WMHA REP TEAM EVALUATION PROCESS

Introduction

The rep player selection process offers a valuable opportunity for all participants, though not everyone will be selected. While this can be a stressful time, it's also a chance for growth and learning for players, parents, coaches, and the dedicated volunteers who coordinate the WMHA rep player evaluations each year. This policy aims to ensure everyone understands the process, along with their rights and responsibilities, so that the experience can be as positive and constructive as possible for all involved.

What are the Rep Player Evaluations?

The Rep Evaluation Process involves observing hockey players in action on the ice and assessing the players’ hockey skills compared to a group of peers. This process helps the Association group the hockey player in the most appropriate level of competition (the team) they will play on during the year. The main purpose of the evaluation process is to benefit all players as it seeks to ensure players have opportunities to develop at an appropriate level of competition and play on a team that is appropriate for players’ abilities, skills and objectives.
The individuals who conduct the evaluations make every effort to be objective and consistent with the goals of the evaluation process in mind. That being said, there is no such thing as a perfect evaluation process as different people have different views of a particular hockey player’s ability. Every player is always welcome to try out for any level within their age group. If a player prefers not to play rep level hockey, they are not required to go through the evaluation process. If a player does not wish to be assigned to a particular team, they must advise the Association in writing (email or other written form) prior to the announcement of the working groups. Unless approved by the Association, a player who does not advise the Association prior to the announcement of the working groups shall be required to play for the team they are placed on.
A player who does not register for and attend evaluation sessions will be placed on the lowest level team for their age group. Many players choose this route every year.

The Goals of the Evaluation Process

While this is an exciting time of year, it can also be a stressful time or a time of worry for players, parents, and coaches. To help make the experience less stressful and more enjoyable please note some of our evaluation goals:

To place all players at an appropriate level so they may have a fun and rewarding experience during the hockey season.
To ensure the evaluation process is objective, fair and has the best interests of all players and the Association in mind.
To help manage expectations and minimize stress for players and parents by clearly communicating the evaluation process. The registration is typically scheduled for late August for U15 and U18 and first week of September for U11 and U13 although this deadline may be adjusted for teams with earlier tryout dates.

Registration for Rep Evaluations

Players interested in attending rep evaluations must complete the separate rep evaluation registration, distinct from the regular season registration. Please note that this deadline may be adjusted for teams with earlier tryout dates.
A player registering for rep evaluations must elect to try out for either goalie or skater. Those who elect to try out as skaters in the U11, U13, U15 and U18 divisions will be asked to further indicate a preference to play either forward or defence. A player will be assessed based on their position preference until working groups are formed, where coaches may ask a player to play forward or defence depending on the needs of their team.
Before participating in the rep evaluation sessions, players must be fully registered with the WMHA, have paid all required fees, and have met all requirements of the PCAHA, BC Hockey, Hockey Canada and the IIHF in order to play rep hockey with the WMHA.
Female Hockey Only (Female Rep Tryouts) - Female players and goalies from Squamish or Britannia Beach who wish to participate in female rep evaluations with WMHA will be required to complete the player transfer form and register with WMHA in advance of tryouts. This ensures they receive the same evaluation opportunities as all other players. Once the transfer is complete, these players will be considered full members of WMHA and eligible for all female representative ‘A’ team opportunities.
Players who have not completed the requirements in this section will not be allowed on the ice for a rep evaluation session.

U11 Pre-requisite for Rep Evaluations

Players in U11 are mandated by Hockey Canada to follow the U11 Pathway, which encourages players to participate in four non-evaluated ice sessions prior to their first evaluation session. These skates will take place during WMHA’s Back to Hockey camp during the first week after Labour Day. While attendance is strongly recommended, it is not mandatory. Please bring your own jersey to these skates, as jerseys will not be provided. Registration for the Back to Hockey Camp is required to participate in these evaluations.

What to Expect and What is Expected During Evaluations

Players registered for evaluations must attend every evaluation session. When a player cannot attend an evaluation, or needs to arrive late or leave early, they should contact the Coach Coordinator or Development Coordinator at least 24 hours prior to the session. Any health or other issues that may impact the player’s evaluation must be discussed with the Coach Coordinator or Development Coordinator at least 24 hours prior to the session.

The Coach Coordinator and Development Coordinator will address these situations on a case by case basis at their discretion.

Players will be evaluated based on the position they signed up for in their evaluation registration. Goalies are required to attend the goalie only evaluation session and the player evaluation sessions. Players who are interested in goaltending and playing out must advise the Coach Coordinator and Development Coordinator at least 48 hours before the evaluation sessions begin. Goaltenders should expect to be evaluated at every session and not just at the goaltender evaluation session. At check-in, each player will receive a jersey with an assigned number. Evaluators will refer to the jersey color and/or number to assess each player's performance. Players should not switch jerseys with other players unless instructed by evaluators, and they should ensure that their jersey number is visible at all times—this means not tucking in the jersey and keeping hair clear of the number. Goaltenders are asked to wear their number on the front. To streamline the process players will keep their jerseys overnight and return them after the final ice session of the tryout process.

Generally, the first evaluation session will involve primarily skills and drills, and the second and third sessions will incorporate game situations and/or scrimmages.

General Procedures of Rep Evaluations

The plans for the on-ice sessions will be designed by the Director of Development Hockey (DODH) in collaboration with the Coach and Development Coordinators. The plans may incorporate various combinations of hockey skills and drills as well as scrimmages in order to allow the evaluators and coaches to appropriately assess the players’ skills and overall playing abilities.
A schedule for the rep evaluation sessions will be prepared following the close of the registration period and will be posted online to the WMHA website. Email notifications will be sent to all players who have registered for Rep evaluations.
In preparation for evaluations, the WMHA Registrar will prepare lists of all those who applied for rep hockey (by division) and players will be divided into groups alphabetically within each age division of approximately equal size for the evaluation sessions. Goalies will potentially move around to ensure there is at least one per team.
Players may be reassigned following the first ice session to ensure teams are balanced for game situations and/or scrimmages.
All U11 and U13 games will have a 75 second shift buzzer to ensure all players get equal ice time. Benches will have supervisors to ensure no kids are cutting lines.
Players must wear all protective equipment, including a CHA approved neck guard, during evaluations. Any player found not wearing all of the required protective equipment must be sent off the ice and must not be permitted to return until he/she has put on the missing approved equipment.
Players must wear their assigned evaluation jersey for each evaluation session.

Evaluators

Evaluators are selected annually by the DoDH in collaboration with WMHA Board of Directors to assess and score each player. These scores are then used to form Working Groups.

Evaluators are formally reviewed by the President to ensure that no conflict of interest exists.

They possess a high level of hockey knowledge and experience.
Evaluators are not provided with player names, scoring is done based on evaluation of jersey numbers, which is then provided for data entry.
Each division will have a minimum of three evaluators, with the goal of including at least one external evaluator who has no connection to WMHA whenever possible. If an external evaluator is not available, every effort will be made to ensure a fair and unbiased assessment process.
Evaluators may include the head coaches of that division's rep teams, provided they are not parents of players in the division. Assistant coaches may also be included in the evaluation process.
A lead evaluator will be appointed by the DoDH to each division to ensure that every player receives a thorough evaluation and that all evaluation criteria are properly considered.
Goalie evaluation skates will be managed and assessed by a Goalie Coach.
The same goalie coach will be responsible for evaluating the goalies during the scrimmage games.
The North end of the Upper viewing area will be closed to all parents, and will be for Evaluators only.
Each evaluator should be in their own space.
Evaluators must complete and submit their own independent scores prior to discussion among evaluators.
The DoH or committee, will oversee the evaluations, review scores for consistency or discrepancies, and discuss the recommendations with the committee of evaluators.

Player Evaluation Process, Criteria & Scoring

The goal of the Rep Selection Policy is to fairly and consistently evaluate players for the purpose of selecting players to represent WMHA in the Rep Hockey Program.
All players will participate in a minimum of 3 ice sessions during the evaluation process: these will include an on- ice skills session and internal scrimmages. If and when players are assigned to a working group, they should expect to have a minimum of two additional ice times consisting of practices and internal scrimmages.
Each player participating in the evaluations will be assessed confidentially for their appropriate team level. After the evaluations, working groups may be formed for teams within each age group.
Underage players and players from other associations:
1. Out-of-Catchment Players (Integrated): Players from outside the WMHA catchment area may request to be evaluated for team placement. These requests will be considered on a space-available basis. WMHA reserves the right to accept or decline any player not within its catchment.
2. Underage Players within WMHA (Integrated): If a player wishes to play in a higher age group within WMHA, they must rank within the top 3 players during evaluations to be considered for placement. In the event of multiple teams (e.g., A1 and A2), the underage player can only challenge for a position on the A2 team and must rank within the top 3 players in that cohort.
3. Female Only: Due to the size of the female program, allocations have been made to ensure the sustainability and growth of female hockey in the association:
  1. Divisions and Underaged Players:
    - Females will be grouped into two zones - Junior(U11/U13) and Senior(U15/U18). A player trying out for a representative ‘A’ team in their zone (Junior or Senior) will not be subject to tryout challenge restrictions based on age division. If a Junior zone player challenges a Senior zone tryout, they will need to meet the established WMHA tryout policy.
    - An underaged player may displace a true-age player if the above conditions have been met and there is a female team within the displaced player's zone to play on. If there is not, the true age player will retain priority over the underage player.
  2. Geographical Boundaries
    - Female players from Squamish and Britannia Beach must complete a player transfer form and register with WMHA. Once this process is complete, they will be considered full members of WMHA and will have the same opportunities as all other players to participate in representative ‘A’ female team tryouts.
    - EXCEPTION: if only a single representative ‘A’ team is formed (or a competitive ‘C’ team folds and only a representative ‘A’ team is declared), transfer players will only be accommodated if space is available and then, in order of score. In the event of only a single competitive ‘C’ team, oversized rosters will be considered to accommodate more players. In these exception cases, Whistler players (within their female zone- Senior(U15/U18) or Junior(U11/U13) will be given priority.
Each player will receive a 1, 3 or 5 score in each of the categories.
- Score of 1: The player shows developing foundational skills but needs further growth to meet the higher-level team requirements.
- Score of 3: The player demonstrates solid skills, performing well within their age group, and is a strong candidate for team placement.
- Score of 5: The player displays exceptional skills, consistently excelling and standing out as a top contender for a higher-level team.
Player shall be assessed based on their technical skills and performance in the rep evaluation sessions, based on:
- Skating
- Passing / Receiving
- Puck Control
- Positional Play / Teamwork
- Scoring / Shooting
- Checking / Competitiveness
- Hockey Sense
- Work Ethic
- Sportsmanship
Each evaluator will independently record their scores, which will then be averaged across all evaluators. This process will generate an automated overall average score for each player, resulting in a ranked list based on these averages.
Goalies will be evaluated by Goalie Coaches during the practices, games, and goalie skates.
Goalies shall be assessed based on their technical skills and performance during the rep evaluation sessions, based on:
- Skating
- Mobility
- Positioning
- Save Selection
- Reactions / Reflexes
- Rebound Control
- Puck Handling
- Focus / Response
- Work Ethic / Competitiveness

Evaluation Process – Conflict of Interest

In the event the President or any Board Director has a child in the rep evaluation process, an alternate Board Director will be assigned to oversee that age division.
No parent, friend or relative of a player participating in the rep evaluation process shall offer any sponsorship, financial incentive or other benefit to a team or to the coach of a team in connection with or during the evaluation process.

Team Selection Process

All players will participate in a minimum of 3 ice sessions during the evaluation process: these will include an on- ice skills session and internal scrimmages. For players assigned to a working group, they should expect to have a minimum of two additional ice times consisting of practices and internal scrimmages. For the U11, U13, U15, and U18 rep teams, players will be notified by email regarding their placement following the final evaluation session. In cases where a working group is formed, the email will specify the player's working group placement.

Any player movement after these initial postings will be communicated by the coaching staff or Association in a manner they deem appropriate. Although final rosters are submitted to the PCAHA in mid-September, players may be moved from or to a team until early January. Players may be moved down or up a level in a variety of circumstances including, but not limited to, poor attendance, poor attitude, failure to fully disclose availability to attend practices or games, etc.

The head coaches are entitled to release players from the rep working group, they are also entitled to call up players from the next level working group, as they deem appropriate.
The Head Coach of the teams, as applicable, will decide which players make their respective teams. Where a head coach is not in place during the working group practices, the Association will make other arrangements. Coaches may elect to continue with a working group in whatever format they consider necessary in order to further evaluate.
In the event of a volunteer parent coach, the DoDH in collaboration with the coach will make the final decision.
The total number of players, and the number of players for each position a team carries, is subject to the approval of the President and Registrar based on the numbers within the division in consultation with the Head Coach.
At times, due to numbers players may be assigned to a C level team even when their ability would allow them to play on a rep team in a larger association. We are committed to develop these players through affiliation with rep teams and providing opportunities for additional practices, training and at times games or events.
Any player that is released prior to or following the second working group practice of the team will be automatically placed on the next level team.
Decision deadline; final assignments will be confirmed no later than 7 days following the start of the tryout process.
1. The recreational program relies on the rep program to release players to the recreational program in time to allow those players to be placed on recreational teams with minimal impact to the balancing process. Any variation in any of the deadlines above must be approved in advance by the Director of Development Hockey and President.
2. If a team has not made its final releases by the deadlines noted above, or any extension granted to those deadlines, then the DoDH may make releases in order to bring the team to the approved roster size.
3. Each head coach upon releasing a player must notify the following persons of the names of the released players: Registrar, DoDH, VP, President, and other coaches for that division.

The Commitment if Selected to a Rep Team

Players on rep teams demonstrate advanced playing abilities and skills, a desire to excel, a strong commitment to developing as a player and as part of a team, and a competitive spirit while having fun playing. Players should expect to practice at least eight times per month on average and also participate in additional on and off ice training, conditioning, and development initiatives.

The time commitment required of Rep level players is much greater than for players on recreational level teams. Rep level players are expected to have close to full participation for all team practices, games, and functions during the season from September to late March. Full disclosure of any external conflicts that may potentially limit a player’s ability to fully participate must be made on the Disclosure Document submitted prior to the first evaluation. A player who cannot make the required time commitment, regardless of their abilities and skills, should not expect to take away a spot on the team from another player and may have to move to a lower level team.

Upon being selected to a rep team, a player will be required to pay a “rep team” fee to the Association for, among other things, additional Association ice time that the rep teams will receive. Additional fees and expenses will also be required to be paid for by players for a variety of matters that could include coaching costs, ice times for the team over and above allotted times, additional on and off ice training, conditioning and developmental initiatives, tournament fees, travel costs, etc. The financial commitment required for a Rep level player is greater than for players on recreational level teams.

Rostering

Rosters for all rep teams shall be submitted to the WMHA Registrar within 48 hours of the deadlines noted above for final releases.
>No player will be rostered with a rep team unless and until the appropriate rep fees have been paid. A player who has failed to pay the rep fee after being asked to do so shall not practice or play with that rep team. In the event that non-payment continues for seven days following written notice of such failure to the parent or guardian of that player, the player shall be immediately assigned to a recreational team
No player will be rostered with a rep team until that player has submitted a signed commitment policy document, signed Player Code of Conduct and signed Parent Code of Conduct.
No release can be made after teams have been rostered without the permission of the President. After this date, coaches are expected to make a commitment to work with each member of their team.

Parent Responsibilities

Parents are reminded to adhere to the WMHA code of conduct as well as the following:

Evaluators are not to be approached or communicated with directly about the evaluation or player’ score / performance.
Remain in designated viewing areas during the evaluation process
Issues must be resolved through the conflict resolution process, to the “24-hr no contact” rule.
Review online and printed material related to the evaluation process, be educated before your player participates.

Parents are Encouraged to Help

Without support and assistance from parents, the evaluation process cannot proceed. As parents, you can help the evaluation process by:

Explaining to your child what evaluations are. Many players do not know what the process is and what it accomplishes. You can tell your hockey player they are constantly developing as a hockey player and evaluations are a time for skills to be recognized so they can be placed on the appropriate team. Tell your hockey player to showcase their current level of development by trying their best each time they go on the ice. Remember it is not the individual (as a person) being assessed but rather their specific hockey skills in relation to their age and experience. These skills - such as skating, stickhandling, shooting, passing, and checking - are evaluated each year because they evolve over time. The Association simply needs to gauge where players currently stand in these areas.
Getting your child to the arena at least 45 minutes before the start of evaluation sessions to allow for check in, personal warm up to prevent injury, and time to change.
Encouraging your child to be dressed and ready to go on the ice 5 minutes prior to their evaluation time. This will give on-ice instructors and coordinators the chance to explain the session to the players if needed.
Stay positive. Support your child throughout the process. Don’t try to be their coach and do not sweat the small stuff – it’s the beginning of the year. They may fall, may not be in top shape, and may miss cones or passes. It’s all part of hockey. Be positive and help your child enjoy the time on the ice.
On scheduled dates, Association representatives will be present at sign-in and information tables in the arena. For each evaluation session, parents are required to assist with check-in and may serve as den parents, helping to supervise the players.
Administrators will email parents to determine which sessions they can assist with.

Communication Guidelines

Parents are not to contact WMHA coaching staff or executive board until the final selections for each team have been made. Requests for additional feedback or to dispute a selection must be submitted via email (info@whistlerminorhockey.com) and contain an outline of reasoning for the request/dispute.
At this stage parents could, based on the discretion of the DoDH, be providided the rankings of where their child fits in the overall evaluation process.
Any parent who does not follow these communication guidelines, harasses the hockey staff, or is disruptive within their assigned team will face a 2-week suspension from hockey related activities with WMHA.

Appeals

A player may appeal their release from a rep team. Any such appeal must:
1. Be made by notice given to the DoDH and the President;
2. Be given within 48 hours of the communication in which the release was communicated;
3. Be in writing, email acceptable (verbal appeals will not be accepted); and Clearly state the reasons for the appeal.
Such appeal may only be made on one of the following grounds:
1. The decision under appeal was influenced by bias;
2. Irregularities in the process leading up to the original decision are such that an unjust result may have resulted; or
3. The decision was clearly and without doubt unreasonable.
The notice shall be referred immediately to the President who shall appoint three persons to constitute a review panel (the “Panel”).
The Panel shall be composed of persons with no significant relationship with the appellant, who were not involved in the decision being reviewed, and who are free from bias or conflict.
The Panel shall consider the information contained in the notice of appeal, speak with the rep coaches for the division and the Coach Coordinator, review the Selection Committee rankings from the initial tryout sessions and any independent third party skills assessment, as well to provide the appellant with an opportunity to make any further submissions.

The Panel shall consider whether any of the grounds of appeal noted above have been established and, if so, what an appropriate remedy might be, and shall render their decision within 48 hours of being appointed.

Please feel free to contact WMHA President president@whistlerminorhockey.com with any of your evaluation process inquiries.