VMHA 'A' Rep Division Manager Manual

VMHA 'A' Rep Division Manager Manual

Table of Contents

Role and Responsibilities

The 'A' Division Manager assists with the tryout process for their division. The Division Manager oversees the assessments, communicates playing group placements and releases, schedules the exhibition games for each playing group, and assists in securing volunteers for team official roles that are not yet filled.

The Division Manager does not evaluate players, score players, or take part in selection decisions.

The Division Manager must limit themselves to organizational duties:

  • Ensuring lists are correct and players have the correct jerseys.
  • Ensuring the evaluators are present, and are not disturbed.
  • Ensuring the coaches running the on-ice portions or dryland portions are present.

Once they are identified as present, the Division Manager should keep any further engagement with the evaluators or the Coaches to an absolute minimum.

'A' Division Managers should only take on a division in which their child does not participate.

Where a Division Manager is asked by VMHA to take on a division in which their child is participating, they must, at all times, remain removed from fraternizing with the coaching staff and/or the evaluation staff. At no time shall a Division Manager who has a child participating in the division, engage with Evaluators or coaches once the sessions have begun, and will not engage with them once the sessions are completed. This is a critical requirement to prevent a perceived conflict of interest.

Please refer to the VMHA Rep Tryouts Policy and the VMHA Rep Program Policy for detailed information on the 'A' assessment process. Where this manual and VMHA policy differ, the policies govern.

Division Managers are also instructed to ensure that other parents do not interfere with Evaluators or attempt to fraternize or query coaches, in general, but also with specific regard to players or activities during the evaluations and tryouts. If a parent does go to speak with Evaluators, the Division Manager will kindly ask them to cease the offending activity. If a parent does so repeatedly, they are to be reported to VP1 at the earliest opportunity.

Pre-Season Preparation

The Division Manager's workload is heavily weighted towards the start of the season. All Division Managers will be assigned a VMHA email address and provided access to their division in TeamSnap. It is expected that the member information provided by these platforms remains private and is used solely for the management of the division. A timely reply to all emails/inquiries is also expected.

All Division Managers are required to attend the VMHA division manager meeting prior to 'A' tryouts.

SOP 1: Obtaining a VMHA Email Address

Timing: Immediate upon acceptance of the position.

Steps:

  1. Provide the Registrar with your contact details (Name, Phone number, Email).
  2. The Registrar will then provide you with setup instructions for the Division Manager Email.

SOP 2: Preparing for Tryouts

Timing: Approximately 7-14 days before the first tryout session.

Steps:

  1. Receive tryout group information and the schedule from the Registrar.
  2. Obtain tryout jerseys for your division from the Equipment Manager in advance of the first evaluation session.
    • Depending on scheduling of 'A' tryouts and 'C' evaluations, work with the other Division Manager in your age group to ensure the pinnies are available for those sessions as well.
  3. All players will be entered into Team Genius in their assigned groups by the Registrar. Division Managers will have check-in access for their division and will input the assigned jersey number for each player. Division Manager access is limited to check-in only — evaluator scores and comments are not visible to the Division Manager.
  4. Confirm with the Registrar by email that there will be a table available for you.
  5. Send an introductory email to all participants before tryouts to ensure everyone is aware of the schedule, check-in procedures, the jersey process, and how placement decisions will be communicated.

'A' Rep Hockey

Phase One and Phase Two

VMHA tryouts run in two phases. Phase One involves VMHA players only and ends with each player assigned to a playing group (A1, A2, etc.) or released to 'C' hockey. Phase Two consists of practices and exhibition games, during which the coaches continue to evaluate and make their final decisions for the season's rosters.

The Hockey Director is in attendance at tryout sessions. On-ice staffing, coaching attendance and HCSP coverage are not the Division Manager's responsibility — raise anything of that nature with the Hockey Director. Evaluators use Team Genius to score players.

SOP 3: Tryout Jerseys and Player Check-In

Steps:

  1. Ensure you take the following to the rink:
    • Laptop or tablet with access to Team Genius.
    • The tryout jerseys.
    • Recommended: a printed backup list of players and their tryout groups, exported from TeamSnap, in case of connectivity or device problems at the rink.
  2. Arrive at the rink at least 75 minutes before the first ice time.
  3. Set out the jerseys and arrange them numerically.
  4. Enlist a parent volunteer to assist with handing out and collection of the jerseys at each session, so you are free to manage check-in.
  5. Check players in and record attendance. Flag no-shows and late arrivals for the Hockey Director.
  6. Collect all jerseys at the end of every session and reconcile against your check-in list before leaving the rink.
  7. The Division Manager is responsible for washing the jerseys after each session.
  8. Report any incident, injury or attendance irregularity to the Hockey Director the same day.

SOP 4: Communicating Placements and Releases

Steps:

  1. Receive the confirmed placement/release list from the Rep Committee. Do not communicate any outcome before it is confirmed.
  2. Notify participants using the templates in Appendix C. Copy the Registrar on all placement and release emails sent to players.
  3. Notify the 'C' Division Manager before or as you send releases, and give them advance notice of expected releases so spaces can be held on 'C' teams. The strongest rep releases should go to the weakest 'C' teams.
  4. Be present when players are released from each team in the division. Handle releases in person wherever possible.
  5. Assist with email introductions connecting the player and family to their new playing group — the next 'A' group down, or the 'C' Division Manager.
  6. Confirm the released player's jersey has been returned.
  7. Send questions about the rationale for a decision to the Hockey Director, for review by the Rep Committee. Formal appeals go to Vice-President 1.
  8. In the case of a Division Manager who has a child in the Division, they will ultimately be required to send an email to their own family. For record keeping both the Registrar and the Division Manager shall ensure that these specific emails are copied to both the Registrar and VP1 for transparency.

Releases continue through Phase Two, so expect to repeat these steps as playing groups are reduced.

Exhibition Games

The Division Manager is responsible for the scheduling of balancing/exhibition games based on ice times requested from/provided by the Ice Allocator.

The Division Manager should reach out to the coaches to find out which teams they would like to play exhibition games against. To contact these teams, visit the hockey association’s website to find the email address and contact information for the appropriate Division Manager.

Initial exhibition games should be scheduled in accordance with the VMHA Rep Policy to ensure all players have equal opportunity to be evaluated. Additional games may be scheduled as opportunity presents or upon the coach's request.

Contact the Equipment Manager to obtain game jerseys for the teams in your division. Division Managers are encouraged to enlist a parent volunteer to assist with jersey distribution and collection over the course of the balancing/exhibition games. It is strongly recommended that jerseys are distributed and collected at EACH game to ensure none are lost as players are released or moved between playing groups.

SOP 5: Setting Up a Home Exhibition Game

Steps:

  1. Request and confirm ice times with the Ice Allocator.
  2. Obtain game numbers from the PCAHA League Manager at the time of scheduling.
  3. All games in Spordle will get officials assigned by the applicable Referee Assignor.
  4. Arrange scorekeepers and timekeepers.
  5. Request an advance for payment of referees. Please refer to the Manager's Manual under Paying Referees and Referee Fee Reimbursement.
  6. Obtain team IDs from the Registrar. These are required for scorekeeping in Spordle.
  7. Be present at games where possible to record your observations, ensure the officials are paid, and handle any releases or player movement between groups.
  8. Reconcile referee payments at the end of the exhibition schedule using the End of Season Referee Fee Reconciliation Form.

Note: Spordle may not have players assigned to VMHA teams at this point in the season. Allow time to populate your team roster in Spordle before the game as you will have to manually select and add each player that will be rostered for the game and add their temporary jersey number.

Finalizing Teams

As teams are formed, the Division Manager's help may be required to identify/secure volunteers for any roles (manager, treasurer, HCSP) not yet filled. When a player roster is set, email all parents of the team to ask for volunteers for the Team Manager position; the Division Manager and Coach together will select the Team Manager.

Steps:

  1. Hand over day-to-day operation of the team as soon as the Head Coach has selected the Team Manager.
  2. Forward the final team rosters to the Registrar, who will ensure all players and team officials are properly assigned in TeamSnap and HCR.
  3. Forward the names and contact information for the Head Coach and Manager of each team to the appropriate PCAHA League Manager.

Affiliate Players

'A' hockey affiliates are usually selected by the Head Coach from players that participated in tryouts but were not selected for the team.

Steps:

  1. Forward the names of such players to the Registrar as the rosters are finalized.
  2. Provide coaches and families with the VMHA Rep Affiliation Agreement. Completed agreements are forwarded to the Registrar by the Team Manager, not the Division Manager.
  3. Ensure the requesting team is aware of and follows all PCAHA rules, guidelines, and limits pertaining to affiliate players.

Reference Documents and Forms

Appendix A: Tryout Day Checklist

Bring

  • Tryout jerseys
  • Laptop or tablet with access to Team Genius
  • Garbage bags (2-3) to collect jerseys for laundering after each session
  • Recommended: printed backup list of players and tryout groups, exported from TeamSnap
  • Contact list: Hockey Director, Registrar

At the rink (75 minutes prior)

  • Check-in table set up
  • Jerseys laid out numerically
  • Attendance recorded; no-shows and late arrivals flagged

After the session

  • All jerseys collected and reconciled against check-in list
  • Attendance and any incidents reported to the Hockey Director

Appendix B: Home Exhibition Game Checklist

  • Ice time confirmed with Ice Allocator
  • Game number obtained from PCAHA League Manager
  • All games in Spordle will get officials assigned by the applicable Referee Assignor.
    • U11A and U13A — VMHA Ref Assignor, refassignor@vmha.com
    • U15A and U18A — PCHA Zone 4 Ref Assignor
  • Scorekeeper and timekeeper arranged
  • Referee payment advance requested
  • Team ID obtained for scorekeeping from the Registrar
  • Jerseys distributed before the game
  • Jerseys collected after the game and reconciled
  • Officials paid
  • Any releases handled in person, with email introduction to the new group

Appendix C: Template Emails

Substitute the correct age division (U11, U13, U15, U18) throughout. Copy the Registrar on every placement and release email sent to players. Do not send any of these until the list has been confirmed by the Rep Committee.

Template 1: Assignment to the A1 Group

Subject: Welcome to U13 A Program Phase 2 Tryouts

Thank you for attending the VMHA rep program tryouts this past week. After evaluating your player during the Phase 1 tryout sessions, we are assigning them to our U13 A1 Rep program at this time.

Phase 2 tryouts will consist of practices and exhibition games. The Coaches will continue to evaluate during the practices and games and will make their final decisions for this season's rosters. A1 final releases will report to A2.

If you have any questions about this, please contact your Division Manager.

Template 2: Assignment to the A2 Group

Subject: Welcome to U13 A Program Phase 2 Tryouts

Thank you for attending the VMHA rep program tryouts this past week. After evaluating your player during the Phase 1 tryout sessions, we are assigning them to our U13 A2 Rep program at this time.

Phase 2 tryouts will consist of practices and exhibition games. The Coaches will continue to evaluate during the practices and games and will make their final decisions for this season's rosters. A2 final releases will report to "C" division. At this time the appropriate division managers will be in touch.

If you have any questions about this, please contact your Division Manager.

Template 3: Release to the "C" Program

Subject: Releasing to "C" Program

Thank you for attending the VMHA rep program tryouts this past week. After evaluating your player during the tryout sessions, we are releasing them to our "C" program at this time.

Your team assignment in the C program will be communicated to you by the C division manager.

If you have any questions about this, please contact your Division Manager.

Notes on use

  • Where a division runs more than two playing groups, adapt Template 1, adjusting the group name and the destination for final releases.
  • Notify the 'C' Division Manager before or at the same time as sending Template 3, so they are ready when families follow up about team assignments.
  • No rationale, score or evaluation commentary is to be provided in these emails. Questions about the reasoning behind a decision go to the Hockey Director, for review by the Rep Committee; formal appeals go to Vice-President 1.