2015-2016 Season Parent & Player Handbook

Home , Florida Everblades

2015-2016 SEASON

PARENT & PLAYER HANDBOOK

(REVISED October 2015)

Table of Contents

Section Page

Introduction 3

Welcome 3

Board of Directors 3

Mission Statement 4

Communication 4

Section One: Parents & Family Members 4-10

Section Two: Tournaments 10

Section Three: Policies, Disciplinary Action & Progressive Conflict Resolution Procedures 11-18

Section Four: Players 18-22

Section Five: Social Media, Mobile & 23-25 Electronic Communications Policy

The following registration forms need to be completed and returned to each player’s respective team manager:

JEB/SAHOF Acknowledgement & Commitment Letter JEB Financial Agreement JEB Policies & Procedures Handbook Agreement USA Hockey Player Code of Conduct Agreement USA Hockey Parents Code of Conduct & Zero Tolerance Policy Agreement USA Hockey Consent to Treat/Medical History Form USA Hockey Informed Consent about Concussions or Head Injuries Form

INTRODUCTION

Handbook Objective The purpose of this handbook is to provide parents and players with information pertaining to the Junior Everblades Hockey Association, Inc. (JEB) and set expectations for the 2015-2016 Season. This handbook is intended to provide an overview of the JEB organization, as well as outline the rules, regulations, and code and ethics by which the program operates. The information included in the handbook has been written to encourage increased participation and facilitate the long-term positive growth of the organization. However, this handbook does not cover nor does it include all aspects of the rules, regulations and guidelines established by USA Hockey, the Statewide Amateur Hockey of Florida (SAHOF), and/or the league associations in which JEB teams participate.

Welcome On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Junior Everblades Hockey Association, welcome to the premier youth hockey organization in the state of Florida. We believe you will find that our facilities are not only the best in Florida, but are among the best in the United States. We continue to select the best coaching staff available within the state and from across the nation to provide your children with high quality hockey training

The Junior Everblades Hockey Association is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, incorporated under the laws of the State of Florida, with the primary purpose of providing the youth of Southwest Florida an opportunity to participate in an organized competitive team ice hockey travel program.

The JEB organization reached a milestone recently when Brian Ferlin (’92 birth year), a former Junior Everblade, was drafted by the Boston Bruins in the 2011 NHL Draft. A number of other players have gone on to have successful junior and collegiate careers. We are extremely proud and honored that you and your child/children have chosen the Junior Everblades as your travel hockey organization.

Board of Directors The Board of Directors is made up of dedicated volunteers from within the organization. Board Members are not compensated for their time and effort, either from the organization or outside companies, hotels, tournaments, leagues, et cetera. Information pertaining to Board Members and how to become a Member-At-Large may be found on the Junior Everblades web site: www.jreverblades.org .

Mission Statement This program will stress the principles of good sportsmanship, leadership, teamwork, respect for authority, and the fundamentals of ice hockey. Although winning is a desired outcome of this program, positive team and individual development, as well as instruction of good sportsmanship to the participating youth, will not be sacrificed to the goal of winning. The best interest of the youth involved in the program will be the controlling factors on any actions taken by the Junior Everblades Hockey Association. Furthermore, the organization will encourage participation of parents and players through positive support and adherence to the organization’s rules and guidelines.

Communication Communication is beneficial to any organization and the Board of Directors highly encourages JEB parents to play a positive and active role in the organization’s growth and development by contacting us with any suggestions and/or concerns. The JEB Board of Directors and Travel Hockey Director are available at Germain Arena for your convenience or by email at [email protected] or Jim Brown at [email protected] . Suggestions addressed to the Board may also be left in an envelope in the “JEB Drawer” located in the Recreation Office. Your constructive input is welcomed and appreciated.

SECTION ONE: PARENTS & FAMILY MEMBERS

Section 1.1: Responsibilities The organization expects that parents, immediate family, and extended family members be responsible for the following and provide a positive example for their children in doing so:

a. Financial – Honor your financial obligations b. Zero Tolerance Policy – Encourage and support the USA Hockey policies & guidelines c. Parent Code of Conduct – Always present a positive image for children d. Coach Support – Support the coaching staff with positive input e. Team Support – Remember that hockey is a team sport and all players contribute f. Player Support – Regardless of winning or losing, children need positive reinforcement g. Hockey vs. Life – Remember hockey is just a game, let the children and young adults enjoy it

Section 1.2: Financial (Tuition and Payment Policies) Tuition fees are based on the total expenses associated with the Junior Everblades (JEB) for the entire season. Each player’s fee includes general Association expenses, practice ice (full and/or shared) from approximately the end of August through the end of a player’s season, regular season league fees, team entry fees for three (3) tournaments, entry fee for the SAHOF State Championship Tournament for qualifying teams, Athletic Republic training sessions for applicable teams, coaching staff compensation, and team equipment (coaching equipment, water bottles, puck bags/pucks, etc.).

Section 1.3: Financial (Associated Costs) There will be associated costs not covered under the tuition including hockey equipment and travel expenses (airline tickets/rental cars) for the Head Coach & one Assistant Coach for the three (3) JEB-funded tournaments. Another associated cost will be any additional tournaments selected by the coaches and parents above the three (3) JEB-funded tournaments, which will include coaches’ travel expenses (Head Coach & one Assistant Coach). Coaches’ travel expenses shall be defined as airfare, rental car and hotel (hotel, only if over the JEB allotment of 6 nights per coach, and at the negotiated rate for the team hotel) and team entry fee. All travel expenses must be reasonable as determined by the Travel Hockey Director and Team Manager Coordinator.

Regardless of whether you travel for the additional tournaments or not, if the majority of the parents vote to attend, then you will be held responsible for your portion of the cost, unless your player’s spot is filled by the Travel Hockey Director. In the event your player’s spot is filled, the player filling the spot would be responsible. Each player is also responsible for purchasing the mandatory equipment items listed in section 4.11 under Player Equipment.

Section 1.4: Season Tuition & Payment Schedule The organization tuition amounts and payment plans will be established and relayed to the parents prior to the start of the season. However, every player selected for a team will be required to provide a $350 down payment.

JEB families must submit their $350 deposit with their JEB paperwork as of the date determined and posted by the Board of Directors. JEB families must be current with the payment schedule outlined in the JEB Financial Agreement at the time the JEB Registrar submits the JEB rosters for their player(s) to be included.

Any player who is not current with his/her payment through the designated deadline will be restricted from all JEB activities (on and off the ice, including any league games or tournaments) until the outstanding balance is paid.

Any Player who has not paid in full by the deadline (grace period to be established at the beginning of the season) will be assessed a 10% late payment fee on the outstanding balance and will be restricted from all JEB activities (on and off the ice) until the outstanding balance is paid.

It is also important to note that this year’s Season Tuition includes two (2) Florida Everblades Season Ticket Raffle entries ($50 value) and four (4) game tickets per family for the Junior Everblades Night at the Everblades (an approximate $60 value). The JEB organization will not be requiring players to pay extra for these fundraisers, as they are included in this year’s player tuition.

Section 1.5: Financial (Payment of Tuition & Fees)

Any player who is not current with his/her payment through August 15 th will be restricted from all JEB activities (on and off the ice, including any Labor Day Tournament) until the outstanding balance is paid.

Any Player who has not paid in full by the date determined by the Board of Directors will be assessed a 10% late payment fee on the outstanding balance and will be restricted from all JEB activities (on and off the ice) until the outstanding balance is paid.

Accepted Payment Types : Cash Bank Check Money Order MasterCard Visa

Payment of Fees - Options

One (1) Time Payment: You may elect to submit payment in full for your Player by one of the accepted payment types. All credits for Multi-Skaters and the Advertising Book will be issued to each player’s account no later than the date determined prior to the season by the Board of Directors.

Multi-Payment Plan: The initial $350 deposit is due upon notification of selection to a team. Remaining payments must be submitted according to the above payment schedules. If you choose to pay by Credit Card, you are required go online at www.jreverblades.org , click on the “Submit Payment”

tab, and sign into your Player’s account to complete your payment transaction. E-mail reminders will be sent prior to each due date.

Submit payment by checks to: Jr. Everblades Hockey Association, Treasurer 20301 Grande Oaks Blvd., #118 PMB #74 Estero, FL 33928

Please do not leave payments in the JEB Drawer in the Recreation Office.

Section 1.6: Financial (Discount Programs) Multiple Player Discount: If your family has more than one player and has not had fees pro-rated for any reason you will be eligible to receive a discount. Families with two (2) JEB players will receive a 10 percent discount for the second player. Families with three (3) or more JEB players will receive a 15 percent discount for the third and all additional players. This discount applies to all JEB teams.

Advertising Book, Web Site and Dasher Board Discounts: Available to members when they choose to sell ads in order to help offset the cost of tuition. Players receive 50 percent of the ad cost for all ads sold and dasher board sales will be allotted at 50 percent of net cost and will be applied to the player’s JEB account. Proceeds will be paid to the JEB and applied directly toward player’s JEB account. Proceeds will not be paid directly to the player by the ad taker. Checks should be made payable to the Junior Everblades Hockey Association and the player’s name and team should be indicated in memo/remarks section of the check. See Ad Book guidelines for more information.

Section 1.7: Financial (Special Circumstances) Families needing to set up special payment plans may request to do so. Please submit a written request to the JEB Treasurer before July 15th . All information will be kept confidential: Jr. Everblades Hockey Association, Treasurer 20301 Grande Oaks Blvd., #118 PMB #74 Estero, FL 33928 [email protected]

Section 1.8: Financial (Sponsorships) The following criteria have been established in reference to sponsorships: A player may receive sponsorship monies earmarked for his/her individual dues. However, this donation is NOT TAX DEDUCTIBLE to the sponsor under the 501(c)(3) guidelines. Any sponsorship monies in excess of the player’s fees will be considered a donation to the JEB general fund. The Board of Directors will determine the use of these funds. Sponsorship money paid to the Junior Everblades Hockey Association as a whole is generally tax deductible (i.e. company XYZ provides funding for the entire Mite team). If a team accepts a donation(s) strictly for that particular team to disburse at their own discretion, the funds need to be deposited to the JEB general account first and then moved over to the individual team. Otherwise, the sponsor is not entitled to receive a tax deductible letter at the end of the season. Additionally, the team must provide a full accounting on how the funds were utilized by the team before the JEB will provide a tax deductible letter to the sponsor.

Section 1.9: Financial (Player Transfers & Refunds) - SAHOF Rules It is the policy of SAHOF to minimize transfers during a season to promote organization stability and to require financial releases to promote the fiscal solvency of Member Organizations. The SAHOF Rules are applicable to transfers from any Tier I or Tier II organization to another Tier I or Tier II organization. These rules shall apply to Non-National bound or SAHOF bound Rec-Select teams or Tournament teams if said teams are rostered in this manner, but otherwise play a full season schedule and meet all other definitions of a team created to play a full season and are not teams established to play selected tournaments regardless of how the teams are classified by roster. Refer to the most current SAHOF Rules & Regulations located on their website at www.sahofhockey.org/.

From the date the JEB Financial Agreement is signed throughout the 2015-16 Season, no refunds will be provided for the following :

Termination or suspension of a player for disciplinary reasons Voluntary withdrawal from the program Moving less than 100 miles from Germain Arena

Players may petition the JEB Board of Directors for consideration of a refund on a pro-rata amount of fees for the following reasons: Any player sustaining a documented season-ending or extended injury (over 60 days), while participating in a JEB-sanctioned event, may be eligible for a pro- rated refund.

Section 1.10: Financial (Fundraising) Fundraising events are held throughout the season and the funds raised help offset the cost of the tuition fees for all our JEB families. In order for these events to be successful, all JEB players and families are required to participate in these fundraising activities.

Florida Everblades Jersey Raffles : historically, the most successful fundraiser for our organization has been the Florida Everblades Jersey Raffles conducted at Florida Everblades home games. Germain Arena provides us a space (at no cost) on the concourse level to conduct the jersey raffle, as well as the Everblades player jersey. The JEB organization receives 100 percent of the proceeds received. In addition, Germain Arena also provides passes to our participating players and parents assisting with the jersey raffle. The team goal is to sell at least $500 in jersey raffle tickets per game night. The Midget U16 Teams may, by majority vote, choose to buyout and pay the JEB $500 for each of the team’s two (2) jersey raffles instead of participating. The team cost would be divided by the number of players on the team and paid to JEB via the team’s bank account. Players who do not participate in at least one team Jersey Raffle night as required by each team will be subject to a $150 fine by the JEB.

The Everblades Season Ticket Raffle : the season ticket raffle takes place prior to the start of the season. We ask that each family attempt to sell additional raffle tickets to this event to raise funds for our organization. It is important to note that this year’s Season Tuition includes two (2) Florida Everblades Season Ticket Raffle entries ($50 value) for each JEB family.

Junior Everblades Night at the Everblades : the Florida Everblades organization and the Junior Everblades combine efforts to sell tickets for one of the Florida Everblades home games. We ask that each family attempt to sell additional game tickets to this event to raise funds for our organization. It is important to note that this year’s Season Tuition includes four (4) game tickets for the Junior Everblades Night at the Everblades ($60 value) for each JEB family .

Additional fundraising opportunities (both optional & required) may be announced by the JEB Board of Directors at any time throughout the course of the season.

If any team wants to do their own fundraising, it must be approved by the Board of Directors. All proceeds will be split 80/20 with 80% going to the team and 20% going to JEB.

Section 1.11: Financial (Damages) Parents are responsible for any damages caused by their child or children, while at Germain Arena, a competitor’s ice arena, or any hotel/motel while on the road.

SECTION TWO: TOURNAMENTS

Section 2.1: Tournaments Each JEB team normally attends at least three (3) tournaments per season. As co- sponsors of the annual Florida International Holiday Invitational (hosted by Germain Arena), all JEB teams for which there is a division to compete are expected to participate in this tournament.

All JEB teams may be expected to travel out of state. If a team would like to participate in an out of state tournament it must be approved by the Travel Hockey Director. The three paid tournaments may be selected by the coach and HD prior to the start of the season.

Teams may also participate in any additional tournament for which they are qualified, providing these do not conflict with their regularly scheduled league games. As stated in Section 1.3 the parents are responsible for associated costs of additional tournaments. Any team wishing to participate in an additional tournament must submit a Tournament Request Form to the Travel Hockey Director and the JEB Treasurer, along with the tournament entry fee and the tournament registration application. If the tournament is approved by the Travel Hockey Director and the team is missing players, then the Travel Hockey Director may fill the tournament roster with other JEB players. Since there are families with multi-age children playing in the JEB organization, the Travel Hockey Director highly encourages that teams work together whenever possible to attend the same tournaments.

SECTION THREE: POLICIES, DISCIPLINARY ACTION, AND GRIEVANCE

Section 3.1: Policies All members of the JEB organization (players, parents, coaches, Travel Hockey Director, and Board of Directors) are expected to comply with established USA Hockey, SAHOF, and JEB policies/standards relating to the following:

Zero Tolerance Sexual Abuse Physical Abuse Logos Screening Hazing Mailing Lists Conflict of Interest Whistleblower Document Retention Consumption/Use/Abuse of Alcohol/Mood Altering Substances (Drugs)

Failure to follow and/or support these established policies/standards will result in disciplinary action being taken by the organization.

Section 3.2: Locker Room Policy In addition to the development of our hockey players and enjoyment of the sport of hockey, the safety and protection of our participants is central to JEB’s goals.JEB adheres to all USA Hockey’s SafeSport Programs as a means to help protect its participants from physical abuse, sexual abuse, and other types of misconduct, including emotional abuse, bullying, threats, harassment and hazing. To prevent abuse or misconduct from occurring in our locker rooms, JEB has adopted the following locker room policy.

Locker Room Monitoring JEB has predictable and limited use of locker rooms and changing areas (generally about 30-45 minutes before and following practices and games). While constant monitoring inside locker rooms might be the most effective, we understand that it would likely make some players uncomfortable and even place our staff at risk for unwarranted suspicion.

We will conduct a sweep of the locker rooms and changing areas before players arrive, and if the coaches are not inside the locker room, either a coach or voluntary assigned locker room monitor will be posted directly outside of the locker room and changing areas and leave the door open only when adequate privacy is still possible.

Parents in Locker Room Except for players at the young age groups (Mites, Squirt and Peewee) we discourage parents from entering the locker room unless it is truly necessary. If a player needs assistance with his or her uniform or gear, if a player is or may not be injured, or if a player disability warrants assistance, then we ask that the parent let the coach know beforehand that that he or she will be helping the player.

In circumstances where parents are permitted in the locker room, coaches are permitted to ask the parent to leave for a short time before and a short time after so the coach may address the players, As players get older the coach may in his or her own discretion prohibit parents from the locker room.

Mixed Gender Teams Some of our teams consist of both male and female players. It is important that the privacy of all of our players are given consideration and appropriate arrangements made. Where possible, JEB will have the male/female dress and undress in separate locker rooms and then come in a single locker room before and after games for a team meeting, If a separate locker room is not available then the players will take turns using the locker room to change.

Cell Phones and Other Mobile Recording Devices Cell phones and other mobile devices with recording capabilities, including voice recording, still cameras and video cameras, are not permitted to be used in the locker rooms. If phones or other mobile devices must be used, they should be taken outside of the locker room.

Prohibited Conduct and Reporting JEB prohibits all types of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, bullying, threats, harassment and hazing, all as described in the USA Hockey SafeSport Handbook. Participants, employees or volunteers in JEB may be subject to disciplinary action for violation of these locker room policies or for the engaging in any misconduct or abuse or that violates this policy.

Section 3.3: Disciplinary Action Each season, the Board of Directors will establish a Disciplinary Committee which shall be comprised of two or more Directors, one of which will be the Committee Chairperson, the second will be selected by the Committee Chairperson from the remaining six Board of Directors, with any others being selected from remaining Directors or Members-At-Large. In the event the incident involves a member of the committee or there is an obvious conflict of interest, the affected member shall recues themselves from the decision making process.

Purpose: The Discipline Committee has the responsibility for making parents, coaches and players accountable for their actions and to impose disciplinary actions when deemed necessary and appropriate.

All disciplinary incidents involving players will be first handled by the appropriate coaching staff involved. The coaching staff is required to notify the Travel Hockey Director and the Disciplinary Committee Chairperson within 48 hours of any disciplinary incidents (player or family member). A disciplinary incident involving a player or family member of a player may be handled by the appropriate coaching staff involved or forwarded directly to the Disciplinary Committee Chairman. At the discretion of the Travel Hockey Director and/or Disciplinary Committee Chairperson, the player or family member may be required to meet with the Disciplinary Committee to review the incident. If the player or parent refuses to meet with the Disciplinary Committee, the Disciplinary Committee may impose penalties up to and including suspension or removal from the organization on behalf of Board of Directors. When an incident involving a player or family member brings discredit or embarrassment to the organization or anyone in the organization, the Board of Directors reserves the right to implement disciplinary action and empowers the Disciplinary Committee Chairman to act on behalf of the organization. Special situations may require more severe penalties, which will be determined by the Board of Directors or forwarded to SAHOF and/or USA Hockey as deemed necessary.

Section 3.4: Disciplinary Action (Coaching Staff) Any incidents relating to the coaching staff will be handled by the Travel Hockey Director and must also be immediately reported to the Disciplinary Committee Chairperson. Any incident involving a misconduct infraction issued by a game official to a coach shall be reported to the Travel Hockey Director and Disciplinary Committee Chairperson by the team manager or coach within 48 hours of the event occurring. If the Disciplinary Committee finds that the coach acted inappropriately

(i.e., publicly ridiculing, verbally abusing or physically abusing any player, coach, spectator or official, use of obscene or vulgar language), the Disciplinary Committee will issue disciplinary action based upon the nature and extent of the conduct. Disciplinary action may range from a verbal reprimand to suspension from or coaching privileges, up to removal from as a coach in the organization. Incidents may be forwarded to SAHOF/ USA Hockey as deemed necessary by the Board.

Section 3.5: Disciplinary Action (Parents, Family Members or Friends) Parents, Family Members or Friends that create problems may face disciplinary action up to and including the removal from the organization and/or Germain Arena. If the Disciplinary Committee finds that the parent, family member or friend acted inappropriately (i.e., publicly ridiculing, verbally abusing or physically abusing any player, coach, spectator or official, use of obscene or vulgar language), the Disciplinary Committee may issue disciplinary action based upon the nature and extent of the conduct. Disciplinary action may range from a verbal reprimand to suspension from the organization, up to removal from the organization. Incidents may be forwarded to SAHOF/ USA Hockey as deemed necessary by the Board.

Section 3.6: Disciplinary Action (Player) The coaching staff has the authority to impose disciplinary actions on their players up to and including suspension from team activities (practices/games). All player suspensions, either imposed by the coaching staff or by officials, shall be reported to the Travel Hockey Director and Disciplinary Committee Chairperson. Any incident involving a misconduct infraction issued by a game official to a player shall be reported to the Travel Hockey Director and Disciplinary Committee Chairperson by the team manager or coach within 48 hours of the event occurring. If the Disciplinary Committee finds that the player acted inappropriately (i.e., publicly ridiculing, verbally abusing or physically abusing any player, coach, spectator or official, use of obscene or vulgar language), the Discipline Committee may issue further disciplinary action based upon the nature and extent of the conduct. Disciplinary action may range from a verbal reprimand to suspension from or playing privileges, up to removal from the organization. Incidents may be forwarded to SAHOF/ USA Hockey as deemed necessary by the Board.

Section 3.7: Progressive Conflict Resolution Procedures If a problem arises with a parent, player, family member, coach, or other spectator, the organization suggests following the procedures:

a. The person(s) with the concern is to inform the Head Coach of the situation, requesting resolution. b. If the Head Coach is unable to resolve the issue or if you are not comfortable discussing the issue with the Head Coach, then the concerned person may: Submit his/her concern in writing, personally or anonymously, using the Incident Report found on the JEB website in the ‘Documents’ section, in an effort to make the organization aware that there may be a problem, or Submit a Request for a Grievance Conference form, also found in the ‘Documents’ section of the JEB website, in an effort to schedule a meeting with the Board of Directors to resolve the problem. c. If the issue involves a member of the coaching staff, then the person(s) with the concern shall wait at least 24 hours to reflect on the situation before notifying the Head Coach and/or Travel Hockey Director that he/she would like to request a meeting with the coach(es). However, during a tournament, a situation may arise where the Head Coach and/or Travel Hockey Director may need to be approached (in person or via telephone) prior to the 24-hour cooling off period. The Head Coach or the Travel Hockey Director will be responsible for communicating with all involved parties and, if necessary, scheduling a meeting to resolve the situation. d. If neither the Head Coach or Travel Hockey Director is able to resolve the issue, then the concerned person may submit his/her concern in writing using the Incident Report or the Request for a Grievance Conference form as outlined above, and the Board of Directors will review and seek resolution. These forms may be personally delivered or emailed to the JEB Disciplinary Committee Chairperson or mailed to the Board of Directors at the following address: Junior Everblades Hockey Association 20301 Grande Oaks Blvd., #118 PMB #74 Estero, FL 33928 Attn: Conflict Resolution

Section 3.8: Suspensions All game suspensions (player or coach) must be reported by the Team Manager to the Travel Hockey Director. It will be the Travel Hockey Director’s responsibility to communicate game suspensions to the Disciplinary Committee Chairperson. The Disciplinary Committee Chairperson shall maintain record of all suspensions and may institute additional disciplinary action as outlined in Section 3.5.

NOTE: Unscheduled scrimmage games or non-league games cannot be scheduled to eliminate game suspensions. Players or coaches shall serve their suspensions at the next scheduled, scrimmage, league or tournament game(s).

Players, parents, family members, coach and/or members of the Board of Directors may face suspensions for failure to comply with the JEB or USA Hockey Code of Conduct or for extreme habitual negativity towards the organization or any parent, player, family member, coach, on-ice official, spectator, arena staff member or team/organization officials.

Section 3.9: Zero Tolerance Policy Zero Tolerance Policy expects parents, spectators, players, coaches and officials to abide by the USA Hockey Zero Tolerance Policy toward unsportsmanlike conduct, obscene or vulgar language or demonstrating dissatisfaction with an official's decision during games.

Spectators who are disruptive, using obscene or vulgar language, taunting players, coaches or officials, or throwing objects on the ice will be asked to leave the viewing area. Play may not resume until the violator has removed him/herself from the area. Such incidents shall be immediately reported to the Disciplinary Committee Chairperson and the Travel Hockey Director by the Head Coach or Team Manager. Disciplinary action following such an incident may include suspension or removal from Germain Arena and/or the JEB organization.

Spectator Conduct Guidelines Display good sportsmanship. Respect players, coaches and officials. Do not taunt or disturb other fans, do not use profanity. Cheer good plays of all participants, avoid booing. Support referees and coaches by trusting their integrity and judgment. Be supportive win or lose, praise effort, teamwork and sportsmanship.

Parent Conduct Guidelines Support your child's desire to play hockey, but don't force him or her. Encourage fair play and good character. Do not yell at players, coaches or officials. Stay positive. Emphasize skill development and the importance of practice. Learn the rules of the game and show respect for game officials. Never yell at your child after a game. Applaud good effort win or lose. Communicate with and support your child's coaching staff and team managers. They are providing a great deal of time and effort to develop your child.

Player Conduct Guidelines Play hockey, don’t be disruptive. Work hard in practice and in games, listen to the coaching staff. Be a team player, do not criticize your teammates. You might make the next mistake. Learn self-discipline, good sportsmanship and teamwork. If you lose your cool, your team may lose the game. Be responsible. Be on time to practices and games as informed with the team rules. Learn the rules and play by them. Your reputation is the most important thing you possess. Respect your coach, teammates, opponents and officials. Respect your parents. Never argue with the decision of the official. Do not taunt the other teams or their fans.

Section 3.10: Appeal A party receiving discipline from the Disciplinary Committee may appeal the decision of the Disciplinary Committee to the Board of Directors within five (5) calendar days after being notified of the action imposed by the Disciplinary Committee. The individual appealing the decision must contact the President of the Board to set up a meeting of the Board of Directors to consider the appeal as soon as practical. The person appealing the Disciplinary Committee decision must appear before the Board of Directors at the scheduled meeting. A representative of the Disciplinary Committee will also appear at the meeting to explain the rationale for the disciplinary action issued. In the event a hockey player is appealing a decision of the Disciplinary Committee, the hockey player, the hockey player's parent(s)/caregiver and the hockey player's coach must all appear before the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall consider any appeal of a decision of the Disciplinary Committee and shall make a final decision regarding the decision of

the Disciplinary Committee. The President of the Board shall advise the appealing party of the Board of Directors decision and shall send a copy of the decision to the Secretary of the Board. A decision of the JEB Board of Directors may be appealed to SAHOF.

SECTION FOUR: PLAYERS

Section 4.1: Player’s Physical The organization highly recommends that each player should have a physical and a baseline concussion test prior to the start of the season’s practice to ensure they are in good health. It is the parents’ responsibility to determine whether their child should or should not have a physical or the concussion test.

Section 4.2: Player Selection The Travel Hockey Director and the coaching staff are responsible for player selection and placement. All players must attend the scheduled tryouts or submit a request to the Travel Hockey Director for approval to miss prior to tryouts, in which case the coaches will be notified of those players in advance of the tryouts. Coaches may select a player missing from tryouts, provided the player’s talent level is known and commensurate with the skill level necessary for which the JEB team he/she is being selected. Coaches may also choose to hold a spot open and wait until the summer clinics to add the potential player(s).

Section 4.3: Procedures for Requesting Consideration for a Player to move up a Division In order for a player to be considered to play up an age division the player must make a written request to the JEB President and Travel Hockey Director.

The Travel Hockey Director, along with the coaches of the team that the player would be playing for (appropriate age level) and the coach of the team (A or AA) that the player is requesting to play up to will make the recommendation to the Board whether this player should be allowed to tryout and play at the upper level. Section 4.4: Tournament Teams A player will be allowed to play only on another JEB Tournament Team.

If a player is requesting to participate on a non-JEB Tournament Team the player MUST gain approval from the Travel Hockey Director and Board of Directors.

If a player is selected for a Florida Alliance AAA team, he/she will be allowed to play in Florida Alliance Tournaments with approval from the Travel Hockey Director.

For approval to be considered: a. A formal written request must be submitted to the Travel Hockey Director. b. The “Tournament Team” name, contact information, and schedule/calendar must be provided to the Travel Hockey Director. c. The “Tournament Team” must be in compliance with SAHOF Rules and Guidelines. d. The player and parents understand that the JEB team must be the player’s primary team. All JEB games, practices and scrimmages must be attended. e. The player and parents understand that if the player misses any of the Primary Team’s (JEB) games, practices or scrimmages, the player may be suspended from and\or removed from the Primary Team’s (JEB) roster without refund.

Section 4.5: Player Addition Players shall not be added to rosters without coordination and approval by the Travel Hockey Director and the Board of Directors. Players may be added due to injuries or if a player and his family are moving a distance of 100 miles or more . Players will not practice or play until Board of Director approval is granted. Once approval is granted, it is the coach and team manager’s responsibilities to coordinate a new roster with the JEB Registrar. In addition, the Head Coach and Team Manager are responsible for coordinating all the necessary registration paperwork and payment(s) with the parents and forwarding it to the JEB Treasurer. Special requests for former JEB players that are now playing on an out-of-state team (i.e. prep school) and are home for the holidays (i.e. Thanksgiving or Christmas) may be added to a roster for tournament play only if approved by the Travel Hockey Director and the Board of Directors per Section 4.4.

Section 4.6: Player Deletion Coaches that have to delete players from their rosters shall coordinate with the Travel Hockey Director, the JEB Treasurer, and the JEB Registrar. Team Managers may assist the coach with the necessary notification and paperwork.

Section 4.7: Player Conduct Coaches are responsible for their players’ conduct at all times while at Germain Arena or a competitor’s ice arena. The coaches shall also be responsible for their players’ conduct at a motel/hotel on a road trip, especially if a player’s parents do

not accompany the player on a road trip and the player has not been assigned a temporary sponsor.

Section 4.8: Playing Time for Players Coaches should provide equitable playing time for players. Equitable time does not mean equal time . Coaches, at their sole discretion, determine a player’s playing time from shift to shift, period to period, and game to game. Playing time may be directly affected by: unsportsmanlike conduct, disruptive behavior, avoidable non-attendance at scheduled practices or off-ice training, disciplinary issues, and motivation factors.

Section 4.9: Player Evaluations Each player will be evaluated by the Head Coach two times per season – the first by the mid of November and the second in January. The first player evaluations will be scheduled by the Head Coach and conducted in person with both the player and his/her parent(s). The second evaluation will be created online. Player evaluations will be completed and reviewed with the Travel Hockey Director prior to being shared with each player and the player’s parents.

Section 4.10: Player Curfew The Board of Directors has instituted an organization-wide curfew for all In-State and Out-of-State tournaments, as well as any league games and/or scrimmages that require an overnight hotel stay by the team. Any coach may impose an earlier curfew for his/her specific team, but the organization guidelines are as follows:

Mite & Squirt 10:00 p.m. PeeWee & Bantam 11:00 p.m. Midgets U16 & U18 12:00 midnight

NOTE: Some hotels may establish more stringent curfews than those established by the JEB organization. The coach and/or team manager will inform the players and parents of any variance due to the hotel curfews.

Violations of the JEB organization or hotel curfew times, or any earlier curfew times established by a team’s coach, may result in disciplinary action which may include loss of playing time.

Note: Coaches should be aware that in many cases teams will have games that end late and players want to go out to get something to eat. However, once a player has returned to the hotel and it is past his/her curfew, the player must go directly to his/her room.

Section 4.11: Player Equipment/Uniform The coaching staff is responsible for ensuring that the players comply with the established JEB color-specific equipment: Navy blue HECC-approved helmet with cage Navy blue hockey pants or navy blue shell Navy/Green hockey gloves, trim may be white or green JEB equipment bag JEB jerseys & socks (home & away) JEB warm-up suit (top & bottom) Athletic Republic shirt and shorts

Mite Players: Mite players will not be required to have all the above approved equipment. JEB will provide a team jersey and socks for all jamborees. The jersey and socks will be issued at game time. All jersey’s and socks must be returned after each jamboree. Jerseys not purchased by the player’s parents must be returned to the equipment manager at the completion of the season.

The coaching staff shall also ensure that all players have the necessary safety equipment on prior to practice and/or games.

Players shall wear the following standard equipment: - Skates - Helmet - Elbow/Shin Pads - Shoulder/Chest Protector - Protective Cup (Boys) - Pelvic Protector (Girls) - Hockey Girdle - Hockey Cover (In Lieu of Girdle) - Hockey Stick - Practice Jersey - Practice Socks - Neck Guard (Mite, Squirt & PeeWee) - Mouth Guard - New JEB Game Socks

Coaches and parents are responsible for ensuring that their players are in the proper JEB off -ice attire when going to or leaving the rink before/after games. The JEB player attire will be the JEB warm up suit and A/R shirt and shorts under the warm up suit.

Section 4.11(a): Jersey Number Policy: The JEB player that has been in the program the most consecutive years has first priority on number selection. In the event there are two NEW players or two players with the same seniority, a coin toss by the JEB Equipment Chairperson in

attendance with another board member will decide who gets the conflicting number.

Section 4.12: Games/Tournaments The coaching staff and players should be in place at the rink at least one hour prior to any scheduled game.

Section 4.13: National Bound Teams (AA Teams) If your child is selected to play on an AA team, please know that all AA teams are “Nationally Bound”. If your child’s team qualifies in the SAHOF State Championship Playoffs to advance to the USA Hockey South Eastern District Championship Tournament and subsequently to the USA Hockey National Championship Title for that age division, your child’s team is required to attend these tournaments. Please note that USA Hockey District and National Championships are normally held outside of the state of Florida.

Failure by any team to participate in the Districts and or Nationals may result in the ENTIRE organization being sanctioned and not being allowed to participate in the SAHOF and National Championships for ALL age divisions the following hockey season. As an organization, we have a responsibility to all of our members to do whatever we can to prevent these sanctions. Failure to participate at the District or National level is not acceptable. It is the goal of any AA team to make it to Nationals and the failure to participate in any of the qualifying tournaments shows a lack of commitment to being selected to an AA team.

We understand that there may be circumstances that may prohibit your son/daughter from participating; however, as an organization we cannot afford to have teams that qualify for these tournaments, not participate to their fullest capabilities. Any player(s) not attending ultimately puts the team at a disadvantage. As a result, please be advised that if a player does not participate in a State, District and/or National Tournament for which his/her team has qualified, that player will not be considered for participation on any AA team affiliated with the JEB organization the following season. However, that player may try out for an A level team if he/she desires.

SECTION FIVE: SOCIAL MEDIA, MOBILE & ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION POLICY

Section 5: Social Media, Mobile & Electronic Communications Policy As a part of the JEB Hockey Association’s emphasis on athlete safety, communications involving our youth players should be appropriate, productive, and transparent. Effective communication concerning travel, practice o r game schedules, and administrative issues among administrators, coaches, players and their families is critical. However, the use of mobile devices, web-based applications, social media, and other forms of electronic communications increases the possibility for improprieties and misunderstandings and also provides potential offenders with unsupervised and potentially inappropriate access to participants . The improper use of mobile and electronic communications can result in misconduct. Adherence to a policy for mobile and electronic communication reduces these risks.

All electronic communication between coach and player must be for the purpose of communicating information about team activities. Coaches and players must follow common sense guidelines regarding the volume and time of day of any allowed electronic communication. Any content of an electronic communication should be readily available to share with the public or families of the player or coach. If the player is under the age of 18, and e-mail, electronic text, social media, or similar communication should copy or include the player’s parents.

Section 5.1: Social Media (Facebook, Myspace, Blogs and Similar Sites) Online discussion boards, mass e-mails, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media make it easy to share ideas and experiences. The JEB Hockey Association recognizes, however, that social media, mobile and other electronic communications can be especially concerning where youth participants are involved. When making personal posts on social media sites, members must refrain from comments that may be interpreted as slurs, demeaning, and/or inflammatory toward other members of the organization, players, parents, coaches, or board members, on-ice officials, or other teams & organizations. The essence of the JEB community is to support others in the organization and our hockey community. Personal posts that are counter to this goal shall be deemed a violation of this policy.

Coaches are discouraged from having players joined to their personal social media page. To facilitate communication, an official team page has been set up for each Junior Everblades team on the organization’s website www.JrEverblades.org for

the purpose of posting team rosters, updates, photos, schedules, and other general communication. JEB players, parents and coaches may access their team’s website page through their personal user names and passwords created at the time they registered for the Junior Everblades. Each Team Manager has editing authority for their team’s page and would be happy to post any information requested by a player, parent, and/or coach. All posts, messages, text, or media of any kind between a player, parent and/or coach must be non-personal in nature and for the purpose of communicating information about team activities or for team oriented motivational purposes.

JEB Team Facebook pages and/or blogs are not permitted.

Section 5.2: E-Mail, Text Messaging and Similar Electronic Communications Players, parents, and coaches may use e-mail and text messaging to communicate. All e-mail and text message content between a coach and player must be non- personal in nature and for the purpose of communicating information about team activities. E-Mails and text messages from a coach to any youth player should include a copy to parents.

Section 5.3: Request To Discontinue All Electronic Communications or Imagery with Athlete Following any written request by the parents or legal guardians of a youth player that their child not be contacted by any form of electronic communication by coaches or other adults, the organization, team and coaches and administrators shall immediately comply with such request without any repercussions for such request.

Section 5.4: Abuse and Misconduct Social media and electronic communications can also be used to commit abuse and misconduct (e.g., emotional, sexual, bullying, harassment, and hazing). Such communications by coaches, volunteers, administrators, officials, parents or athletes will not be tolerated and are considered violations of the JEB Hockey Association’s Player & Parent Handbook.

Section 5.5: Reporting Infractions of the JEB Hockey Association’s Mobile and Electronic Communications Policy should be reported to the organization’s Disciplinary Incident Report or Grievance Form, which may be found on the Junior Everblades website under the “Documents” section. The Grievance Form may be mailed, personally delivered, or emailed to the Disciplinary Committee Chairperson.

A JEB player, parent, family member, or coach who violates this Social Media, Mobile and Electronic Communications Policy is subject to appropriate disciplinary action, including but not limited to suspension, expulsion and/or referral to law enforcement authorities.

Section 6.0 SAHOF

SAHOF rules and regulations will govern all JEB games