Chico Firebirds

2016/2017 Season

As an organization, we strive to maintain a constructive and competitive environment in which each skater can develop to their fullest potential.  We are committed to being competitive at the regional and national level.

Our goal is to field teams in all age groups with teams to compete at the highest appropriate level, “club”, “silver”, and/or potentially “gold”.

Season

Tournament hockey involves a commitment to an extended season. Each team will practice on average 1-3 hours each week and participate in one to two tournaments each month. All players are expected to attend all practices. If any conflicts arise with either practices or tournaments, they should be brought to the attention of the coaches as early as possible.

All players are expected to be available for the following events:

• Mandatory weekly practices
• Monthly tournaments throughout Northern California (December – June)
• NARCh Winternationals in San Jose, CA – mid January
• AAU Junior Olympics in Corona, CA – July
• NARCh Finals in Huntington Beach,CA or Estero, FL – June/July

 
Management

Chico Firebirds is North Valley Hockey’s competitive travel team, overseen by our travel director who is responsible for all decisions that are made in response to recommendations from the coaches and a committee of parent representatives from each team. Coaches from each team, together with parent representatives, coordinate activities both within the individual teams and between teams in the organization.

Coaches

Current coaching assignments for the coming season are still to be determined.

The travel director will determine the coaches at each level after reviewing all applications.

Eligibility

The travel program includes seven teams: Atoms (8 and under), Mites (10 and under), Squirts (12 and under), Peewees (14 and under), Bantams (16 and under), and Midgets (18 and under). In the past Chico Firebirds has fielded four teams: Mites (10 and under), Squirts (12 and under), Peewees (14 and under), and Bantams (16 and under). Player eligibility for the upcoming season is determined by their age on December 31st. Girls may play a year longer in each age group, e.g., 11 year-old girls may play in the "10s" division.

Fees

The organization is aggressively seeking fundraising opportunities to keep fees as low as possible. Nevertheless, tournament inline hockey remains an expensive activity. Total fees are calculated to pay for rink rental, tournaments and organizational costs. Families are expected to pay a Registration Fee ($25), a Deposit refundable, a Jersey Fee and Monthly Dues.

Full season fees: $600 to $1,400, depending on the tournament schedule chosen at the beginning of the season

There is a $250 Deposit due at tryouts. Monthly Dues are payable the first of each month.

Fees are set at a rate that is estimated to cover the cost of all practices and all tournaments. Excess fee payments are refundable at season’s end to players in good standing.

Fees cover a minimum of 3 practices and 1 tournament a month plus AAU Membership/Insurance.

Payments can be made to the team manager, travel director, by Paypal (on NVHSC website www.nvhockey.com ), or mailed to the address below:

NVHSC

250 Walsh Ave. 
PO Box 146
Hamilton City, CA 95951

Some tournaments may require an overnight stay and players are responsible for making their own arrangements, although team parents frequently help to coordinate travel plans.

A full explanation of monthly dues and where your money goes can be provided by the travel director.

Questions about billing may be directed to Laurene Rader at [email protected].

Uniforms

Players are responsible for purchasing their own jerseys from NVHSC, which include both home and away jerseys. Currently new jerseys are $60-120 per set (may be adjusted depending upon manufacturers prices) and used jerseys are $30-60 per set +/- depending on condition. Rental jerseys are available at $5-10 per tournament.

Some high level tournaments require matching pants.

High School Varsity / Jr. Varsity

There is an effort in California to encourage High School Athletic Federations to adopt Inline Hockey as an official "lettered" sport, equal in status to other high school sports. In order to promote this goal (not yet achieved) Sierra Inline Hockey League has been sponsoring Varsity and Jr. Varsity tournaments in the fall, usually consisting of three or four tournaments with a championship tournament in late December/early January. The rules for participation are generally the same as those for "age group" (Firebirds) hockey, except that:

• All players on a team must be students in good standing enrolled at the same high school (or its "feeder" junior high school). SIHL has relaxed this rule for programs, like ours, that can't field teams from each High School in our area. They require that all players be North Valley Hockey "born & bred".

• Seventh grade to twelfth grade students may participate, at either the Varsity or Jr. Varsity level.

North Valley Hockey has sponsored Varsity and/or Jr. Varsity teams for the past few years. Policies and costs are basically the same as those for the Firebirds except that a separate non-Firebirds jersey is used.