THE BATTLE CRY V17.18.5 ______Letter from the Secretary

April-May 2018

THE BATTLE CRY v17.18.5 ______Letter from the Secretary

Dear Hockey Community. Another great Season of youth hockey has come to an end. I don’t know about you, but I have been playing catch up on life in the last month (thus the delay in getting the April/May newsletter out). It feels really good to have some free weekends, but I’ve already heard a few Hockey Moms say “I can’t wait for next season.” I’m not quite there yet, but it probably won’t be long. Let’s get through the end of school and a couple of hockey camps and I know I will be there. This newsletter will share some of the highlights that were shared at the annual meeting & Banquet. We had a fantastic turn-out to our first GGHA Hockey Banquet. We learned a lot from it and hope to make improvements for the 2019 Banquet. Don’t forget to get your 2017/2018 Parent Survey submitted by this Friday, May 4th. You received and email with the link and it was also posted on the Facebook Group. Here is a general link is needed. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RG6RHPD

Travel Team Tryouts for the 2018/2019 Season will be held the weekend of May 18-20. Mark your calendar. See page two of this newsletter for specific dates and times based on Birth year. Travel Team Coaches listed on Page 4.

Enjoy your Spring. #GoBruins #StanleyCupPlayoffs (Had to do it ).

Lesley Craddock GGHA Secretary

1 ______GGHA Travel Team Tryouts for the 2018-2019 season are coming up May 18-19:

10U (Birth year 2008/2009) May 18 6:30-7:45 pm

12U (Birth year 2006/2007) May 19 8:30-9:45 am

14U (Birth year 2004/2005) May 19 10:00-11:15 am

16U (Birth year 2002/2003) May 19 11:30 am-12:45 pm

Register online for Tryouts at GreenvilleHockey.com Tryout fee is $20 - Sizing for Jerseys & Apparel will be done at Tryouts ______2017/2018 Sponsors & Partners Youth Hockey is growing in Greenville with your help!

If your company is interested in sponsoring the Greater Greenville Hockey Association, please email [email protected] to learn about opportunities or speak to your player’s coach or manager for opportunities specific to your player’s division.

Summer Camp June 11-15, 2018 Erik Nates Euro Hockey will again bring his Total Skills Development camp to Greenville this June. The camp is a weeklong camp, Monday thru Friday, 8:30 am – 3 pm, at the Pavilion

Total Skill Development – Space is still available During this camp, students are able to focus on individual skill development in all aspects of the game. Fundamental skills like skating, stick handling, shooting, passing, and checking are taught during each specialized hour, first through controlled instruction and then through repeated drills that enhance understanding and mastery. Finally, students are taught to incorporate the skills they have learned into game situations-and become more complete hockey players. Erik’s innovative training system challenges each student to the best of his or her ability. European equipment, including parallel bars and springboards, are some of the methods we use to help students develop their skills while having fun and enjoying the game.

Erik Nates Camp at the Pavilion Summer 2017

for 2018/2019 season 8U Select– Kevin Hansen 10U – Cameron Calder 12U – Brian Dona 14U – Kurt Romkey 16U – Randy Gunton High School – John Chesare

House Coaches and all assistant coaches are still to be announced

4 THANK YOU Parent Coordinators and Coaches! It’s not always an easy job…and is often a thankless one… We want you to know that we APPRECIATE YOU! Thank you SO MUCH for your time and talents! The Greater Greenville Hockey Association is AWESOME because of YOU!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED To create a great youth sports experience for our kids, it requires a ton of effort. While it’s nice to just sit back and enjoy watching your child play, most youth sports programs can’t exist without people jumping in to volunteer their time. This can be to help run the score clock or monitor penalty boxes during games. It can be helping out with fundraising projects or helping the coaches gather gear for the on-ice practices. For those with professional expertise, maybe assisting with the youth association’s board to provide operational advice can be a way to contribute. Our kids' youth sports experiences are often defined by the quality of the adults involved, so get in there and help make a difference.

The Greater Greenville Hockey Association is an All-Volunteer organization and we can always use extra help to make things run smoothly.

Volunteer Opportunities:  U6 & U8 Board Assembly for cross ice practices and games (There will be special training for these jobs)  Scoreboard and sound system operations for home games  Dressing Room Monitor for practices and games  Swamp Rabbits home game concourse grass roots – sharing information and recruiting youth players  Try Hockey for Free Events – August, November,  Girls Hockey clinics  Team Parent  …and more. Ask your players coach or team manager how you can help!

All Volunteers age 18+ who have contact with players must have USA Hockey Background check and complete the USA Hockey Safe Sport online module. Register as a volunteer at USAHockeyRegistration.com

6U/8U House – Junior Swamp Rabbits End of Season Parent Game

6U Awards: Most Improved- N. Fleming; Sportsmanship- J. Hinkle; Season MVPs – B. Furgala & K. Creed

8U Awards: Most Improved- A. Slashinski; Sportsmanship- C. Stiles; Season MVPs – C. Schwerin & L. Granger

10U/12U House – Junior Swamp Rabbits

10U Awards: Most Improved- C. Welton; Sportsmanship- A. Hoyle; Season MVP – D. Ba;dassarra

12U Awards: Most Improved- A. Erkens; Sportsmanship- A. Fradet; Season MVP – O. Dobbs

6 GGHA Girls Hockey – First All Girls Team in South Carolina

Girls Team Awards: Most Improved- M. Farrington; Sportsmanship- C. Hardy; Season MVP – K. Steckly

MITE SELECT: Scrappy City Shootout Mite 2018 Champions & Falcon Fest Finalist

Mite Select Awards: Most Improved- M. Sayegh; Sportsmanship- T. Gilroy; Season MVP – M. Paul

10U Travel: Inaugural Swamp Rabbit Classic Invitational Champions

10U Travel Awards: Most Improved- F. Ireland & C. Wingerter; Sportsmanship- H. McCart; Season MVP – B. Armstrong

10U Travel USA Hockey Patches for 2017/2018 Season awarded to:

Hat Trick:

B. Craddock

Zero Club:

F. Ireland

12U Travel: Big Bear Beach Break Champions

Captain M. Green

12U Travel Awards: Most Improved- K. McGrath; Sportsmanship- A. Holleran; Season MVPs – J. Craddock & L. Kellermyer

12U Travel USA Hockey Patches for 2017/2018 Season awarded to:

T. Walker – Hat Trick and Playmaker

C. Lucas – Hat Trick

L. Kellermyer – Hat Trick

M. Green – Hat Trick

Z. Debruyn – Zero Club

O. Dow - Zero Club

14U Travel: Congressional Cup Champions & Athens Outdoor Classic Champions

Captain W. Liddle, Assistants A. Shields and N. Smith

14U Travel Awards: Most Improved- T. Johnson; Sportsmanship- N. Harper; Season MVP – J. Sarno

14U Travel USA Hockey Patches for 2017/2018 Season awarded to:

J. Sarno - Zero Club

N. Smith - Hat Trick and Playmaker

C. Williams – Hat Trick and Playmaker

J. Coan – Hat Trick

A. Shields – Playmaker

W. Self – Playmaker

10 16U Travel: Wishbone Classic Champions, Palmetto State Classic Finalist & 2017/2018 CHL 16UChampions

Captain I. Vanderveen, Assistants C. Denne and Q. Diaz

16U Travel Awards: Most Improved- Z. Green; Sportsmanship- C. Denne; Season MVP – C. Marlow

16U Travel USA Hockey Patches for 2017/2018 Season awarded to:

C. Marlowe - Zero Club

D. Mahan – Hat Trick

C. Denne – Hat Trick

I. Vanderveen - Playmaker

11 Greenville High School Hockey: South Carolina State Champions

Greenville High School Hockey: USA Hockey Nationals Quarterfinalist

12 High School Awards: Most Improved- S. Kingsbury; Sportsmanship- S. Ionita; Season MVP – N. Chesare

High School USA Hockey Patches for 2017/2018 Season awarded to:

I. Vanderveen - Hat Trick

E. Reynolds - Hat Trick

N. Chesare - Hat Trick & Playmaker

C. Denne - Hat Trick

J. Frattolin - Hat Trick

Q. Dias – Playmaker

D. Chesare – Playmaker

B. Moore - Playmaker S. Kingsbury

Greenville – SCSHA Rookie of the Year

2018 High School Seniors Presented with Varsity Letters for Hockey

E. Reynolds

C. Reynolds

H. Wiggins

S. Ionita

N. Chesare

N. Menconi

B. Chasteen

T. Todd

Congratulations to our Greenville Highs School Hockey Team and the Class of 2018 Seniors. Best of Luck to you as you graduate. #HockeyForever #NeverStopPlaying

To Jr Hockey News from a player who received it from his Father. The player said “this is what it’s all about.”

Dear Son,

Has it really been 15 years since I first took you skating? It feels like it was yesterday. I can remember the very first time, and the look on your face as you struggled to balance on those skates.

Has it really been 14 seasons of watching you play? Where has the time gone, how many hundreds of hours have we spent at the rink and in the car?

I find it hard to believe now, that in a few short weeks it will all come to an end. The practices, the games, the trips to buy new gear in the summer, and all the camps.

While there is a part of me that is tremendously sad that it is ending, I would not trade the sadness I feel for anything in the world.

While it would be easy for me to be selfish and complain about it ending, I can only hope you can find a way to replace what you have always known as routine. While you may be leaving the game as a competitive player, the game should always be a part of you. The memories you have should last a lifetime. The friends you have made will always be your friends.

Take these last games and relish every minute of them. Play with a passion that will allow you to let the game go as a player and remain full with the memories it has given you. Hockey may no longer consume you, but it will always be a part of you. As you walk away, know that one day you will come back.

This is a circle. It is a family thing. One day I hope you will experience the sadness I feel today with your own son. Why? Because there is joy behind the sadness.

Through this adventure we have taken as a family, you have grown into a man. A man that any parent would be proud of. You have a future, you understand rules, and you know what it is to be a team player. You have learned to give back, and you understand what it takes to push yourself beyond what you thought you could achieve.

My joy in having watched you grow into the person that you are today will outweigh the sadness of watching these last games knowing they will be the last. My joy will one day be in watching you tie your son’s skates as you pass on this tradition.

I am proud of you. Thank you for allowing me to come along this journey with you. I wouldn’t trade one minute of this experience for anything.

- Dad

14 June 6- July 19 (no July 4th week) 4-on-4 Summer Showdown 6-weeks; (off week of July 4) $125 Each group meets once per week for 1 hour.

Wednesday 6:30-7:30 - Birth years 2009-2006 Wednesday 7:45-8:45 - Birth years 2005 and older Thursday 6:30-7:30 - Birth years 2010 and younger Open to all skill levels. Register Online at GreenvilleHockey.com ______

Thank you, Dr. Al Mina, outgoing President of the Greater Greenville Hockey Association for many, many years of dedicated service to GGHA and the Greenville Hockey Community.

Congratulations to the new Board of Directors members elected at the Annual Meeting on March 28. We are an all-volunteer organization and its volunteers... …People giving of themselves, their time, energy, knowledge and sometimes a bit of sweat, blood and tears, that make GGHA a strong and GROWING youth hockey organization serving the entire Upstate of SC. Thank you to all who Volunteer.

2018/2019 GGHA Executive Board Members President: Ginnette Romkey [email protected] Vice President: Don Dicomo [email protected] Hockey Director: Darren McNaughton [email protected] Secretary: Lesley Craddock [email protected] Treasurer: Brianna McCunn [email protected] Travel Coordinator: Geoff VanderVeen [email protected] House Coordinator: Kevin Hansen [email protected] High School Coordinator: Jake Yenser [email protected]

2018/2019 GGHA Non-Voting Board Members Immediate Past President: Al Mina Greenville County Rec Representative: George Fowler BS Wellness Arena Representative: to be filled Swamp Rabbits Representative: to be filled

2018/2019 GGHA Support Volunteers Goalie Advocate: Kurt Romkey [email protected] Ice Scheduler: Tim Lucas [email protected] Web Master: Robert Judd [email protected] Registrar: Ginnette Romkey [email protected] Swamp Rabbits Liaison: Brian Gombash [email protected] CAHA/CHL Representative: Al Mina Website: http://greenvillehockey.com

In case you missed it – the Masthead on Page 1 is a bit different. The High School Logo will be changed effective with the start of the 2018/2019 Season. The logo is currently with SC Scholastic Hockey for Approval. We will make a formal announcement when approved, but have gone ahead and updated our documents to reflect the new logo. Colors will be Navy and Gold consistent with the Road Warrior. We are very excited to update the High School Teams Jerseys and brand.

Submissions for the next edition of The Battle Cry (June/July issue) are due June 15. Submissions may be edited for grammar or for space. Submissions will be considered, space permitting. Consider submitting Pictures, team updates, Player Profiles, Coaches profiles, drawings, etc. Send submissions for consideration to [email protected]

Parents and Players are encouraged to join our closed (private) Facebook Group to share information and pictures of our players and teams. Request to Join: GGHA - Youth Hockey in Greenville SC

Public Pages for our Programs on Facebook are also available. Feel Free to follow and share: Greenville Road Warriors - GGHA Youth Travel Hockey Junior Swamp Rabbits - GGHA Youth Hockey - HOUSE Division