The 2014/15 season is underway and all Cowichan Valley Minor Hockey Association teams are playing in the Vancouver Island District Leagues. Our recreational teams play in the Mid Island League, and our competitive teams play in the Island League.
Our minor hockey association is mandated by their governing bodies, the Vancouver Island Amateur Hockey Association, BC Hockey and Hockey Canada, to belong to a District and ours is VIAHA. They do a great job in organizing the leagues and the staff and volunteers of VIAHA work very hard to assist minor hockey associations in all areas. Thank you, VIAHA, for all you do and all the support you offer to the CVMHA.
We want to remind our community that we are still taking registrations. The fees will be pro-rated based on when the player starts, so if your child is interested, contact our office at 250-246-3906 for information.
Many of our programs this year are very successful. Our Development for Goalies, run by Gold in the Net, has been very well attended and by all feedback we have received, our goalies are improving steadily.
Another huge area this year was our lack of referees. Since Mat Porter took over as our referee-in-chief, there has been an addition of 25 new referees, for a total of 47 as of October. This is a huge accomplishment and we are very thankful for the job he has done.
Our two arenas, Fuller Lake and the Island Savings Centre, now have signs on the dressing room doors for "NO CELL PHONES OR PERSONAL RECORDING DEVICES." This was noted as a major risk management concern by BC Hockey as cyberbullying becomes more prevalent in society today. Thanks to our risk manager, Candace Fontana, for organizing.
All of our team directors have been extremely busy, as getting teams organized and handling situations is an ongoing job. Many thanks to Jerry Lealand (bantam/midget), Liz Lowe (pee wee/atom), Chay Foss (novice/initiation) and Kelly Grooms (competitive coordinator); all of these volunteers were new to their executive positions this year.
There are many other challenging executive positions, and one of those is equipment coordination. Our equipment coordinator Leanne Simpson, is responsible for organizing equipment for 29 teams and 45 initiation players; it's no easy task and she does it very well.
We are so thankful for the sponsors and community support we have received, as it all helps to keep costs down for our teams. View our sponsors at our website (cowichanvalleymha. com).
Volunteers are the backbone of the CVMHA, and often aren't recognized for their contribution to the game. Coaches and safety trainers, team managers, team parent volunteers and all those who assist in many other ways are the foundation of providing the "Hockey Experience" to our local youth. As Canadians we are proud that "It's our game," and with the continued commitment of all our volunteers, sponsors and community, we can carry on the tradition.
Christine Steeves CVMHA president