Willmar Hockey Association

The Mite (boys under age 9) and U8 (girls under age 9) programs are the foundation to many fun and successful years in the Willmar Hockey community.  Listed below are many frequently asked questions regarding the Mite and U8 programs.  If you have any other questions, feel free to email our Initiation Program Director - Kirk Gerdes at gerdes@charter.net or by calling 320-231-2835

Thanks for your involvement and we look forward to seeing you at the rink!

How old does my child have to be to play hockey?
Although there is no minimum age requirement, the recommended age for children who are entering the program for the first time is 4 or 5 years old.  For those that are age 4 and those that are brand new to skating (regardless of age) we recomment that the child start in "mini-mites" (see info below).  If a child has previous skating experience and are age 5 or older, they can participate in the level 1 program.
 
Does my child have to know how to skate to participate in the WHA Hockey program?
No, the WHA programs are designed to teach all kids the fundamental skills that are required to play the sport of hockey. Skating is the most important skill and is heavily emphasized throughout the mites and U8 programs.  For those age 4 or new to skating, we recommend you sign up for the mini-mite program as this is tailored to those that do not know how to skate yet.

How do I register my child?
Boys (mites) and girls (U8) can register at any of the designated sessions (held in September). Click on registration on the left for details.  Representatives from the programs will be available during every session to answer any questions you may have about the program.
 
NOTE: All registrations for the WHA hockey program must be accompanied by a copy of the official birth certificate for the participant. If your child participated in the WHA last year, we have a birth certificate on file. If your child is new to the program, USA Hockey requires us to get and keep get a copy of the childs birth certificate before processing the registration forms.
 
At what level do I sign my child up for?
Those that are age 4 or new to skating (regardless of age) should sign up for mini-mites.  Those that are new to hockey but have some skating experience should sign up for level 1.  From there, the intention is for kids to move up one level each season (i.e. from mini-mites to level 1, from level 1 to level 2, etc.)  We do require that a child complete at least one full year at level 2 before registering for level 3. 

What is the "mini-mite" program?  How is it different from the other levels?
Mini mites is designed specifically for kids that are brand new to skating.  Learning to move with confidence on skates for the first time is a challenge.  Further, kids age 4 often have shorter attention spans than older kids.  As such, the mini-mite program is often just 1 day per week (occassionally 2 as well as some optional outdoor skates).  Further, the program is tailored to make sure that the kids have a great first experience with "hockey" as they learn to skate.

Will my child be placed with other children from his/her school? Can I sign my child up with a friend?
At mini-mites, level 1, and level 2, the program tries but does not guarantee that a child will play with others from the same school or friends. It is dependent upon number of teams, number of children registered, etc. Teams at level 3 will not necessarily be organized by neighborhood or school.
 
Why are the fees higher for each respective Level?
The amount of ice time is increased at each level. In addition, the Association sets the fees for mini-mites and level 1 below costs as an incentive to new participants.  

What is the refund policy if my child does not like it?
Refunds are available until Dec 1st.  If you decide to cancel before December 1, you will receive 50% of your registration money back.  All Refunds must be requested in writing to the Registrar: Brenda Bredeson
  320-231-3819 

The season begins in late October and ends in early March with a "Jamboree".  
 
How often do they practice?
Mini-Mites skate once per week (on Saturday or Sunday) and sometimes twice per week.  Level 1 and 2 usually skate twice per weekend (once on Saturday and once on Sunday) with an optional hour outside during January and February.  Level 3 skates an average of 3 times pre week.  Twice on the weekends and once during the week.
 
When do they practice?
Generally speaking, ice times are on Saturdays and Sundays between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.  However, given the huge demand for ice time at all levels of the Association, there may be situations where Mites and U8 teams practice outside of the time periods listed above.

Mite players are required to wear the following equipment:

• Certified Helmet and facemask
• Mouth guard (trim with scissors and mold to teeth to make it comfortable)
• Shoulder pads
• Elbow pads (make sure they don't slip up or down)
• Cup/pelvic protector
• Knee/Shin pads
• Hockey socks and garter (some cups include a pair of shorts with velcro to hold socks up, so no garter in this case)
• Breezers (pants)
• Skates (hockey skate boot. Stiff ankle support when laced tight).
• Gloves (hockey gloves. need the hard thumb protection offered by a hockey glove, in particular)
• Stick
  • if buying for first time and your child does not appear to hold a stick naturally one way or the other, try the dominant hand (hand kid throws with) at top of stick.
  • if throws right, buy left-handed stick.
  • if throws left, buy right-handed stick.
    • Otherwise you can try a straight stick, but the above rule-of-thumb for curved sticks usually works for kids who have not developed a preference either way, and a curved stick will help your kid hold onto the puck.
  • Cut the stick at the nose when child is wearing tennis shoes.
    • hold the stick against the front of the body with the bottom tip of the blade on the floor when standing straight. Mark the shaft of the stick where it touches the nose.
    • Cut the stick there.
    • DO NOT put a knob on the stick!
      • file or sand the cut edge.
      • put a layer or two of tape at the end to prevent glove wear and to provide a little friction for gripping with the top hand.
      • Your child should grip the stick such that the end of the stick rests against the base of the palm of the top hand, with the thumb and forefinger forming a 'V' on the shaft as the child looks down at the hand (much like a golf grip) A large knob prevents this, and motivates holding the stick like a baseball bat, which is NOT correct.
        • Imagine batting with the knob of the bat in your palm. This is how we want to hold the hockey stick with the top hand. A knob makes this difficult, so we don't want a baseball bat-like knob on our hockey sticks.
  • Stick Purchase recommendations: $25 neighborhood
    • Look for pattern names in the list below on any number of wooden Youth sticks. We do NOT recommend the Junior sticks (smallest shaft). Junior sticks tend to roll in the hand and thus do not promote good grip development.
      • The patterns describe the curve of the stick and the "lie" of the blade against the ice. A good lie is most important, as it prevents the puck from slipping under the stick. To keep it simple, even for the less expensive wooden sticks, look for the pattern names on the "$50 and up" list. These patterns work well in the hands of small kids.
        • For example, Montreal makes some $25 youth sticks with "European" patterns that are ideal for Mites.
  • Stick purchase recommendations: best-in-class sticks ($50 and up).
    • Most Mite 1's, Mite 2's, and many Mite 3's will not benefit much from these sticks, as power shooting is not possible until good balance is acheived, but here is information if you want to buy the best possible stick technology for your child.
    • Hockey stick technology has advanced greatly over the past decade, so much so that it has changed the way we coach passing and shooting. We follow the advice or our resident shooting and puck-work expert, Scott Bjugstad in recommending the following sticks. Some of these sticks (one-piece or shaft-and-blade combinations) will appear expensive, relative to a wood stick nearby on the rack. However, these composite sticks will last years at the mite level, and can be extended with a long wooden plug as your child grows.
      • Mite stick recomendations are all junior 50 flex or 52 flex depending on the company. These flex and pattern recommendations work well for our small stature mites...
        • Bauer vapor xx or xxx Lindro's pattern.
        • Easton Synergy SL (Red Bottom grip) Iginla Pattern.
        • Warrior Dolimite Draper Pattern.
        • Bauer Vapor XV shaft, Montreal M55 European Pattern (Wood Blade)
  • Older mites, we do focus on developing stick skills (puck handling, passing, shooting).  We spend most of our time on skating skills, so focussed one-on-one shooting and puck-work instruction is not a consistent focus for the Mite program. In fact, it is difficult for us to accomplish because one-on-one time is nearly impossible with so many kids on the ice.
    •