Policies & Resources – Russell Minor Hockey Association

Policies & Procedures

The Russell Minor Hockey Association recognizes and abides by the policies of it's governing bodies as follows:

Gloucester Hockey Association -> Hockey Eastern Ontario Minor -> Hockey Eastern Ontario -> Hockey Canada

Refer to the GHA Rules and Regulations
Refer to the HEO Minor Procedures & Policies
Refer to the HEO Minor Risk & Safety Policies
Refer to the HEO Policies

RMHA CONSTITUTION

RMHA CONSITITUTION and BYLAWS

RMHA POLICIES

RMHA Captain Policy RMHA Damaged Jersey Policy RMHA Fundraising Policy RMHA Goaltending Policy RMHA Refund Policy RMHA Registration Fees

RMHA Captain Policy

Captains and/or Alternate Captains

As per Hockey Canada, the purpose of a Captain and Alternate Captains is to allow them, when they are on the ice, the privilege of asking the Referee for his interpretation of any rule during the progress of the game. As per Hockey Canada Rule 2.4 (a), each team may appoint a Captain and not more than three Alternate Captains. A team can choose not to appoint a Captain and Alternate Captains, however they lose the privilege of asking the Referee for rule interpretations and equipment measurements (situation 7 – rule 2.4a).

RMHA Policy

The RMHA does not permit voting or appointing a captain and/or alternate captains from the Novice to Bantam age groups. At the midget and juvenile age groups, the team has the option to appoint a Captain and not more than three Alternate Captains.

Reasoning for this policy:

In order for the RMHA to be an inclusive organization it is felt that voting or appointing a Captain and/or Alternate Captains at the younger age groups will not allow for all players to feel welcome. The idea of rotating these positions throughout the team during the season was considered, however the RMHA does not feel it is right to reward all players when some players may not deserve to be (i.e. behaviour issues).
The RMHA does not believe that players from the Novice to Bantam age groups have a strong enough grasp of the rules of the game to fulfill Hockey Canada’s purpose of a Captain and Alternate Captains. Once players reach the midget and juvenile age group, it is expected that they have a strong enough understanding of the rules of the game and can ask Referees for rule interpretations appropriately.

RMHA Damaged Jersey Policy

RMHA Jersey and Equipment Policy

Jerseys:

RMHA House League players will be provided with a team jersey.

- The Jerseys are to be kept in a jersey garment bag.
- Jerseys MUST NOT be kept in a player’s hockey bag at any time. This is to prevent wear and to prevent skates from cutting the jersey.
- The jerseys should be hung to dry to prevent mould after each game.
- To assist with the longevity of the RMHA jerseys, team jerseys are to be worn only during RMHA/GHA sanctioned games only. NOT practices.
- The Team Manager is responsible for the jerseys during the season and MUST ensure that jerseys are handed out and collected at each game. Alternately, the team can decide on a Jersey Manager to handle these duties.
- The jerseys are to be washed in COLD water and hung to dry. Do not overload in the washer as this can cause rips and tears.

Any jersey(s) not returned by April 15 will be billed in full as a new jersey will need to replace the missing/non returned jersey(s).

Damaged Jerseys:

All RMHA Jerseys must be returned clean and in good condition. This means they have been washed, with no signs of mould, and no holes or other damage. Replacement of a jersey in poor condition shall be the responsibility of the player. Under the direction of the Team Manager, the coaching staff shall monitor the condition of the jerseys during the season, and if damage to a jersey is discovered, report it to the RMHA Director of Equipment within a reasonable time frame.

The decision regarding the condition of the jersey shall ultimately be the responsibility of the RMHA Director of Equipment, the RMHA Executive or their designate.

Natural wear and tear to RMHA jerseys as a result of the game of hockey will not be
billed. Puck marks, pilling and small hitches from equipment Velcro, rub marks, etc.

If a jersey is removed from a player due to medical reasons, the player will not be billed. Damages of this nature should be communicated to the Director of Equipment as soon as possible after the injury occurs.
If a jersey is damaged as a result of faulty rink facilities the player will not be billed. Damages of this nature should be communicated to the Director of Equipment as soon as possible after the occurrence.

The RMHA will deem jerseys as unusable due to the following damage which will be billed in full regardless of the age of the jerseys:

Glue adhesive (Note: glue or adhesive is NOT to be used to apply name bars/captain/assistant letters)
Mould
Holes (1 cm or larger, including, but not limited to, being left from the removal of name bars/captain/assistant letters)

Should a player, parent, manager or coaching staff discover damage to a jersey, they have the option of repairing the damage prior to returning it to the Director of Equipment. The jersey will be accepted provided that the hole(s) are repaired professionally using appropriate stitching and appropriate coloured thread.

Any damaged jerseys that do not meet these requirements will not be accepted.
No glue or adhesive will be accepted to repair damage(s).
All jersey(s) must be repaired and returned for inspection to the Director of Equipment no later than April 15th of the hockey season unless approved by the Director of Equipment.

All other damage to jerseys will be invoiced using a sliding scale based on the age of jersey. Brand new jerseys will be invoiced in full. Each additional year will be billed 15% less as per the sliding scale for jerseys below.

RMHA Warrior Jerseys Replacement Pricing Scale: * Pricing is subject to change to reflect retail cost of current year*

Year 1 1- Damaged jerseys that were used for one (1) season will be invoiced $66.95
Year 2 - Damaged jerseys that were used for two (2) seasons will be invoiced $56.90
Year 3 - Damaged jerseys that were used for three (3) seasons will be invoiced $48.35
Year 4 - Damaged jerseys that were used for four (4) seasons will be invoiced $41.10
Year 5 - Damaged jerseys that were used for five (5) seasons will be invoiced $34.95

Lost Jerseys:

If at any time during the season a new jersey is required to be added to a set because it has been lost or is missing, the player will be billed the Year 1 rate.

Any lost or missing jersey(s) not returned by April 15th of the hockey season will be billed the Year 1 rate.

Equipment:

At the start of the season, the Coach will receive and sign for all equipment provided by the Association.
RMHA equipment is to be used for RMHA/GHA/B League sanctioned events only.
All equipment is to be returned at the end of the season and no later than April 15 and signed for by the RMHA Director of Equipment.
A refundable deposit of $200.00 is due at the start of the season when all RMHA equipment is signed out.
This deposit will be in cheque form only and this cheque will be returned once all RMHA equipment has been returned and accounted for.

Parental Acceptance of RMHA Jersey and Equipment Policy

Team Name: _____________________________ Jersey #:____________

Parent’s Name: __________________________

Signature:____________________________

RMHA Fundraising Policy

RMHA Goaltending Policy

Initiation (IP)

Refer to HEO policy 6.16.

No player may play the entire season as a goalie. Every player must be offered the opportunity throughout the season to participate as a goalie should they desire to do so. Teams are provided with one set of goalie equipment at the beginning of each hockey season. This equipment is meant to be shared amongst the team.

Novice Levels

Each Novice team is provided with one set of goalie equipment at the beginning of each hockey season. This equipment is meant to be shared amongst the team.

At the Novice level there is no dedicated goaltender. All participants are evaluated on their skating and other hockey abilities as a player. There are no goalie evaluations at the Novice level. Once the players are placed on a team, they may ask their Coach before the midway point of their regular season, if they are interested in the opportunity to practice/play as a goalie. RMHA Coaches are expected to offer this opportunity to all players on the team, rotating each interested participant. Each interested participant must practice before playing a game.

Rationale for Not Having Permanent Goaltenders at Novice

Kids need to learn to skate, stick handle and pass, even those that want to be full-time goalies someday
Importance of learning all of the positions of the game strengthens hockey sense

Try to give every participant the chance to try goaltending if they are interested

RMHA Refund Policy

RMHA Registration Fees

RMHA PROCEEDURES

RMHA Complaint Proceedure RMHA Risk Management Proceedure RMHA Discipline & Appeals Proceedure

RMHA Complaint Proceedure

Policy
The RMHA shall have the necessary complaints procedures in place to properly deal with issues, concerns and complaints of the RMHA membership.

Definitions
In order to better serve the membership and streamline the process the issues of the membership are broadly divided into three categories. These categories and the respective definition are listed below.

Queries and Questions
Queries and Questions are the least formal means of addressing an issue. They are normally verbal in nature and are normally directed to and resolved by the Head Coach or Manager of the member’s team. Concerns Concerns are written emails and are slightly more formal or used to address more complex issues. Concerns are directed to the Head Coach or Manager of the member’s team and either resolved or forwarded to appropriate Director (GHA Convenor, the Registrar, the Director of Discipline Risk and Safety, with a copy to the appropriate League Director (VP House or VP Competitive) Complaints Complaints are signed, dated and written letters and are the most formal means of addressing a serious issue or unresolved concern. Complaints are normally directed to the Head Coach or Manager and either resolved or forwarded to appropriate League Director (VP House or Competitive), the Director or Discipline Risk and Safety, with a copy to the President of the Association.

Procedures

Team Concerns
All concerns regarding the running of a team (ie player ice time, exhibition games, tournament selection) need to be first directed to the team. This means discussing any issues with the Head Coach or Manager. Most often concerns are best expressed after waiting twenty-four hours to cool off. The Head Coach or Manager is required to address your concern(s).

League Concerns
The GHA Convenor, the Registrar and the Directors of House and Competitive Hockey to ensure that teams comply with GHA Team Rules and Regulations. This includes issues such as suspension clarification, game sheet collection, carding, rosters, tournament paperwork, playoff requirements, resolutions issues, budget collection, anything regarding the administration of keeping the team on the ice in conjunction with RMHA and GHA and ODMHA guidelines. Please address your concerns in an email to the GHA Convener and include a copy for the appropriate Director (House or Competitive) and Registrar. The GHA Convenor will coordinate the RMHA reply to address your concern(s).

Off Ice and Association Concerns
Off ice and association concerns must be forwarded by email to the Director Discipline, Risk and Safety and include a copy for the Appropriate Director and the RMHA President. The Director Discipline, Risk and Safety will coordinate the RMHA reply with
issues that affect the Association as a whole. The appropriate directors are as follows:

Ice Concerns – Director of Ice Scheduling/Ice Convenor,
IP Concerns – Director of Initiation Program;
Financial Concerns – Treasurer
Record and Information – Secretary

If you are in doubt, concerns can be forwarded to any RMHA Director and they will ensure it gets to the appropriate Director.

Officiating Concerns
All complaints about refereeing concerns (conduct, attitude, etc) must be put in writing attention of the Referee-in-Chief for District 9 using the form provided on their website.

Harassment and Abuse Concerns
The RMHA follows Hockey Eastern Ontario requirements for the prevention of abuse and harassment in the game of hockey. If you feel that your concern relates directly to an issue of harassment and abuse please forward your concern in an email to the
President of RMHA.

Complaints
As stated above, complaints are signed, dated and written letters and are the most formal means of addressing an issue. Complaints are normally directed to the Head Coach or Manager and either resolved or forwarded to appropriate League Director (VP House or Competitive), the Director or Discipline Risk and Safety, with a copy to the President of the Association. The President of the RMHA will coordinate the RMHA reply to all complaints.

RMHA Risk Management Proceedure

RMHA Discipline & Appeals Proceedure