FAQs

Q: What level will my daughter be playing at?

• The U4 level is made up of pre-kindergarten girls.
• The U5 level is made up of mostly kindergarten girls.
• The U6 level is made up of mostly 1st grade girls.

Q: Will there be just one big team at each level or multiple teams?

• There will be multiple teams at leach level. It currently looks like there will be three to four U4/U5 teams and one U6 team.

Q: What is the purpose of teams at the girls U4-U6 mini mite level since they don’t travel to other towns?

• The older the girls get the more they will play “real” hockey games but all levels will be introduced to some form of team competition whether it is a 10 minute 3 on 3 game for the U4’s or a full ice 5 on 5 game on the south rink for the U6 girls. Regardless, if we make even teams it will make this and other competition more fun for the players.
• Teams are also needed to help organize girls into groups as practices are usually done with stations. This will help coaches organize players into like-skilled groups for practices allowing girls more success and fun. At the end of the season, teams are required for the mite jamboree and overall the girls love to be able to say they are on a team while getting their first real hockey jersey.

Q: How often do the girls play games and how often do they practice?

• This is a little different for each of the three mini mite levels and is not always black and white but the
• U4 and U5 reflect each other the most with most ice times having a station type practice with a different type of game within the stations. Within the season, coaches may try to play a couple small games of real hockey depending on the ice they are on but for the U4 and U5 their attention span for a “real” game does not last much past 10 minutes and any sitting on a bench waiting to change lines bores them and causes them to lose interest. This goes against us wanting to have the girls moving and smiling as often as possible so games will be up to the coaches to figure out as they get to know the girls.
• The U6 level will begin a transition to a more regular practice to game schedule where they may practice three times and then have a “real” game day (what ice we have will play a factor in the exact ratio of this) such as will happen at the mite level where the U6 will be the following year. Their practices will quite often be a station based model but with the added experience and skill of the players their flexibility will be greater.

Q: What is the focus for a typical practice at U4 – U6?

• One main focus trumps everything else which is that the girls are having fun and want to come back the following day. Regardless of the coaches hopes to make them into great players this main focus has to be what comes first. After this the focus becomes skating ability. The girls will do a lot of skating in different types of drills and games. The U4 and U5 practice looks a lot like gym class on ice. There will be a lot of equipment on the ice, sometimes looking like chaos, but the purpose is to make it interesting for the girls so they do not realize they are working on their skating. Some drills will be directly focused on skating without playing a game to do it and other stations will have games such as ringette or 3 on 3 with a soccer ball or tennis balls where girls have to use the many different skills to turn, fall, get up, accelerate etc. Pucks will often be included at practice but stick handling, passing and shooting are far from the focus for the U4 and U5 groups at this point.
• U6 practices will see a greater focus on stick handling but they will still be mostly focused on fun, skating and competing since this is the age where they seem to focus and love the “real” game of hockey a lot more than in the past. So to sum it up, fun and skating development will be the focus. The “hockey” piece will come as your daughter’s passion increases but this will only happen if they are having fun and succeeding.

Q: Schedule – where do we find it?

• Ice times and schedules can be found at the CG hockey website www.cghockey.com as well as the
• Sports NGIN app. Be sure to follow your players team to receive all ice times on your Sports NGIN app.

Q: When are most U4 – U6 mini mite practice times?

• We try as hard as we can to get mini mite times to fall between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. but from time to time that is not possible because of the rink schedule. U6 will move outside these times more than the U4 and U5 if need be. There will be examples of different times during the season but overall most ice is at a decent time for this age of player.

Q: Why do we see the U4 and U5 girls practicing together?

• Because of ice costs and ice availability we have to have a certain amount of skaters on the ice. The U4 and U5 girls teams are most often smaller in size and will practice together sharing ice.  Each year is different but this also allows liked skill levels to be grouped together. This means that if a 4 year old is quite advanced she may be able to skate with advanced 5 year olds as well as a beginner 5 year olds while being able to work at the same needed skills as a beginning 4 year old.  It will take a little while for coaches to get to know the girls and to be able to do this but with more volunteers on the ice the better this could happen.

Q: What should we do before the first day?

• Make sure you have your daughter try on their equipment at home first so you know you have everything. If you visit www.cghockey.com and click the “new to hockey” box on the home page then scroll down to watch the video, “how to dress youth hockey player for practice”. This will give you will get a better idea of how equipment should be worn. If you continue to have questions, please reach out to me. Also, purchase black or white hockey tape (in arena vending machine or Play It Again sports) to tape their stick.

Q: Where will we dress our daughter into her hockey gear?

• Most mini mite players get dressed at home. They will arrive at the rink to put on their skates, gloves and helmet. The locker rooms are tight so the less you do in the locker rooms the better.

Q: How do we know what dressing room to go to?

• When you enter the arena there will be a TV on the wall with a scrolling locker room list. Look for the level that your daughter is on and next to it will be the locker room they will be in. Below are the locations for each locker room:
  • Locker rooms 1 and 2 are in the South rink under the stairs
  • Locker rooms 3-8 are scattered around the North rink
  • Locker rooms 9-15 are in the West rink lower level hallway

Q: Can we leave shoes, jackets etc. in the locker room?

• With the amount of girls in the locker rooms, especially at the end of practice, it gets a little busy so it is a good idea to put all personal belongings in your daughter’s hockey bag and zip it up. You can then leave it in the locker room.

Q: Do all hockey bags look the same and how do I know which is ours?

• Yes, all hockey bags will be similar if not the same so please tie something specific around the handles so you can quickly identify the bag and others know it is not theirs.

Q: What happens if my daughter needs to go to the bathroom before or during practice?

• Bathrooms are on the ice level in a little area between the north and south rinks. We suggest that you encourage your player to visit the restroom before practice so it doesn’t not interrupt their learning experience. If your daughter needs to go when on the ice we will send her off and meet you at the door.

Q: Who coaches the teams?

• We hope that there is a lot of response from parents to volunteer on the ice, all who can skate are welcome to join the team. We have a handful who have already asked to coach but we will need a dozen moms and dads to help since there are so many kids, especially at U4 and U5 level the players will not have the ability to stand on skates yet. Please, please, please help if you can skate. You will need to wear a helmet on the ice if coaching and there are some other details that I will fill you in on but please if you can skate please consider helping on the ice.

Q: I am nervous to coach because I don’t know anything about teaching skating or hockey?

• You don’t need to know anything. There will be coaches who will run the practice and do the heavy lifting but we are in need of a lot of parents to help work one on one with beginning skaters, move equipment on the ice, keep kids moving in the right direction, etc. We have had parents in the past who actually learned to skate with the kids and now coach a team on their own having a blast.

Q: What do I do if I would like to help out at mini mites as a coach?

• Email 8U Girls Director, at the address below. Being a mini mite coach does not require the same level of commitment as a traveling coach so the website info may be a little confusing girls8udirector@cghockey.com

Q: What should parents, not on the ice, do during practice?

• We ask that parents stay close to the ice area in case your daughter, especially beginners, have to go to the bathroom or have just had enough for the day and want to go home. Coaches will bring them to the door for you. Also, there is a lot of equipment that has to be taken off the ice so if you can help to reorganize that equipment for the coaches as they hand it over the boards that would be a great help. All parents are welcome to pitch in. Lastly, we hope parents introduce themselves to other parents and make some great friendships as well. We hope this is a great experience for all.

Q: How should parents dress during practice?

Regardless of the weather outside the south and west rinks gets pretty cold if just standing around.

There are heaters overhead on the south but there are not enough for all and they do not help much if standing right on the rail where most like to watch from. Boots, stocking caps, gloves, blankets etc. are often seen – if you are warm you will enjoy it but coming underdressed could make a long hour. There is

a large commons area with food and drink for sale so that is helpful but makes it hard for the mini mite parents who are on the south rink because they cannot view from the warming area like the north rink.

Q: How early should we show up to practice?

• On the first day of skating arrive 30 minutes early to sign in, get your jersey and find your way around.
• Sign in is not required after the first day so the following days of hockey feel free to come whenever works to have your daughter ready five minutes prior start of practice. In order to create groups for practice please respect the coaches trying to organize the players evenly and by skill level if needed. That way coaches will know how to spread themselves out. As the year gets going this will get easier for the coaches.

Q: Do we need to let coaches know that we will not be there on certain days?

• Although it is very respectful of you to do so it is not always necessary. As long as most parents are on time as often as possible the coaches will have a smooth start to practice (we all know how kids are so if you are late don’t feel bad at all but if you can be on time that would be great).

Q: Behavior

• Most of our parent/coaches try really hard to work with the kids so they smile and have a great time. Most coaches will parent everyone’s daughter to a certain level but at some point if your daughter’s behavior is taking away from the group, causing a potential for injury to players or self then the coaches will need you to come over to the door to talk with your daughter and help improve their behavior. The coaches may ask your daughter to possibly go home for the day and come back the next day to try again.