North Hills Amateur Hockey Association

COACHES ARE RESPONSIBLE TO BE LEVEL CERTIFIED
NHAHA requires ALL coaches to have proper USA Hockey Certification. It is the coaches responsibility to register for the appropriate level Certification Clinic in our area and attend only ONE (1) clinic per clinic season.

***COACHES ARE TO COMPLETE AN ONLINE AGE-SPECIFIC MODULE
for each level you are coaching by December 31st. No exceptions! *** 
You have a month from the day you start the module, but if you don’t start until December 31 you only have 1 day because modules will go off line January 1. Once the module is completed you need to go on line and print out the verification that you have completed. This will look like a little coaches card. A copy of this verification must be put in every team book.

COACHES MUST BE ROSTERED
Only rostered coaches are allowed on the bench or on the ice. (Note: Volunteer parents, no matter how well intended, cannot be on the bench or step on the ice unless they are officially level certified and rostered...no exceptions)

COACHES MUST WEAR HELMETS! 
All coaches are now required to wear a helmet while on the ice (per USA Hockey policy). No exceptions!

Click on any of the menu items to find out more information about that subject:

• Rules and Requirements: Outlines the new CEP rules
• Coaching Clinics: Locate and register for any USA Hockey coaching clinic
• Age-Specific Modules: Links to the online program for this new CEP requirement
• Level 3 Recertification: Links to the online Level 3 recertification. This is NOT the age-specific module
• Online Certification List: Search for a coach’s certification and completion of an online age-specific module.
  
• Coaching Ethics: Links to the Coaching Ethics Code

Emergency goalie must be from a lower level team in the same age division. If no such goalie is available you can:

· Put goalie equipment on any player
· Play without a goalie
· Reschedule 

Coaches (and Managers),
I would like to thank you for all the time, effort and dedication you are putting forth by acting as a coach to our Viper and Viper Stars players. We understand that doing this job well entails more than just teaching hockey skills and game rules. With that in mind I have a few things I need to mention for you to keep in mind during the season.

1. Helmet – You must wear a helmet when on the ice, during practices, before games. That means that if pucks must be picked up off the ice before a game have a player do it or put on a helmet. USA Hockey rule – FOLLOW IT.

2. Locker Room Monitoring – The Head Coach is responsible to see that the locker room is monitored by a responsible adult the entire time any players are in the locker room. This rule was created partly because of the many problems in the locker rooms of older teams. Keep in mind that sometimes the most reliable young people crumble under peer pressure.

3. Also, please make sure you check the locker rooms both before and after practices and games. If the locker is not appropriately clean before your team uses it, report it!

4. Players must not enter the ice before the zamboni doors close and must exit the ice immediately when the zamboni doors open at the end of a practice or game. Leave when your practice is over. None of your players will improve significantly by stealing 5 or more minutes from the rink. If you can’t get your players to improve in scheduled ice practices, 5 or 10 more minutes will not help. Do not put us in a position where we will have to compensate the rink for time you have decided to take beyond what you are scheduled for or for us to have to apologize for your behavior.

5. If you decide to do anything with a scheduled ice slot (exchange it, play a scrimmage during it, don’t use it) you must notify Chrissey at the earliest possible time. If you decide to scrimmage, the rink must be notified so that two locker rooms will be available.

6. During any game situation, even if he is only 12 years old or is 112 years old and completely wrong, the referee is right. You may politely ask for clarification or explanation, but nothing is to be gained by arguing with the official. Don’t put your team, yourself, or NHAHA in a bad light by doing so. You only gain a reputation for being an out of control coach.

7. Coaches are responsible to make sure that all players on the ice are wearing all required equipment. If a parent does not walk his player to the ice surface from the locker room he is entrusting his/her priceless child’s safety to you. Even midgets sometimes make unwise decisions. That is why adults make the rules they are supposed to follow. If they were all mature enough to make all mature decisions, safety rules like needing an unaltered neck guard and mouth guard would not be needed. This is your responsibility.

The above rules apply to ALL of our teams.

Please keep in mind that as a coach, whether a head coach or assistant coach, you are being looked up to as a role model for those players entrusted to you. Even midgets look up to their coaches. It is your responsibility to be a positive role model. The more you model positive responsible behavior the less of a problem you will ultimately encounter with negative irresponsible behaviors in your locker room.

Thank you again for all of your time and effort on behalf of all of our players. It is sincerely appreciated.

Carole