FAQ's (Ayr Flames)

PrintFAQ's

This section of the website contains information about us, answers to frequently asked questions and information on who to contact regarding other questions.



ABOUT US

AMHA (Ayr Minor Hockey Association)

HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOCKEY IN AYR

WHAT AGES CAN REGISTER?

CAN I REGISTER MY CHILD IN A DIFFERENT AGE GROUP?

DO YOU HAVE BODY CHECKING?

WHEN DO THE TRYOUTS AND EVALUATIONS BEGIN?

HOW DO THE TRYOUTS AND EVALUATIONS WORK?

PROCESS TO TRYOUT FOR AAA?

WHEN DO THEY PLAY AND PRACTICE?

HOW LONG IS THE SEASON?

WHAT EQUIPMENT IS REQUIRED?

WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT IP (INITIATION PROGRAM)?

WHEN IS REGISTRATION?

WHAT DOES IT COST?

WHAT IS THE REFUND POLICY?

GRANTS AND SPECIAL ASSISTANCE?

CAN YOU PLEASE UPDATE MY EMAIL (PHONE NUMBER… ETC.)?

I HAVE LEFT PHONE MESSAGES AND NO ONE HAS RETURNED MY CALL

WHO DO I CONTACT WITH OTHER QUESTIONS I HAVE?

 

 

 

 

ABOUT US
We are located in Ayr, Ontario, Canada.  The office for Ayr Minor Hockey (AMHA) is located at the North Dumfries Community Centre, beside dressing room 2. 

Our mailing address is:
   PO Box 1050

    Ayr, ON 

    N0B 1E0

Ayr Minor Hockey is a member of Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA).  All players in the Association are affiliated with Hockey Canada (H.C.) and will conform to player categories as established by the constitution of H.C.

We are an association that fields local league, A/E and Representative (Rep) teams. The local league teams play within Grand River Local League.  Typically the teams would compete against other local league in the surrounding area. These areas include (but not limited to) Woolwich, Paris, St. George, Twin Centre and Beverly. The A/E and Representative teams play within the Southern Counties League. Depending on the number of teams within their division in any given season, these teams could play in a variety of centres including (but not limited to) Alymer, Ingersoll, Port Dover, Tavistock, Hagersville and Caledonia. Please refer to the OMHA website under Southern Counties for a more detailed list.

To register with us you MUST live within our boundaries as established by the OMHA. Please contact us to determine if your are in our boundaries.

 

The mission statement for the AMHA is “We are dedicated to providing the youth of Ayr a fun, rewarding and positive environment to play amateur hockey”


Back to Top

AMHA (Ayr Minor Hockey Association)
All authority of the AMHA shall reside and be exercised by the Board. The Board shall in general be responsible for all aspects of the hockey program, for establishing the strategic and policy goals of the AMHA and to ensure that all it's By-Laws, rules and policies are administered fairly and equitably and where necessary to adjudicate and resolve disputes.
The AMHA Board is comprised of;

 

President*

Vice President of Hockey*

Vice President of Administration*

Tresurer*

 

Secretary*

Local League Convenor

Rep Convenor

Registrar

Coach Mentor

Referee-in-Chief

 

Director Fundraising

Equipment Manager

Ice Scheduler

Webmaster

Director of Tournaments

Director at Large (could be multiple positions)

Clinic Director

 

 

* Denotes part of the Executive

Back to Top

 

HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOCKEY IN AYR

 

Hockey
Canada

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HNO
Hockey Northwest Ontario

OHF
Ontario Hockey Federation

HEO
Hockey Eastern Ontario

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ALLIANCE

GTHL
Canada

O.M.H.A
Ontario Minor Hockey Assoc.

N.O.H.A
Northern Ontario Hockey Assoc.

O.H.A
Ontario Hockey Assoc.

O.H.L
Ontario Hockey League

O.W.H.A
Ontario Women's Hockey Assoc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kitchener

Southern
Counties

Grand River
Local League

London

 

 

 

 

 

B Centre

B Centre

 

 

 

 

 

Ayr
Rep and A/E

Ayr
Local League


Back to Top

WHAT AGES CAN REGISTER?
Players from ages 4 to 17 may register with us to play within their age appropriate division as listed below.

AGE LEVEL
 
4,5,6
U7 - Initiation Program (Junior &Senior)
7
U8 - Minor Novice
8
U9 - Major Novice
9,10
U11 - Atom
11,12
U13 - Peewee
13,14
U15 - Bantam
15,16,17 U18 - Midget

-  Age of the participant as of December 31st or the current registration year.

Back to Top

CAN I REGISTER MY CHILD IN A DIFFERENT AGE GROUP?
No. Players are to be registered within their age group. All players go through our evaluation process in the fall and in the very rare case a child may be moved up or down a division but this is governed by CHL.
Back to Top

DO YOU HAVE BODY CHECKING?
Body checking is as per the following chart:

Division

Local League

A/E

Representative

 

IP (Initiation Program)-Junior/Senior

No checking

n/a

n/a

Novice

No checking

No checking

No checking

Atom

No checking

No checking

No checking

Peewee

No checking

No checking

No checking

Bantam

No checking

Checking

Checking

Midget

No checking

Checking

Checking

 

 

 

 

Back to Top

WHEN DO THE TRYOUTS AND EVALUATIONS BEGIN?
Rep will begin on or around the first week of May and A/E tryouts generally begin just after Labour Day.  Local League evaluations begin mid to late September. All times and locations and any other information is always posted on the AMHA website. Keep an eye on the site.
Back to Top

HOW DO THE TRYOUTS AND EVALUATIONS WORK?

  • If your player has indicated that they are interested in Rep or A/E
    • Rep and A/E: made up of those players who have been successful at the Rep or A/E tryouts. Players who are not successful at the Rep or A/E tryouts proceed to the local league evaluations.
  • Those players who do not make the above teams OR those who selected to play Local League upon registration are evaluated and based on their abilities are formed into teams under the Local League structure.  It is the objective of the AMHA is to have equally skilled Local League teams at all levels.

Note: The number of teams at any given level is dependent on the abilities and number of registrants.
Back to Top

PROCESS TO TRYOUT FOR AAA?

In order for a player to for AAA/A, they would need to obtain a “Permission to Skate form”.  This form needs to be signed by one of the following current members of the AMHA board, the President, VP of Hockey or the Rep Convenor.  The signed form needs to be completed before the player can participate on the ice for AAA/A tryouts.  Players can only tryout for their associations closet resident centre.  In the instance of Ayr, these centres are Cambridge and New Hamburg.  Players within the AMHA can not tryout for Kitchener, Brantford or Hespeler.  If you have any questions regarding the process, please feel free to reach out to the VP of Hockey or Rep Convenor.

Back to Top

WHEN DO THEY PLAY AND PRACTICE?
Game and practice times are not always consistent. Each year it depends on our registration numbers as well as the ice times we receive from the township. Generally, Rep and A/E teams will practice 1-2 times a week and play 1 game.  Local League teams will practice once a week and play 1 game.
Back to Top

HOW LONG IS THE SEASON?
The playing season runs from generally Oct to March. Rep and A/E tryouts start in early September with Local League evaluations following close behind in mid-September. Depending on a team's performance in the season they could be playing in provincial finals into early April.
Back to Top

WHAT EQUIPMENT IS REQUIRED?
Equipment List:

  • CSA approved Helmet with face cage (clear or wire)
  • neck protector
  • mouth guard
  • shoulder pads
  • elbow pads
  • hockey gloves
  • knee/shin pads
  • hockey skates
  • athletic jock (or jill for girls)
  • hockey pants
  • hockey socks (for practice*)
  • hockey shirt (for practice*)
  • hockey stick
  • hockey tape (for stick and socks)

* The association supplies game shirts
* The association supplies goalie equipment up to the Atom level if required.  By Peewee the expectation is that goalies have their own equipment. 
Back to Top

WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT IP (INITIATION PROGRAM)?

  • Our intention is to focus on the basics with our IP program.
  • Development is the focus at the start of the season with teams formed later being based on the player’s ability.
  • Senior IP games are played amongst other teams from surrounding associations and generally begin after Christmas in that given season. These games are considered exhibition in nature and are orgainized by the coaches.
  • There will be every attempt to set the IP ice times to make them consistent.
  • Game sweaters/socks are sponsored by Tim Horton's.

Back to Top

WHEN IS REGISTRATION?
For the past several years, registration has started mid to late June allowing us the necessary time to produce convenor lists and prepare for tryouts and evaluations in the late summer / early fall. Watch the website for registration dates as they are posted as soon as they are set.

Back to Top

WHAT DOES IT COST?
Once fees are set for a given season they are published on this website. Each season fees are subject to change based on changes to ice costs, insurance costs and the cost of officials...to name a few items.

Please refer to the REGISTRATION tab to find the most recent seasons registration fees for an idea of what the costs are.

In addition to registration the following fees are also possible depending on your choices:
Representative and A/E Tryout Fee: for Novice to Midget divisions for those players wishing to tryout for Rep and A/E.  Fees are determined by the association and are payable before your child gets on the ice for the first tryout
Representative and A/E Fee: for those Novice to Midget players who are successful in their bid for a spot on a Rep or A/E team.  Fees are determined by the association and are payable before the start of the season.
Team Account: Once they are formed, many teams will also collect funds for an account to cover costs such as tournaments, additional ice time, referees for exhibition games, year end team parties etc.   The team manager will have more info regarding team fees once teams are finalized.

Back to Top

WHAT IS THE REFUND POLICY?
Refunds will only be given by using the refund process that can be found under the Registration tab. Refunds are subject to a minimum $50 administration fee.  

Back to Top

GRANTS AND SPECIAL ASSISTANCE?
The AMHA is committed to ensuring all youth have the ability to participate in the game of hockey.  There are programs available to minor hockey players experiencing a difficult time raising the funds to participate. One such program is Kids can Play of Cambridge.  More information can be found at their website, http://kidscanplay.ca/index.aspx

Back to Top

CAN YOU PLEASE UPDATE MY EMAIL (PHONE NUMBER… ETC.)?
Now that you are registered with us through Hockey Canada Registration you can, at any time, go back into the system, and make these types of changes. Using the ID and password that you setup the first time you went into the system simply go in and using edit you can adjust your information. This will ensure that your information is always current. You will find our associations registration website at https://registration.hockeycanada.ca/registration/?ID=5263.

Back to Top

I HAVE LEFT PHONE MESSAGES AND NO ONE HAS RETURNED MY CALL
All of our volunteers work for a living. Phone calls and emails are generally returned in the evenings or on weekends. Did you leave a phone number where you can be reached in the evening or on the weekend?  Please be patient, as most of our board members will make every attempt to get back to you as soon as possible.

Back to Top

WHO DO I CONTACT WITH OTHER QUESTIONS I HAVE?
Once teams are in place, there is a normal protocol to be followed regarding most questions and concerns you may have. You should start with your coach, who should escalate if necessary to the convenor, then to the director etc...… However, many questions not of that nature may be directed as noted below

Who to contact with questions regarding:

  • By Laws: President
  • Coaching: Local League Convenor or Rep Convenor
  • AAA Tryouts: Vice President of Hockey
  • Cheques: Treasurer
  • Equipment: Equipment Manager
  • Representative: Rep Convenor
  • Hockey Development: Coach Mentor
  • Local League: Local League Convenor
  • Ice: Ice Scheduler
  • Registration: Registrar
  • Rosters: Registrar
  • Sponsorship: Vice President of Administration
  • Tournaments: Tournament Director

 (Names and contact information for the people filling the roles indicated above can be found under the 'About Us' tab for the current season)

Back to Top