
A. The CMHA follows the ODMHA Code of Discipline as a guideline for the minimum discipline dispensed. The CMHA may choose to assign additional penalties, at their discretion, should the circumstances dictate. The CMHA Discipline process is outlined in the CMHA Policies and Procedures document available elsewhere on the website.
Q. I disagree with the suspension assessed. What are my options?
A. Any suspension may be appealed. The process is detailed in the CMHA Policies and Procedures document available elsewhere on the website. It is important to note that the suspension is based on the ODMHA Code of Discipline so it is not possible to reduce the suspension below the minimum prescribed. What can be appealed is either the actual event resulting in the suspension or the supplementary discipline.
Q. Can I learn the details of suspensions to players from other associations when the incident involves Cumberland players?
A. We play in the GHA and they follow the same ODMHA Code of Discipline as the CMHA. Details of referee reports or hearings will not be made available.
Q. Can I receive a copy of the referees report?
A. No. These documents are not for general distribution. The Discipline Managers will review the content of the report but will not provide a copy. Fund Raising and Financial Management Q. My team manager has advised me that I have to pay additional funds to support the team. Is this not covered in registration?
A. No. Registration covers all of the common costs such as insurance, game and practice ice, etc. There are other costs that each team must cover. These include tournaments, extra practice, ice, exhibition games, team parties, etc
Q. Are there limits to how much money each parent can be asked for?
A. Yes. Team financial management guidelines are detailed in the CMHA Policies and Procedures document available elsewhere on this website. |
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