Home of the
Ice Dogs
Northern
Virginia Hockey Club
August 2009
Welcome:
Whether you are new to
the great sport of hockey, or a veteran hockey family relocating to our area,
allow us to welcome you on behalf of the Northern Virginia Hockey Club – home
of the Ice Dogs!
If you have played (or
still play) hockey, you know it is a great sport. It requires hard work, individual effort,
preparation, quick thought, and team play.
Our goal is to share this sport with the youth of our region and to develop
in each and every boy and girl who participates an appreciation and love of the
game that will last a lifetime.
It
is a great time for hockey in the Northern Virginia/Metropolitan Washington
area.
In April, the NCAA Frozen
Four made its first of what we hope will be many visits to our nation’s capital.
It produced one of the most exciting NCAA Championship games ever. On the heels
of the NCAA Championship, the Washington Capitals took area fans on another
wild ride into the playoffs where they came up just short against the eventual
Stanley Cup champions.
2008-09 was also a great
year for the Northern Virginia (NoVA) Hockey Club. Our program continued to
provide area boys and girls and their families with high-quality hockey
instruction and play, skill-development, and fun. Last season, we fielded competitive
teams in both travel and house leagues.
Two travels teams played for championships in the competitive Capital
Beltway Hockey League (CBHL). At the
house level, NoVA took two regular season and one playoff title as part of the
inaugural season of the Capital Corridor Hockey League (CCHL).
Last year was successful
for the NoVA family, but we are even more excited about what lies ahead. The program, which has been in Northern
Virginia for decades, continues to develop and we have renewed our commitment
to expanding the opportunities for boys and girls in our area to experience
this wonderful sport. In addition to fielding competitive teams at all levels
of travel and house, we are committed to improving all aspects of our program:
·
In 2009-2010 NoVA
will field its first CBHL all-girl, U-12 team that will compete against other
all-girl programs throughout the metro area.
We are extremely excited about the opportunity of introducing more girls
to hockey and seeking to develop more all-girl teams in the years to come.
·
The NoVA
program is extremely proud of our strong Initiation and Cross-Ice
programs. These types of programs, which
are strongly endorsed by USA Hockey, provide young Ice Dogs with the foundation
necessary to continue developing their hockey skills throughout their
lifetimes. To help keep these programs flourishing, we are working to develop
free “Let’s Play Hockey!” events, designed to provide area families with
information about the sport, about equipment, and about the NoVA program.
·
One of the
hallmarks of the NoVA program is the quality of instruction our players
receive. 2009-2010 will be no exception as we have a strong list of returning
coaches that have invaluable experience in the sport of hockey and at NoVA. Our coaches are committed to teaching our
players the fundamentals and skills necessary to succeed in the game of hockey,
and to practice good sportsmanship on and off the ice. Win, lose or draw, NoVA
is dedicated to providing our players with the highest possible level of
coaching.
·
In addition
to the instruction received during team practices, we are exploring ways to
provide additional training to our players. We are working to develop a
goalie-training program that will supplement the instruction goalies receive
from their team. Over time, we hope to
expand this effort to offer additional training opportunities for NoVA players
in the important areas of power skating and stick handling.
·
Hockey is an
expensive sport, and the NoVA program prides itself on having some of the most
competitive fees in the metro area. We are pleased that our fee structure for
the coming season will remain the same as last season. In addition, NoVA
provides discounts for goalies and for multiple player families, and we have
instituted, for the first time, a scholarship program to provide financial
awards to players that otherwise would not be able to participate in NoVA House
hockey.
As you can see, there is
much to be excited about in the coming season.
At the same time, many important things about NoVA hockey will remain
the same.
Beyond the effort of our
teams on the ice, the true strength of our program lies in the member families.
NoVA is a relatively small, but close knit and successful club because of the
people who comprise our program. NoVA is
built on dedicated players and dedicated parents. Parent volunteers help
provide the boys and girls with a positive, healthy, fun experience that they
will hopefully never forget; that is the true strength of NoVA hockey. We hope
that if you are interested in joining our program you will talk with some NoVA
families about their personal experiences. We are confident you will like what
you hear.
Again, on behalf of the
Northern Virginia Hockey Club, we want to welcome you and your family. We look forward to seeing you at the
rink. Go Ice Dogs!
Sincerely,
Board of Directors
Northern Virginia Hockey Club