TO: All Female U13 and U15 players within PCAHA
FROM: Drew MacDonald, PCAHA Managing Director, Female Hockey


The PCAHA Female Hockey Committee is excited to announce the expansion of the PCAHA Female District Development Program. The program was first introduced in the 2018-2019 season for U15 (formerly Bantam) players. Interest and demand immediately outpaced the number of spots available, so in response, the Female Committee is expanding the program in both size and scope.

Starting this for the 2021-2022 season, the program will offer opportunities at U13 and U15 for high performance and development. The mandate of the program is to provide a pathway of excellence for players looking to challenge themselves and take their game to the next level, whether that is U18AAA, collegiate hockey or simply just maximizing their own potential. Participation in the program is open to all PCAHA-registered female players, whether playing in a female or integrated PCAHA league and the schedule will be structured around regular Female League play to minimize conflicts with a player’s club
team.

The program will launch with an Assessment and Development weekend where players will be evaluated and successful candidates placed on either a tournament team or a development group (Note – these teams and groups will be tiered). This scheduled for September 2-5 (Location TBD) pending the status of public health restrictions.

Some notable facts about the expanded program:

  • U13 – Two tournament teams (15 skaters + 2 goalies each) and two development groups (20 skaters + 2 goalies each)
  • U 15 – Two tournament teams (15 skaters + 2 goalies each) and two development groups (20 skaters + 2 goalies each)
  • Tournament teams to attend one AAA or AA tournament (dependent on the relaxation of pandemic restrictions) and have 4-5 high performance weekends with on-ice and dryland activities plus educational seminars or webinars on topics such as nutrition, education and sports psychology.
  • Development groups will have 4-5 development weekends with on-ice and dryland activities focussing on individual skills and tactics plus educational seminars or webinars on topics such as nutrition, education and sports psychology.
  • Highly qualified and high-level coaches, including skills coaches for skaters and goalies.
  • Input and contributions to the design and content of the program from some very prominent hockey people, including former US Olympian and Hockey Hall of Famer, Cammi Granato.
  • The program is a non-profit entity and that will be reflected in the cost relative to alternative high performance streams.

In summary, the program will offer high-level competition and development to players while allowing them to remain at home with their local schools and teams. On a larger scale, the program will foster growth and development of female hockey in the region while providing mentorship opportunities for females as players, coaches, referees and administrators.

We are currently accepting declarations of interest for participation in the upcoming season and hope to issue formal invitations to register at the end of June. To declare your interest in the program, please visit the link below and complete the form.

https://districtdev.pukeko.ca/interest

Yours Sincerely,

Drew MacDonald
PCAHA Managing Director, Female Hockey

 

Original Memorandum:  2021-2022 Female Program Announcement