By Carl Chimenti /
Year in and year out, Alliance Minor Hockey continues to support educational tools like the Speak Out program that teaches the prevention of abuse, bullying and harassment to coaches, trainers and managers who have a supervisory role over youth involved in hockey.
The Speak Out program was introduced by Hockey Canada in 1977. To continue along those same lines, the Alliance has introduced Respect in Sport, (RiS), an E-learning grassroots online program that has been endorsed by Hockey Canada and is for all participants involved in minor hockey.
The new course includes six 30-minute modules which can be done one at a time or all at once as long as the entire course is completed in 30 days.
The Speak Out program is a classroom setting while the Respect in Sport is new, online and equivalent,” says Alliance executive director Tony Martindale. “You don’t have to sign up.
You simply go to your computer at home and once signed on you have 30 days to finish the certification program that generally takes between three and four hours to complete.”
The RiS is linked to the Hockey Canada Registry (HCR) to ensure that the Alliance Hockey participant certification will be uploaded to the HCR upon completing the course.
“This is a required certification,” said Martindale. “You can’t go behind a bench until you have completed the program.”
CAMBRIDGE DEFEATS KITCHENER IN TOYOTA HOCKEY CHALLENGE
The Cambridge Hawks are off to Hokkaido, Japan come March 2010.
The Hawks beat the Kitchener Jr. Rangers 5-1 in the Toyota Hockey Challenge final in early December in front of 1500 fans at the Kitchener Auditorium.
Drew Reilly scored twice, Hudson Michaelis had a goal and an assist and Quinn Diamond contributed a pair of assist in the win. Hawks goaltender Jonathan Reinhart was solid throughout and kept his team in the game.
“Players certainly know what’s on the line,” said Chuck Williams, director of AAA and A hockey, for the Waterloo Minor Hockey Association. “The Cambridge kids are obviously excited with the opportunity to represent the Alliance in the international experience that lies ahead.”
Cambridge, who went 2-1-1 during round robin play, won their fourth Toyota Hockey Challenge.
Kitchener and Waterloo have both won once.
The Cambridge Hawks will travel to Hokkaido, Japan during the March 2010 break for a cultural exchange with the Tomakomai Allstars, with TMMC picking up all the expenses. This will mark the sixth time that a local team from the Waterloo region has traveled to Japan in this exchange that takes place every two years. A return visit by a Japanese team will be hosted in March of 2011.
HOLIDAY TOURNAMENTS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER
As Christmas nears, so do the holiday tournaments.
Dec. 21 to 23 is the ninth annual Tim Hortons Christmas House League Hockey Tournament in Sarnia, Ont. for Novice, Atom, Peewee and Bantam.
The Greater Fort Erie Christmas House League Tournament will run Dec. 27 to 29, in Fort Erie, Ont. and is open from Novice to Midget-Juvenile; Midget and Midget-Juvenile. Both Tournaments will have a three-game guarantee.
The 40th annual Wayne Gretzky Tournament is set for Dec. 27 to 30, in Brantford, Ont. There is a four-game guarantee.
The Cambridge 2009 House League Christmas Tournament is scheduled to go Dec. 27-30, in Cambridge, Ont. and provides the opportunity to over 900 players on 67 teams to participate.
The Centennial Sports Club House League Xmas Tournament will run Dec. 27 to 30 at the Timken Centre, in St. Thomas, Ont. |