Greg Smith’ vision for minor hockey in Whitchurch Stouffville puts all young players on a level playing field.

The Whitchurch Stouffville Minor Hockey Association board member’s concept includes players having a fun, safe and positive learning environment.

Players will then develop self confidence and a sense of personal achievement through progressive skill development, the Stouffville resident said.

When the association launches the 2008-09 season, a new house league program will be launched for mites and tykes, based on the principles of Hockey Canada’s Initiation Program.

“What we found is that a beginner seven-year-old youngster is really no different than a beginner who is five or six years old,” Smith said. “Not only might their skill set be the same. But also their level of enthusiasm which is great.

“What ultimately happens is that no matter how hard we try to balance the kids within the separate mite and tyke divisions there exists a wide variety of individual skill sets in each division.

“Each team has some strong players, some good players and many new players. It makes it difficult for a coach to run a robust, progressive skill development practice when some kids breeze through the drills, and some kids can’t grasp the concept of the drill.

“When we eventually get into game situations, we end up with stars who control 90 per cent of the play and score the majority of goals, but more non-participants who never touch the puck. It might be fun for some kids and parents, but tough and frustrating for other kids and parents.”

A two-year coach in Stouffville, he saw the program at work while coaching in Calgary.

In Calgary, where Hockey Canada has its headquarters, there is a very structured approach to working with children just starting their hockey careers, said Smith who is a Halifax native who played collegiate hockey at St. Mary’s University.

“In working with our board here in Stouffville, we have tried to bring some of those positive aspects and tailor it to our community.

“The other volunteer coaches of the younger kids in town have also been fantastic and have provided many great ideas on how we can improve. I can truly say we have a great bunch of dedicated volunteer coaches for the young kids.”

In the new program, which is slated to start in early September, youngsters who play mite (five- and six-year-olds) and tyke (seven year olds), will not be placed into groups based on their age. Rather, the two groups will consolidate and players will be assigned to groups based on their on-ice skill levels.

There will be evaluation sessions for at least the first three ice sessions during which on-ice instructors and a committee of evaluators will monitor players in order to best place them.  

In October, the program will bring in outside instructors to lead power-skating sessions, As well, they will assist new coaches with running organized practices.

Ilir Mehmeti, Total Hockey Skills director and head instructor and a Stouffville resident, will oversee these sessions.

There are 192 youngsters registered between the ages of five and seven.

It can make a coach’s job far easier to have players of similar skill levels who can develop as a team.

“They will do the drills at similar speeds and competency and when they eventually play formal games, we won’t run into as many situations where a few kids dominate and some never touch the puck,” he said.

In addition to placing an emphasis on skill level development, the program will stop using terms such as beginner, intermediate and advanced when describing their divisions.

Instead, the divisions will be named after the town’s three Stanley Cup champions Keith Acton, Brad May and Bob Hassard.

“When we talked to them (Acton, May and Hassard) about our idea they were thrilled and I think it gives our newest players role models to look up to,” Smith said.

Mike Humphreys, association president, is excited with the prospects of the new program and feels it will be beneficial for the players and their parents.

“We’ve been working hard on trying to do the right things in our association. We feel this will be great for development at the early ages. The whole board is supportive of it and I’m all for development. Too many families are forgetting about the basics. We need to have a solid foundation in skating, skills and ability first before we move forward,” he said.

In looking ahead to the program, Smith anticipates some growing pains and fine tuning to be done. But he remains confident it will succeed.

“I know that through a total team effort on the organization’s part, we can get it done,” he said.