Information Packet 2019-2020 Season

SEATTLE WOMEN’S HOCKEY CLUB

INFORMATION PACKET 2019-2020 SEASON

MISSION STATEMENT The Seattle Women’s Hockey Club strives to establish a welcoming environment for women to learn to skate and play ice hockey in an atmosphere of cooperation and competition.

GENERAL INFORMATION  We welcome all women who want to play ice hockey. Our members span a wide range of hockey experience, from none at all to 15+ years; our average age is 38. With approximately 85 current members, we are growing all the time!  Our season runs from September through April.  We use three main tools to share information about up-coming events to club members:  http://www.swhc.org – Our website contains useful information for club members and anyone interested in hockey. It includes up-to-date schedule information, directions to home and away games, contact information, resources, etc.

 SWHC email list – The majority of ongoing season information will be disseminated by email.  Facebook page – Our Facebook page supplements our primary email and website communication with upcoming events and information posted throughout the season.  Instagram – Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seattlewomenshockeyclub/

 All members must be registered with USA Hockey prior to stepping on the ice. To be eligible to join SWHC, a player must be 18 years of age or older by December 31 of the current season.

USA HOCKEY REQUIRES THAT EVERY MEMBER BE IN FULL GEAR FOR EVERY PRACTICE AND GAME. THIS INCLUDES A FULL-FACE MASK. SEE “GEAR CHECKLIST” SECTION FOR DETAILS.

PRACTICES  During the month of September, players may be assigned to one of two practices for evaluation purposes. It is important that all club members attend their assigned practice(s) so that the coaches can accurately evaluate and then divide the members into evenly skilled tiered teams. If you are unable to attend your designated evaluation, please email [email protected] as soon as possible. Our ice times for September are still to be determined, but we will send out an email to all club members as soon as they are scheduled.  Our practice ice times for the remainder of this season will be one hour practices Monday evenings at Olympicview Ice Arena from October through March. Starting in January, one to two practices a month will be transitioned into Club scrimmages. Occasional additional practices may be added on other week nights. Note: Ice times are subject to last minute changes beyond SWHC’s control.

GAMES  Full Club and Game Only Players will be assigned to balanced tiered teams depending on their abilities as determined by our coaches. Tiered games will mostly be Saturday nights at Sno-King Kirkland.

 Club games will occur one-two Monday nights starting in January. Practice only players have first priority. Full club members will be subject to a selection process to assure that all full club members have equal access to scrimmage opportunities. When selecting players, priority will be given to those that have played the least.  Everett Ravens and SnoCo games: Throughout the season, we’ll have opportunities to play against other local women’s teams. Games are assigned to each team with an equal amount of play and subbing opportunities will likely be available.

JERSEYS  Jerseys are required for all members who will be playing in games with us. They are not required for practice-only members who are not playing in any tournaments. We will coordinate ordering jerseys prior to the Wenatchee Hot Autumn Ice tournament in November. Jerseys cost approximately $60 for a set of two (one white and one dark).

TOURNAMENTS  We typically attend two tournaments per season (Wenatchee Hot Autumn Ice in Fall and a second one in the Spring).

COACHING  This season we will have primary coaches responsible for leading practices, and coaching intra-club games as available. We will also have captain and assistant captain, and who will support the primary coaches in practices and club games.

PLAYER CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE SEATTLE WOMEN’S HOCKEY CLUB The following conduct guidelines are based on the premise that everyone participating in the Seattle Women’s Hockey Club (SWHC) is doing so voluntarily, and solely for the purpose of playing ice hockey. While ice hockey is a competitive sport, it is assumed that a spirit of cooperation and support will exist among the club members. Any SWHC participant who willfully performs any act that substantially interferes with or is detrimental to the orderly operation of the SWHC program shall be subject to discipline, suspension, or expulsion. Any such acts by participants on or off the ice at any time during the season constitute sufficient cause for discipline, suspension, or expulsion. Such acts shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

 Failure to demonstrate courtesy, fairness, and respect for other participants, spectators, coaches, board members, SWHC property, or other property.  Creation of dissension among any members of the SWHC, including but not limited to slander, misrepresentation, or falsification.  In cases where a conflict, complaint, or concern arises, failure to follow the steps outlined in the SWHC Grievance Policy.

PRICING In the 2019-2020 season, there will be no registration fee. This fee was waived due to the fundraising amounts exceeding expectations, lowering dues and removing the registration fee for the current year.

Dues this year will include a usage fee of $25/player for the SportsEngine platform, which will keep our registration, teams, statistics, etc. efficient and running smoothly.

We are currently planning for 6 teams of 13 members each. Once 78 team members have committed, any additional registrants will be wait listed and considered practice only members until a space opens on a team due to player health changes or attrition. If we reach a full team’s worth of wait listed players by September 20th, 2019, we will add a 7th team if feasible and adjust the calendar accordingly. Any players registering after September 20th, 2019 will be wait listed and considered practice only members until a space is available on a team. The number of practice only members is unlimited.

Seasonal dues (additional to the registration fee) depend on the membership option, which must be one of those listed below. The seasonal dues are listed below.

 Full Club Member $575 per season ( +$25 SportsEngine fee) This member plays a forward and/or defense position and is a voting member of the Seattle Women’s Hockey Club. Her dues cover:  All club practices  All games scheduled for their tier  Eligibility for Monday night Club scrimmages (see Games section for more detail)  All tournament registration fees

 Game Only Member (for tenured players only) $500 per season ( +$25 SportsEngine fee) This member plays a forward and/or defense position and is a voting member of the Seattle Women’s Hockey Club. Her dues cover:  All games scheduled for their tier  All tournament registration fees

 Practice Only Member $350 per season ( +$25 SportsEngine fee) This member plays either a forward or defense position and is a voting member of the Seattle Women’s Hockey Club. Her dues cover:  All club practices  Monday night Club scrimmages  A practice-only member may substitute in a game if a team is short of players, if the available substitution list has been exhausted. Practice-only members may also play in tournaments if the bench is not full for a fee of $55 per tournament.

 Goalie $75 per season ( +$25 SportsEngine fee) This member plays in goal and is a voting member of the Seattle Women’s Hockey Club. Her dues cover:  All club practices  All game ice including scrimmages  All tournament registration fees SWHC Copyright 2019 Information Packet JUN2019

The first dues payment must be received by September 27, 2019 via SportsEngine of 33% of the season fees. Players will not be allowed to step on the ice after this date without payment. It is the player’s responsibility to finish payment of dues via SportsEngine either on a monthly basis or full payment all at once. If the finalized practice and game times prevent a member from participating at their anticipated level and they decide not to join, a refund request must be made in writing to the board before October 4, 2019. If a refund is requested after October 4, 2019, the refund amount will be equal to the monthly prorated seasonal dues based on the date of the submitted request.

Note: payment plans are available—please contact a board member for more information.

 Unlimited subbing for Full Club and Game Only members  Upon registration, Full Club and Game Only members will have access to subbing opportunities in league games. When selecting subs, priority will be given (1) Frequency of subbing (those that have subbed the least will get placed first. (2) same tier players  A practice-only member may substitute in a game if a team is short of players. Practice-only members may also play in tournaments if the bench is not full for a fee (pricing dependent on tournament).

Cost Summary

For registration by November 27th, 2019:

MEMBERSHIP TYPE DUE SEP 27 DUE OCT 27 DUE NOV 27 TOTAL

FULL TIME 200 200 200 600

GAME ONLY 175 175 175 525

PRACTICE ONLY 125 125 125 375

GOALIE 100 - - 100

Players who register after November 27th will pay season dues prorated on a monthly basis.

GET MORE INVOLVED  Club Members – The most obvious way to contribute to the SWHC is to be a considerate club member, a considerate teammate and attend practices and games. There are also many volunteer opportunities available!  Notify the team captain or coach when you can’t make a game  Give 100% effort and keep a positive attitude in the locker room, and on the bench and ice  Volunteer to help with Try Hockey for Free Day, the Annual Fundraiser, or volunteer positions

 Team Captain and Alternate Captains – Each team will have one captain and one alternate captain when the captain is absent. These players must be full club members and will be chosen by team players. When the team captain is not present, the alternate captains are responsible for taking over the duties of the captain, which include:  Addressing any issues brought forward by a player with regards to the Grievance policy  Running pre-game warm-ups  Speaking to the referees during games. Other players should note that if an issue arises that they would like to take up with the referee(s) during a game, they should explain it to the acting captain and let the captain discuss the issue with the referee

 Team Manager – Each team will have one team manager who is essential for organizing their team. If the manager is unable to carry out the following tasks, they are responsible for appointing a substitute to:  Confirm that your team will have enough players and a goalie will be at each game  Ensure that there is a score sheet at each game  Organize team carpools for away games and help arrange hotel reservations

 Board Members – Each Board member is elected by the club and serves a two-year term. This fall, the terms of Joylene Aguirre, Diedra Barlow, and Amanda McLaughlin will be completed, and three new Club members will be elected to the Board. The following club members currently hold Board positions:  President – Joylene Aguirre  Vice President – Diedra Barlow  Treasurer – Tatiana Dudley  Infrastructure Manager – Amanda McLaughlin  Communications Manager – Jodi Larsen  Logistics Manager – Allison Schmid  Operations Manager – Bonny Lai