The Tri-Valley Minor Hockey club has one of the largest all-volunteer in-house programs in Northern California. In-house hockey (also known as recreational hockey) is a youth ice hockey program that is completely managed within the Tri-Valley Minor Hockey club. Players practice and scrimmage with other players within our club, however occasionally and optionally, an in-house team may travel to play another in-house team from a different club. Our programs are run by volunteers and we keep things low-key, casual, and fun.

What is the difference between in-house and travel hockey?

Travel hockey is the highest level of play that our club offers. Players tryout for leveled teams (AAA, AA, A, B), practice 2 times a week, and play 1 or 2 games against other clubs’ travel teams around Northern California. These teams will vie for Northern California and State championships. The in-house program does not have tryouts and players play against other players within our club.

What is minimum hockey skill level?

Players should have completed the Dublin Iceland’s Learn to Skate Hockey Program’s level 4 (level 2 for Mini-Mites) or equivalent or players making the transition from roller hockey.

What is new this season?

This season, we have added an objective to give players more puck time playing against players of equal ability. Hence, we have refactored our old programs and added some new ones. The ice slots from last year have changed to accommodate the new programs. Jerseys are NOT included in the registration fee (except for the High School team), but can be optionally (not required) purchased separately. We have purchased border patrol-type pads and we are adding cross-ice games into our programs. For the first time in our history, we have added a High School team for players enrolled in any High School.

What are the programs?

We have the following programs (descriptions of each program follow):

Mini-Mites 5-6 year olds (birth years 2003 and 2004)

Mites 7-8 year olds (for birth years 2001 and 2002)

Squirts 9-10 year olds (for birth years 1999 and 2000)

Peewee/Bantams 11-14 year olds (for birth years 1995 and 1998)

High School (for players that are enrolled in any High School)

FEES: tba

Mini-mites
Mites
Squirts
Peewee/Bantams
High School

Mini-mites
This program is for the youngest players that are starting out with playing ice hockey. Players meet once a week on Sunday for an hour (30 minute practice and a 30 minute cross-ice scrimmage).

Birth years: 2003 & 2004
Ages: 5-6
Ice times: Sunday mornings
Where: Dublin Iceland
Ice hours per week: 1 hr

Mites
This program is for our younger players. We work on individual skills during practices and we create (if we have enough players) 4 equal teams in order to make the games more exciting. This level practices on Saturday afternoons and scrimmages during Sunday mornings.

Birth years: 2001 & 2002
Ages: 7-8
Ice times: Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings
Where: Dublin Iceland
Ice hours per week: 1.67 hrs

Squirts
This program works both on player and team skills. This level practices on Saturday afternoons and scrimmages during Sunday mornings. If there are enough players, we will create 3 or 4 equal teams that will compete against each other throughout the season.

Birth years: 1999 & 2000
Ages: 9-10
Ice times: Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings
Where: Dublin Iceland
Ice hours per week: 1.67 hrs

Peewee/Bantams
This program is for the older players that are starting to work on body contact and slap shots. This is more physical than the lower levels and more team-oriented. If there are enough players, we will create 2 or 3 teams that will compete against each other throughout the season. Scrimmages will be Friday nights in Fremont and practices will be Sunday mornings.

Birth years: 1995-1998
Ages: 11-14
Ice times: Friday nights and Sunday mornings
Where: Fremont Ice and Dublin Iceland
Ice hours per week: 2.58 hrs

High School
This season Tri-Valley is introducing a High School Team. The team will play in the High School league which is run by the San Jose Jr Sharks organization. There are 11 High School teams participating. We will have practices Sunday nights in Dublin, home games mostly in Oakland and “away” games at LogiTech Ice in San Jose. Practices start in mid-September and games start near the end of November. At the coach’s discretion, there may be additional, regular dryland or roller hockey practices during the week.

This team is limited in size. Players will be evaluated during the first month to determine if they can play on the team. If they are not able to play on the team, then the player may be eligible to play in the Peewee/Bantam level (subject to the opinions of the coaches involved). Refunds will be given to players that are moved to Peewee/Bantam or did not make the team. Jerseys and socks are included in the registration fee.

Article posted 3/23/2010 in the CALIFORNIA RUBBER "HS Hockey is more than 20 programs strong in Northern California" click here

Eligible players: Must be enrolled in any High School and comply with the applicable CIF guidelines.
Where: Dublin Iceland, Oakland Ice, LogiTech Ice

What equipment do we need?

Your players need to have the following equipment that is properly fitting and in safe condition:

Light and dark jerseys with light and dark socks (you can optionally purchase Tri-Valley Minor Hockey jerseys, but this is not required) (the High School team will receive jerseys)
HECC approved helmet in safe condition
Stick
Shin/knee pads
Skates (sharpened)
Hockey pants
Elbow pads
Shoulder pads
Gloves
Mouthpiece (carry a spare)
Water bottle

Should I choose the Bantam or High School program?

If your player is 14 and is in High School, he/she can play either in our Peewee/Bantam or High School programs. The Peewee/Bantam program is better suited for beginning players. The High School program has a higher level of play.

When does the season start?

The season will start on the September 18th weekend and ends on March 28th, 2010. We take most of the holidays off.

When can I register?

Registration will be on our website with detailed instructions. For returning club members, registration will open on August 3rd. For new members, registration will open August 17th. New and returning players must show current USA Hockey membership. Refer to http://www.usahockey.com and new players will need a copy of the player’s birth certificate. Register with Tri-Valley in a timely manner as programs fill up quickly.

What do I do when the program is full?

We have a waiting list and a contact for each level. See our website for information on this.

Do I have to buy jerseys?

No. You need to bring a light and dark jersey to every game. You can optionally buy Tri-Valley Blue Devil in-house jerseys – we will make that information available to you (last year’s cost was around $100). The High School team will receive jerseys as part of their registration.

Do you need coaches?

We are looking for head and assistant coaches! If you are interested in head coaching, contact William H. Stone (see below). Assistant coaches will be selected by the head coach for your division. If you are approved to be a coach, you will have to attend USA Hockey courses to achieve the proper level of certification to coach appropriate age group. In addition, all coaches are screened (simple background check) through California’s Amateur Hockey Assn (CAHA). All fees for these items are reimbursed by the club. Please contact William H. Stone (wstone@intranotions.com) if you are interested.

Have more questions?

Please direct your questions to:

William H. Stone
VP of In-house Programs
Tri-Valley Minor Hockey Assn
wstone@intranotions.com