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Nexed Bauer Hockey Itech Spider Court

Icebreaker
Official Newsletter of CIHA

Issue 2 -- Dec.30, 2000

Table of Contents


CIHA is please to announce that Nexed (division of V-Formation) has become title sponsor of our FUN First Program. This new program initiative is targeted directly at the house league players and teams. We would like to thank Tammy Webster, from the Kitchener-Waterloo Inline Program who suggested a team rating system to help promote good sportsmanship, respect, and participation.

Discussions with Andy Rymsha, Eastern VP of Nexed and former Team Canada National Inline player and part of the World Championship 1998 team, provided CIHA with positive feedback on the initial draft proposal. The final program was presented to Nexed CEO Rich Stelnick, who approved the program on the spot.

Nexed has committed substantial product to be allocated across Canada to participating leagues of the FUN First Program. It is important our member leagues help promote the concept of the FUN First program. Helmet stickers, rink banners, posters and promotional brochures will be provided as part of the overall program.

Introduction to FUN First Program!

  • A Players first experience with inline hockey (like any sport) is crucial to his development as a player and more importantly as a person. The long-term success of a program or league relies on the positive experience of this player, so he continues to participate at the appropriate level.

  • If a beginner has fun and develops some basic skills and builds self-confidence, there is a good chance that this player will enjoy the game of inline hockey for many years if not a life- time. Look at the success of Adult Recreational hockey today in North America, where adults of all ages are still enjoying the game of hockey!

  • The goal of the Canadian Hockey Inline Association (CIHA), is to offer every youngster who wants to enjoy the game of inline hockey (regardless of his skill level), the opportunity to participate through support of his community leagues.

"What Children Learn First, They Learn Best"

Objectives of FUN First Program:

  • Provide opportunity for players to participate in a safe, sportsmanlike environment without any emphasis on the score or stats.

  • Continue to promote the FUN First Program to all CIHA member leagues.

  • Introduce parents, media and community leaders to the FUN First Program.

  • To ensure that parents and family have an enjoyable experience at their local inline arena.

  • To Have FUN!

Inline Hockey…. Just another Form of Hockey!

  • In many cases across Canada today, inline skating is a child's first skating experience, because most kids will inline skate before ice-skate.

  • Learning to inline skate is much easier than learning to ice-skate. Inline skating can be practiced at school yards, parking lots, driveways and streets under an environment that is not structured nor intimidating.

  • Hockey comes in all different forms:

    • Boys minor hockey

    • Girls minor hockey

    • Junior hockey

    • International hockey

    • NHL

    • European hockey

    • INLINE HOCKEY

  • The basic skills are the same no matter what form of hockey you play, but it is the "personality" or "culture" of the game that distinguishes each of these forms apart from one another.

  • It is the Inline Hockey "Personality & Culture" that we at CIHA want our member leagues to promote and embrace for our players, coaches and parents.

The Pond Hockey Parallel with Inline Hockey

  • Whenever you hear the many NHL "superstars" talk about their beginnings in hockey, it is rarely about all the travel hockey, tournaments, stats, and wins/losses.

  • The common denominator with all of these players is the fun of learning to play and enjoy the game of hockey on an outdoor pond.

  • It was a pond where you played with your school friends and neighborhood friends of all different ages and skill levels. Where creativity was practiced and encouraged and scoring stats were never recorded!

  • The winners were determined by the last goal before heading home for lunch or supper.

  • These pond days have almost disappeared across Canada, due to climate changes, development of other minor sports and increased number of extra-curricular opportunities for kids and other societal dynamics. Pond Hockey has now been replaced by organized, structured "play" for our children, with more rules, regulations, by-laws and restrictions than we could have ever imagined.

  • These rules, regulations and by-laws now restrict our children from playing with friends and schoolmates more often than not. Politics now dictate every community with a rink and contributes to diminishing enrolment for minor sports!

  • Inline Hockey is the new millennium's answer to pond hockey. The game provides opportunity for creativity and skill development, without intimidation and aggression.

  • CIHA has the basic "Principle" that we will promote and encourage to all our member leagues …… "operate with common sense management". Do not prohibit players from playing with friends, just because they have different skill levels.

  • CIHA will encourage leagues to operate without emphasis on scoring stats.

  • CIHA through the FUN First Program, will encourage and promote a game that players and teams are rewarded for positive life skills being practiced during participation of inline hockey, such as … sportsmanship, respect, compassion, loyalty, and a sense of community spirit.

"Lessons Will be Remembered Long After Scores are Forgotten"

Dynamics of the FUN First Program

  • FUN First Program is a Team Award program.

  • Teams must be members of CIHA through a sanctioned inline hockey league.

  • The FUN First Program is a partnership with players, coaches, officials, league convenors, title sponsor and CIHA.

  • Teams are awarded points after each game or competition by coaches, referees and league convenors.

  • The FUN First Program is only available for House League Teams.

  • CIHA and the title sponsor will provide information brochure for parents and players.

INTEGRITY. FAIRNESS . RESPECT . PARTICIPATION

Five Principles:

  1. Respect the rules of inline hockey.

  2. Respect the officials and their decisions

  3. Respect your opponent

  4. Ensure equal opportunity for everyone to participate

  5. Maintain self-control at all times

Who awards Fair Play Points?

Four ratings should occur after each game.

  1. coaches will rate their opponent

  2. coaches will rate each official

  3. officials will rate each team

  4. convenors will rate each team, official, and coach

Total Points collected will be averaged to determine weekly score.

How will Fair Play Points be used? (within your home center the following are some options that you may want to consider)

  • If a team has negative fair play points before playoffs, that team may be removed from the league and further play.

  • Fair Play points will be used as a tiebreaker in the playoff standings. A team with higher fair play points will receive a higher ranking than a team with lower fair play points.

Guidelines for Awarding FUN First Points

+4 Excellent
  • Excellent team sportsmanship

  • Maintains outstanding attitude towards opponents and officials

  • Entire team exhibits self control at all times

  • Entire team shakes hands at the end of game

  • No major penalties

  • 1 or less minor penalty

  • No more than two players absent for game

+2 Good
  • Good team sportsmanship

  • Maintains good attitude towards opponents and officials

  • Entire team exhibits self control most of the time

  • Part team shakes hands at the end of the game

  • No major penalties

  • 2 or less minor penalties

  • No more than 3 players absent for game

0 Average
  • Average team sportsmanship

  • Negative attitude is limited to individuals

  • Lack of self control is limited to individuals

  • no major penalty

  • 3-4 minor penalties

  • No more than 4 players absent for game

-2 Poor
  • Poor team sportsmanship such as arguing with officials

  • Lack of respect shown towards opponents

  • Use of vulgar or profane language

  • Half of team shows lack of self control

  • 1 major penalty

  • 5-6 minor penalties

  • No more than 5 players absent for game

-4 Terrible
  • Terrible team sportsmanship

  • Repeated arguing with officials

  • Lack of respect by team shown to opponents

  • Continued use of vulgar and profane language

  • Entire team shows lack of self control

  • Entire team does not shake hands at end of game

  • 2 or more major penalties

  • 7 or more minor penalties

  • Less than half the team is absent for game

CIHA will keep our members updated on the FUN First Program and how you can become involved and seize the opportunity to adopt this program for your own league.

Back to the Table of Contents

League Profile:

(CIHA thanks Bob Crouch, President of Brampton Inline for his submission)

Brampton Inline Hockey Inc. / Brampton, Ontario

It was indeed an inauspicious day when three of us gathered in the autumn of 1994 and declared that the City of Brampton needed a roller hockey league. Our kids had been through the OMHA/MTHL wars, the contact drafts where size now mattered more than skating and coaches that could be a little less than encouraging (including yours truly). The executive of CHA were on the radio lamenting the tiering of ice hockey, and Wayne Gretzky was encouraging baseball and pond hockey.

The following April, a newly disorganized league held its first ratings games. The skills levels and equipment were not at all what we see today. The entire executive was encouraged, however, by the grins on the players' faces as they recovered from their pratfalls.

The defining moment of the inaugural season is when a Triple "A" Young Nat expressed to us that his favorite hockey moment was when he assisted on a rookie's first goal on Day of Champs. BIHI does not have a house league: it has a recreational league where players at all levels receive equal floor time and, hopefully, an equal sense of satisfaction from participation in this exciting sport. v The rep division has been interesting, to say the least. NIHA, IHA, EXTREME, and CHA have all done their best, but we look forward to a consolidation of support of CIHA and a rationalization of opportunities for the competitive players and coaching staffs. BIHI was the proud host of the NARCh championships in 2000, and are even more proud to have two championship teams. We trust that the sanctioning bodies will get together and CIHA will not have to be "in competition" with the American curs. (just kidding)

Enjoy this sport as much as my son does and the details will eventually sort themselves right.

Go, Rads, go.

(Send us information on your league so we can profile your league in one of our future issues)

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Player Profile:

John Dunphy..Getting the Job Done!

John Dunphy started playing Roller Hockey years before the first puck dropped on concrete in his hometown of Mississauga, but when the Mississauga Roller Hockey League began in 1994 John Dunphy was the first player to sign up and being first is one stat he's kept in sight during his career.

You could say that with his dad Joe Dunphy as one of the organizers, his son had to play, but the truth is that it was John's love of playing the sport in his driveway and on the street in front of his house night and day that gave Joe the idea to put a league together and John has never looked back.

Like many Roller Hockey players, Johns first passion was on ice where he excelled playing AAA in the Greater Toronto Hockey League for the Mississauga Reps and Toronto Red Wings capitalizing his minor career in Peewee when the Red Wings won the OHF Championship and the prestigious Quebec Peewee Tournament.

On the floor, Dunphy has developed his talent to the max playing for the Mississauga Rattlers since their inception in 1995. Playing on Championship Roller Hockey teams has become a habit for John. With his teams winning the 1996 & 1997 ORRH Provincial Championship, 1997 CHI National Championship, 1998 NARCh Junior Platinum Championship, 1999 MJARHL regular season Champions and Playoff Finalist which repeated in 2000, and finalists in the 2000 NARCh Platinum Finals in Brampton.

While John is the first one to tell you that each achievement was a team effort, the individual awards just keep rolling in for him as a tribute to his contribution. His mantle's latest acquisitions are a 2000 NARCh Canadian All-star Jersey and "Best Forward" selection in the 2000 MJARHL Awards.

When it comes to the game John Dunphy is unrelenting. "I love to play!" said Dunphy at his Mississauga home. "This game is fast, wide open and really asks the most out of you as an individual and your role as a team player. There's nothing like sweating out 4 quarters of Roller Hockey and if you're lucky enough to win you know you've earned it."

When it comes to opponents Dunphy is less focused on players than on teams. "Brantford and Niagara Falls are always tough. This year we lost to the Toronto Tigers in the MJARHL finals and they just out hustled us. At NARCh we had a great shot at the Championship, but came up short against the Bombers from British Columbia, I'd like to play them again."

A smooth patient player, his style is hard to nail down except that he gets the job done, whatever that job is. "I have watched Johnny Dunphy play this game from day one and there is no one on the floor with more commitment and determination combined with skill" said Rattlers GM George Araujo. In the three years since joining the Mississauga Rattlers MJARHL Club in 1998 John Dunphy was the leading scorer in 1998 and 2000. "The stats tell quite a story on John but it's the intangibles that make the difference the kid has incredible hands and knows how to put the puck in the net. He can grind it out, plow through or slip between the defense with a quickness that is deceptive. No matter how you try to play him, he'll find a way to get to the puck."

Winning and playing hockey aren't his only "gold medal" achievements. John has been a Grade A student throughout High School and will be heading to University to study Law when his hockey career is over. But, that may be quite some time away as he was a third Round Draft Choice for the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League in 1999 and he's second in scoring for the Rangers this season. There's a good chance that he will be picked up in the 2001 NHL Draft this summer, but don't look for John Dunphy in the head lines, he'll be at the rink.getting the job done.

NOTE: Since writing this story John Dunphy broke his ankle in an OHL game in Ottawa. True to form, a national TV audience watched in amazement at his heroic attempt to get up and go to the bench, before finally being held down by the trainer. After surgery and rehab, John is confident that he'd be back on the floor for the Rattlers this summer. We don't doubt him for one minute.

(Send us information on a player in your league so we can profile him or her in one of our future editions)

Back to the Table of Contents

Coaches Corner:

Topic: What do we call the four player positions of inline hockey?

This is a never-ending discussion with inline coaches and players. Most teams will line up to start the game with two players in the forward position and two players in the defense position. Some with three up and one in the middle back (this is usually a team with lots of confidence).

The big question is what do we call the different positions, to help teach players and to help make it very clear what the responsibilities of each position are.

I will only reference what we have taught at the National Team Level and what we will continue to teach for our High Performance Program with CIHA.

The four positions are referred to as Center Forward / Forward / Defense / Safety. The only difference between the C-F and F is that one of these players is designated to take the face-offs, other than that their responsibilities are inter-changeable.

The key to this is that your defenseman's sole responsibility is to "stay at home" or to always have all the other team players in front of him and not get caught up the floor. The safety is the second defenseman or the third forward!

The safety is the key guy in your four man system - he must know when to jump into the play -- know when to "bail out" of the rush - be solid on defense when needed - support his defense partner - control the breakout pace - and have patience.

It is important that your team learn that when your team has possession of the puck that everyone is now on Offence (and your job is to get in position to support the puck carrier) and when the other team has the puck we are all on Defense. Inline is such a team game that all players must work together as a unit and not have expectations that someone else will do it…. because that sounds like his job -- ie. Defense should be the only guy playing defense!

Remind your team that throwing a long pass half the floor length to a teammate may be good to clear the pressure from your net, but is not worth the effort if the player you passed to has to now play 1 vs 3 or 2 vs 3 on the rush. It is good to relieve the pressure from your end and sometimes better to re-group so you can attack the opponents as a unit with hopes of catching one or two of their players going the wrong way, thus creating an odd man rush.

Hoping this helps with your team this year. Keep in mind that a player sometimes does not always want to be the defenseman, he also wants to be the safety or a forward. Learning to play the other positions makes for a better player in the long run.

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Referee Report:

Inline Hockey ….. A great place to start!

Have you ever thought of officiating ice hockey ? Well Inline Hockey is a great way to start officiating. The lack of line calls and icings allows an official to concentrate on learning the basics such as penalty selection and goal line pursuit. Try it out and you'll see why not having to worry about the blue line or any line for that matter allows an official to learn gradually. Many of our top officials feel that their ice hockey game has improved not only because of the fitness level acquired by skating all year long, but the penalty standard used in Inline keeps a look-out for stick-work and other flagrant fouls that ice hockey is trying to eliminate.

Some Areas are already recruiting , please give them a call to discuss officiating the coolest game off ice.

Paul Jones Brantford 519.751.9965
Bill Moreton Hamilton 905.389.1132
Ed Flanigan Toronto 416.752.3339

Back to the Table of Contents

Product News:

IDS remains the "Official Puck" of CIHA !

We strive to provide promote the best possible programs and events for our members, and it only makes good business sense to partner with the best inline hockey puck on the market today.

IDS puck plays better and last longer than any other puck on the market. Last year in the CanAm Cup in Kitchener, ON, we played 320 games with only 11 pucks (keeping in mind some pucks were lost when they went into the stands). This was a true test of the quality of the puck. And not once have we ever had a player, coach or team, complain about the quality of the IDS puck.

IDS pucks will be the official puck for all CIHA sanctioned events and the CIHA office will inventory pucks for resale at a discounted price to our member leagues, teams and players.

Look for more information in the January issue of "Icebreaker"on other products that CIHA will also inventory, such as Wheels and Bearings brought to you by IDS.

http://www.idshockey.com/

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International News:

CIHA is pleased to announce that Great Britain Hockey Inline (GBHI) has become our first International Associate member. This is a new alliance that CIHA is proud to initiate, by bringing the inline people together globally.

GBHI and CIHA look forward to a partnership with team tours, sharing of development programs and bringing CIHA and it's members closer together with the European inline community, without the bureaucratic politics of other sport bodies.

CIHA will be developing team tour packages for teams (both GB and Canadian) interested in travelling and experiencing something different for the inline family.

CIHA will be adding other International Associate members as part of our structure to help strength and develop the sport of inline hockey globally.

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Thought of the Week:

The Rock

As they grew older their teenage son became increasingly rebellious. It culminated late one night when the police arrested their son for drunk driving. They had to go to the police station to pick him up.

They didn't speak until the next afternoon. Mom & Dad broke the tension by giving him a small gift-wrapped box. Their son nonchalantly opened it and found a little rock inside. He rolled his eyes and said, "Cute, Mom & Dad, what's this for?"

"Read the card," they instructed.

Their son took the card out of the envelope and read it. Tears started to trickle down his cheeks. He got up and lovingly hugged his parents as the card fell to the floor.

On the card were these words: "This rock is more than 200,000,000 years old. That is how long it will take before we give up on you."

Perhaps anything less than 200,000,000 years is simply giving up too quickly!

Back to the Table of Contents

Quick Notes:

CIHA Age Division Changes for 2001:

  • a) 20 & Under division has been eliminated.

  • b) Junior Division (previously 20 & Under) has been reclassified to 18 & Under.

  • c) Midget Division (previously 18 & Under) has been replaced with Junior Division. We no longer have a Midget Classification.

  • d) Added Division One (22 & under). D1

  • e) Cut off date is Dec.31 as is Narch and USA Hockey Inline.

CIHA Age Divisions
(Ages are as of Dec.31/00)

Tyke 8 & Under
Novice 10 & Under
Atom 12 & Under
Peewee 14 & Under
Bantam 16 & Under
Junior 18 & Under
Division One 22 & Under
Adult 23 & Over
Narch Equivalent
(Ages as of Dec.31/00)

Atom
Mite
Squirt
Peewee
Bantam
Junior
Division One
NA
Narch Pro - Open
Senior 18 +
35 & Over

Definition of CIHA Team Composition:

I Regional Teams:
Regional Teams are not permitted to participate in any CIHA sanctioned tournaments (except Narch/CIHA partnered sanctioned events). The composition of Regional Teams involves players from different centers that require permission from their home center before participating. The formation of any Regional Team should not interrupt or interfere with the operation of any Member League Team of CIHA. All regional teams are coordinated by CIHA or Regional representatives of CIHA.

CIHA will organize Regional Teams in each Region for participation at the Global Inline Hockey Festival, for the 14,16,18, Division One and Women Open divisions. Regional Teams in other age divisions must receive permission from CIHA before being formed.
II Competitive Level Teams:

This is the highest level division for any CIHA tournament. This is the only level that can qualify for the CIHA National Championship. These team rosters must be registered with CIHA (each team is permitted 17 players to their roster). These players must be registered with the same home center unless they have permission from their own home center to play on another team (this must be on file at CIHA office).

III Challenger Level Teams:

These are teams that either come from a smaller or weaker center that are not interested in competing against the top level teams in any CIHA sanctioned tournament or are the second team from a center (in same age division).

IV House League/Select Level Teams:

The players of these HL/Select Teams cannot be registered to either a Competitive Level or Challenger Team. These are players that are strictly House League players that wish to participate in a CIHA sanctioned tournament in the HL/Select Division. These players are permitted to be from the same home League, and can be from different teams within the same age division of their home HL. These players can not be registered on a Challenger or Competitive roster Team.


Movement of Coaches from Year to Year:

  • Coaches that decide to coach in a different center the following year will not be permitted to roster any players from his previous years team (except his own relatives). CIHA does not restrict players from playing in different centers other than their home center, but we do discourage this practice.

  • CIHA and it's member leagues must "police" the practice of coaches moving from center to center and "recruiting" players to follow him in the hope of building a dominant team. We do not encourage coaches who become upset with their home league to move to another league in hope of destroying teams.

Please Note:

The above coaches will not have any direct or indirect relationship with any team the following year in a different center, unless it is only his direct relative that he is coaching from the previous year.

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League Jersey Program:

Force Sports (www.forcesports.com), has partnered with CIHA to provide our member leagues a discount jersey program. If you are a league in need of inline hockey jerseys (and who isn't), check out the program with Force. This is an incredible savings for our member leagues!

Force Sports Technologies

Contact our office or deal direct with Force Sports in setting up your program and receive the discounted rate of being a CIHA member league. Ask for one of the CD's provide by Force that allows you to design your own color combinations, and place or order all on line.

What else does Dave Martin, CEO of Force have for you and your players --- look for more details next newsletter on a discount card for one of the top retailers.

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League Promotional Poster

Our 2001 Inline Hockey Promotional Poster will be in the mail beginning the new year to all our league managers to help promote your league and your registration dates and locations.

Each poster has space provided, where you can add a small sticker for your league registration dates and locations. Contact us if you need more than what we send you.

Check the poster out below.

Got questions we got the answers! Just call us or e-mail us.

The staff of CIHA wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season!



Force Sports Technologies


 World Inline Cup 2003 Revised Dates
 USA/Canada Challenge Cup
 GLi Announce Early Bird Tourney
 World Cup 2003 Host Announced
 TORHS Finals Announced
 Age Changes
 CIHA and TORHS announce Partnership
 Hamilton Power GLI Champs!
 Canada National 18U Team
 Goto the Archives

Great Lakes League





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Telephone: 519-354-1888
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