GET STARTED!
Setting up a ball hockey program at your high school:
Here is a quick start guide to building a championship-winning team! It is fantastic that high schools in various districts have existing intramural ball hockey leagues. This gives those schools a strong base from which to build a team. For schools that are just starting out, and want to develop a ball hockey program, here are some helpful hints:
Communicate with the students in the school who already play minor ball hockey and/or ice hockey. With the support of a teacher sponsor, encourage the students to create a roster of at least 15 players registered within the school. Try to include a balance of Grade 8-12 students on the team. Girls are welcome to play!
Necessary Equipment:
- Hockey stick
- Running shoes (mandatory)
- CSA-approved hockey helmet with full facial protection (mandatory)
- Hockey gloves (mandatory) - no lacrosse gloves allowed.
- Athletic cup (mandatory)
- Soft elbow pads and soft knee pads (highly recommended)
- Shin pads; Soccer style or D-Gel (Mandatory - as of 2016)
- 2 sets of Team Jerseys (or t-shirts with numbers)
Where do we play?
Ideally, the game is played indoors on a dry surface (i.e. hockey arenas). Most arena facilities do not remove their ice until late March or early April. There are year-round dry floor facilities available in the lower mainland for floor rental (i.e. The Langley Hockey House, Queen's Park Sportsplex).
Outdoor lacrosse box facilities are accessible throughout the community and are close in proximity to high schools. Some municipalities have recently renovated their lacrosse box facilities to include ball hockey by re-paving the surface, reconstructing the boards, and purchasing hockey nets. This trend needs to continue in all regions to support the rapid growth of the sport.
Gymnasiums are being used in some schools for intramural ball hockey; however, all league and championship games are played indoors on a regulation-sized rink surface. The gymnasium may be purposeful in developing team camaraderie and conditioning, but please consult with your school's administration regarding the usage of gymnasiums.
Important to Know:
Ball Hockey is a “no contact” sport. Safe play and good sportsmanship are paramount. There will be absolutely no tolerance for violence or reckless play!
A school sponsor must always be on-site (at the municipal arena). School sponsors are required to familiarize themselves with the HS Ball Hockey BC Constitution (re: rules and expectations).
Parents and former students can volunteer as coaches, however, community volunteers will require a criminal records check.
All teams must follow the equipment list above - CSA approved helmet with full facial protection, hockey gloves, and athletic support cup are MANDATORY AT ALL TIMES.
Students are covered through the HS Ball Hockey BC insurance policy for both liability and accidental injury. Therefore, all high schools must provide a roster form that includes the student's name, birthdate, and grade.
All High School Ball Hockey BC regulated games will follow the Canadian Ball Hockey Association rules (i.e. no contact and “floating blue line”). Please refer to the contact info provided below about registering your team.
The road to the BC Provincial Championships starts here:
Collaborate with other high school(s) in your region and play exhibition games. Contact us to assist with organizing officials and scorekeepers. From here, we can assist with organizing leagues in the various districts and municipalities in the province. The sport is sanctioned in Surrey (SSSAA), and we hope to have the sport sanctioned in other regions as well. In doing so, we will be assisting the BC Ball Hockey Association with the collective goal of having the sport included with the BC Summer Games.
The Cost:
High School Ball Hockey is user-pay. On average it will cost roughly $60.00 per student - which includes league play, provincial tournament entry fees and insurance. Some Athletic Departments are sponsoring the $750.00 championship fee. Depending on the facility, the cost for renting floor time can range from $90.00 – $120.00 per hour and half. Contact us and we will assist your school with obtaining floor time.
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Email excelsamra@gmail.com
