HighSchoolHockeyForums.com

Does anyone know of the guidelines to switch youth hockey associations. I would like my son to play for a city 30 minutes away but I was told (by another parent) that our association has to release him. Is this true or is there a different way?

You will have to have a waiver signed from your associations prez and the new associactions prez. If the new association is in a different district, both districts also have to sign the waiver. Sometimes moving would be the easier route! Good Luck!

however -I believe IF your kid goes to school in the district he wants to play in, the waiver is automatically granted.

hockeydad wrote:however -I believe IF your kid goes to school in the district he wants to play in, the waiver is automatically granted.

You'll want to look into that a little more closely before you enroll; the process is far from automatic.

InigoMontoya wrote:

hockeydad wrote:however -I believe IF your kid goes to school in the district he wants to play in, the waiver is automatically granted.

You'll want to look into that a little more closely before you enroll; the process is far from automatic.

Rule is pretty straightforward. You must first register with the association where you reside - even if your child goes to school in another hockey community. You can either play 1) where you reside, or 2) where your child attends school. There are some stipulations in the MN Hockey rules that restrict a player from playing "A" level hockey and you should review these rules before making a move as your new team could be made ineligible for post season playoffs or other sanctions for having a player on the roster in violation of MN Hockey's rules.

School waiver - will be granted one time for a perpetual transfer (if you want to transfer back to your association the next year, you can only play B or below hockey - can't play musical chairs).

General waiver - you can still play elsewhere if you can get a general, one year waiver signed by the President of the association where you reside. Typically, these are granted if a program does not offer a 'product' that fits your child's skill level (for instance, they do not have an "A" level team and your child is skilled to play "A" level hockey). After that, you are playing where you reside unless you can get the President or the Board to grant you a one year waiver.

Here is the rule:

A. PARTICIPATION POLICY MH is a community-based amateur hockey program. Members in good standing are to participate on teams from their local association (local affiliate) based on the residence of their parent(s) or legal guardian(s). The boundaries of the geographical area served by each local association are determined by MH and recorded in the Affiliate Agreements. In some circumstances, players may participate in another association by requesting a formal waiver from this policy.

B. PARTICIPATION RULE 1. Youth Hockey players must register and participate with the association whose boundaries incorporate the player’s residence. To participate on any other association's team, the player must obtain a waiver.
a. All waiver requests must be submitted on a current Waiver Form provided by MH.
b. The Waiver Form must indicate the reason for the waiver request. (school attendance, opportunity to play on travel team, co-op team, etc.).
c. Any conditions that apply to a waiver must be indicated on the Waiver Form and initialed by all parties executing the waiver. d. Waiver Forms must be signed by the releasing and receiving association presidents before being submitted to the District Director for approval. If the releasing and receiving associations are in two districts, the waiver form must be submitted to both District Directors for approval. e. Players residing outside of the state of Minnesota that desire to play for MH must follow the Inter-Affiliate Player Transfer Protocol.
2. Definitions Association of Residence – the association whose boundaries incorporate the player's residence. Association of School Attendance – the association whose boundaries incorporate the location of the school the player attends. Home Association – either the Association of Residence, or the Association of School Attendance to which a player has been properly waived.
3. A waiver shall be granted to any player who wishes to participate in the MH association whose boundaries incorporate the school in which the player is enrolled and is attending. For schools with multiple campuses, the "main" campus shall prevail unless agreed otherwise by the affected District Director(s). Players waived based on school choice shall be deemed to be members of their Association of School Attendance and shall have full rights and privileges accorded to all members of that association, including voting rights. (Exception – see "Changing Schools" below.) Players receiving a waiver based on school attendance shall register with their Association of School Attendance for as long as they are qualified students of that school (including the first year).
4. Players waived for non-school attendance reasons shall be subject to the receiving association's policies in accordance with MH governing documents (e.g. may not be eligible for "A" team, may be assigned to lowest available team, etc.). They shall remain members of their Home Association, not the association they were waived into, with full rights and privileges accorded to all members of their Home Association, including voting rights.
5. Changing Schools a. Players whose Home Association has been based on residence: Players who newly enroll in a school outside of the boundaries of their Association of Residence without a corresponding change of residence, shall elect one of the following:
1. Retain full eligibility to compete at any classification in their Association of Residence; or
2. Be eligible at the "B" classification or lower in their new Association of School Attendance for one (1) year beginning with the first day of attendance in the new school (a waiver is required). b. Players whose Home Association has been based on school attendance: Players who newly enroll in a school outside of the boundaries of their Association of School Attendance without a corresponding change of residence, shall elect one of the following: 1. Have full eligibility to compete at any classification in their Association of Residence; or 2. Have full eligibility to compete at any classification in their new Association of School Attendance if they completed the grades of school offered at their former Association of School Attendance; or 3. Be eligible at the "B" classification or lower in their new Association of School Attendance for one (1) year beginning with the first day of attendance in the new school if they did not complete the grades of school offered at their former Association of School Attendance.

Thank you all this was very helpful.

Out of curiosity, why move?

hocmom wrote:Out of curiosity, why move?

Always someone wants the drama.

It's a long story. Actually it's a short story. But the one thing I did learn was how good a kid I have and to bring a vid camera to tryouts next time.

flexiblefish wrote:It's a long story. Actually it's a short story. But the one thing I did learn was how good a kid I have and to bring a vid camera to tryouts next time.

Oh, boy...

flexiblefish wrote:It's a long story. Actually it's a short story. But the one thing I did learn was how good a kid I have and to bring a vid camera to tryouts next time.

Doesn't sound like a flexible fish to me. As you said ( assuming that is what u meant ) you have a good kid and he will be all right and have fun.

flexiblefish wrote:It's a long story. Actually it's a short story. But the one thing I did learn was how good a kid I have and to bring a vid camera to tryouts next time.

Good idea. It will be helpful in the lawsuit.

It is good to remember that the grass is not always greener. The stories that parents and board members swap are pretty much the same from one town to the next.

Years ago one of my kids played on a B team with 3 or 4 other kids who's parents were convinced they got hosed at tryouts. You would have thought with all of these A kids on our B team we would have won a game.

I am sure your son will stick out like a sore thumb on the lower team. It will become obvious that he was incorrectly placed.

Tell me you didn't make a scene....

Tell me you didn't make a scene....

And by that she means, Tell me you DID...and don't leave out any details.

hocmom wrote:It is good to remember that the grass is not always greener. The stories that parents and board members swap are pretty much the same from one town to the next.

Years ago one of my kids played on a B team with 3 or 4 other kids who's parents were convinced they got hosed at tryouts. You would have thought with all of these A kids on our B team we would have won a game.

I am sure your son will stick out like a sore thumb on the lower team. It will become obvious that he was incorrectly placed.

Tell me you didn't make a scene....

It is also good to remember that if your comprised team of A/B players can't win a season game at the B level, maybe the grass would be greener if the C team was able to pull off a game for your association. That would make a scene....

Ugottobekiddingme wrote:

hocmom wrote:It is good to remember that the grass is not always greener. The stories that parents and board members swap are pretty much the same from one town to the next.

Years ago one of my kids played on a B team with 3 or 4 other kids who's parents were convinced they got hosed at tryouts. You would have thought with all of these A kids on our B team we would have won a game.

I am sure your son will stick out like a sore thumb on the lower team. It will become obvious that he was incorrectly placed.

Tell me you didn't make a scene....

It is also good to remember that if your comprised team of A/B players can't win a season game at the B level, maybe the grass would be greener if the C team was able to pull off a game for your association. That would make a scene....

I love the irony. "the grass is not always greener" -- "we would have won a game". If you can't win a single game, where would one of those kids have gone where the grass was less green than that? I don't think those parents were thinking their kids were superstars, just that they should have made the A team at a winless association. I think the board members should spend another ten years on the board, so the entire association is driven directly into the ground. Well done; keep up the good work.

InigoMontoya: Is sometimes hard to figure what you are saying. What would the board members have to do with a losing season for a B team? I think the point was the 3-4 kids cut from A's to B's should have been able to dominate on a B team, but were probably C players in most associations. Which I would assume could mean the A team was really a B team? Is that your point, the board forced B and C level players to play at the wrong level?

Sarcasm is lost on some.

Over my 15 years on the board we have had mutliple complaints about tryouts. It does seem that the multiple complaints come from 2 or 3 families.

Point was that in spite of the dozens of times that our judges have misplaced kids we have yet to see an obviously misplaced kid during the season.

In FL I've seen one kid in the last12 years that was cut from the bantam A's ,and was one of the top players. He had just moved into Forest Lake from Cenn. Went on to be one of the top seniors on the varsity last year.For whatever reason they cut him. Made the B coach very happy. No not my kid. My oldest is a senior this year.

hocmom wrote:Sarcasm is lost on some.

Over my 15 years on the board we have had mutliple complaints about tryouts. It does seem that the multiple complaints come from 2 or 3 families.

Point was that in spite of the dozens of times that our judges have misplaced kids we have yet to see an obviously misplaced kid during the season.

Entrenched board members always know what's best anyway.

15 yrs, wow!!!!!!!!!!

BadgerBob82 wrote:InigoMontoya: Is sometimes hard to figure what you are saying. What would the board members have to do with a losing season for a B team? I think the point was the 3-4 kids cut from A's to B's should have been able to dominate on a B team, but were probably C players in most associations. Which I would assume could mean the A team was really a B team? Is that your point, the board forced B and C level players to play at the wrong level?

Bob,

On average, half of the B teams will have a losing season. She's talking about not winning a game, but chastizing those individuals that might think somebody somewhere may be doing a better job with the kids.

Board Members have everything to do with a program that can't win a single game.
Recruitment and retention,
providing qualified coaching, necessary equipment and adequate ice-time at .
In short, get a bunch of kids to play, and teach a bunch of kids to play.

Same as any other activity in any other community.

Entrenched board members

Nicely phrased!

flexiblefish wrote:
It's a long story. Actually it's a short story. But the one thing I did learn was how good a kid I have and to bring a vid camera to tryouts next time.


Inigo = Oh, boy...

Ingo, what did you mean by "Oh, boy" ?

hocmom wrote:

flexiblefish wrote:
It's a long story. Actually it's a short story. But the one thing I did learn was how good a kid I have and to bring a vid camera to tryouts next time.


Inigo = Oh, boy...

Ingo, what did you mean by "Oh, boy" ?

I meant:
Oh, man...
Oh, Jeez...
Oh, brother...