A letter from PYH, February 28, 2022
PYH Families,
We are approaching the end of our 49th season of Pembroke Youth Hockey! While the official season (i.e. ice time) extends to April 21st, our final games will be coming to a conclusion over the next few weeks. Please continue to view the PYH schedule on our website for your ice times. Thank you to the many coaches, board members, and parents for your support during this season both on and off the ice. We were able to be close to 100% back to normal and provide the setting for a great experience for our kids. Thanks to SGPhoto, we have the pictures to prove it!
In preparation for the 2022-2023 season, we say HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY to PYH and are launching registration today. This is a bit earlier than over the past few years as we adjust to moving tryouts for our younger age groups to the spring. During the open board meetings with parents, this was a top request, and we listened.
Tryouts will take place across the first two weeks in April for; U10 & U12 Girls, Y8 Mites, Y10 Squirts and Y12 Peewees. Bantams Half and Full Season, Y16 & Y18 Midgets and U14 & U19 Girls tryouts will continue to take place in August. For more information please visit the PYH website.
Peewee and younger teams will be announced by April 15th while the divisions with August tryouts will have teams announced by August 22nd. As a reminder, we place an importance on the 2021-2022 season coach's evaluations of players (due April 1st) for future team placement. Coaches, please make sure to complete those in March. We also place importance on growth over the summer, taking a break from the rinks, and playing multiple sports. If necessary, the Board has the right to move players to different teams that originally placed on in early September before rosters are submitted to USA Hockey.
Different from past seasons, PYH members will be able to use their current season USA Hockey # to register in March. Post March 31, we will require you to input your new 2022 – 2023 USA Hockey #. Registration for next season will be open for 2010’s and younger until tryouts in April. Registration will remain open for 2009s and older through the end of April only.
Registration will reopen in May for all ages, but will include a $100 late fee. Additionally, any player 2010 and younger that registers post tryouts, will be assigned to the lowest level team in their age group. We do this to ensure fairness for all of those that do go through tryouts and register on time.
Pembroke Youth Hockey offers the following:
• Hockey for all Ages and Skill Levels, from Learn to Play to Midgets.
• Dedicated Girls program with teams at U10, U12, U14, and U19 levels. *Subject to change
• Discounts for full-time Goalies.
• April tryouts for 2010s and younger. August tryouts for 2009s and older.
• Weekly Sunday summer half ice 3v3s (May-August).
• Weekly team practices (September-April).
• Weekly / Bi-weekly age group skills led by Ben Travers, Skills coordinator (September-March).
• All practice & skill sessions played locally at Hobomock Arenas at consistent times.
• Weekly goalie / shooting clinic Saturday mornings (September-April).
• Weekend games (30 per full season team) played locally.
• Checking clinics (unlimited use of 2 PYH owned checking dummies by coaches).
• USA Hockey certified & trained coaches.
• Socks, practice jerseys, and 2 game jerseys ($100 included in tuition) - not half season goalies.
• $10K cash prize fundraising raffle and party held in February 2022 ($100 raffle ticket included in tuition).
• Participation in district playdowns & state tournament (separate fee).
• Partnerships with Salt Shack Crossfit, Adidas, and more.
• Weekly Summer power skating and stick handling sessions (April-August) - separate registration, all towns welcome.
• Weekly Summer Learn to Play Hockey sessions (April-August) - separate registration, all towns welcome.
• New this year - Weekly Middle School 3v3s Grades 6-8 Titan-Laker Cup Series Wednesdays 350pm & participation in Bog Friday night league (Sept-March) - tryouts in August (Sept-March) - separate registration, all towns welcome.
Choosing what is best for your player:
There are so many hockey choices available for your players, including club and private teams, school hockey, and other town offerings. Our goal at Pembroke Youth Hockey is to provide a safe, growth oriented, family friendly and stable environment for your players to learn the great sport of hockey through an affordable and enjoyable experience (and lower burnout rates). We are inclusive to everyone, regardless of age, experience, or skill level. Winning is secondary at PYH, with an extra emphasis on growth and development on and off the ice.
If looking at other programs, our most important advice is to ask the following questions: Who are the coaches and directors? What makes up their character? ARE THEY BRUTALLY HONEST or telling you what you want to hear? Do they care about you and your family or just your checkbook? What is the development plan? Practice:Games ratio? Ideally >3:1. Is the strategy all about the wins or to get the child ready for the next year on and off the ice? It should always be about development, fun, getting prepared for the next level, and learning life lessons. Be careful of playing too many games, taking too many trips, and not focusing on skills.
Tuition:
We do have a slight tuition increase for full season teams of approximately 5%, this is to match the expected increase in ice costs (by far our top expense) with the new ownership team at Hobomock and some other league rinks. We are lowering our tuition fees for our half season teams in order to support PYH as a feeder system for our local public high schools. We are thankful to Edge Sports Group for our ice partnership and appreciate the improvements they have already been making (hello LiveBarn!). Included in your tuition fee will be a home and away jersey purchase plus socks ($100 value) and a raffle ticket to our $10K cash prize annual fundraiser. Everyone will be required to pay a $200 registration fee when they sign up which goes towards the total cost of your player’s tuition. Payment plans will be active from April 15th thru August 15th, 2022. If a player chooses not to participate at PYH we will refund everything paid minus the registration fee no later than August 28th, 2022.
2021-2022 Tuition rates - which include jerseys (not half season goalies) and raffle tickets:
- $1000 1/2 Season U19 Girls, Y18 Midgets, Y16 Midgets
- $250 Goalie 1/2 Season U19 Girls, Y18 Midgets, Y16 Midgets
- $1750 U10 Girls, U12 Girls, U14 Girls, Y14 Bantam, Y12 Peewee, Y10 Squirts
- $500 Goalie U10 Girls, U12 Girls, U14 Girls, Y14 Bantam, Y12 Peewee, Y10 Squirts
- $1600 Y8 Mites
- $1100 U6 Mighty Mites
- $550 Middle School 3v3s – Grades 6-8, Co-Ed
- $650 Middle School Bog League Team – Grades 6-8, Co-Ed
***In order to receive the Goalie Discount, all goalies must attend all tryout sessions at their age level. Goalies must also have their own gear and commit to playing the position all season.
Family discount reminder. Discounts are applied to families that have 3 or more registrations in our program. Discounts are applied at 50% from oldest child to youngest child. Only one discount per child. If you already receive a goalie discount, that child is not eligible for a family discount.
Middle School Registration discounts. 3v3s + Bog Team discounted to $1050. Goalies are $350 if doing both. Does not count toward PYH season 3rd registration discount.
*All discounts will be adjusted after registration.
USA Hockey #’s:
A new USA Hockey Registration (IMR #) is mandatory to set rosters with USA Hockey and send them to our leagues. For anyone registering pre April 1st, you cann use your current # and then email our registrar your new 2022 – 2023 USA Hockey # before August 15th. The cost for a USA Hockey Number is not included within tuition and is not set by PYH. The number provides additional benefits and is also your annual on the ice insurance policy. PYH will reimburse all coaches for their IMR # cost once all annual coaching requirements are completed.
New this year:
New this season we will offer 2008s with a half season option. They will still play on a Bantam team but then be removed from the roster at the end of November. Rosters may move around slightly in December for remaining Bantams. This option is mostly for 2008s that will be playing high school hockey at some level. Also new this season we will have a Y16 Midget team that will play in the SSC Y16 B level division. This option is for 2007s and 2006s that choose not to play with 2005s and 2004s. Again, we want hockey to be for everyone.
New next season for all players in Grade 6-8 for the 2022-2023 School year: Middle School 3v3 Titan-Laker Cup on Wednesdays 3:50pm Rink 1 and also Middle School Teams playing in a Friday night league at the Bog in Kingston. This is not run by Pembroke Schools and not included in PYH season registration. Anyone in those grades is welcome to sign up. We’ll have tryouts for team placement in August. Discounts are available to players signed up for both programs.
Skills Development:
Optional Sunday Summer Half Ice 3v3s are currently scheduled May 1st through August 28th, 2022 @ Rink 2. Schedule: 8:00 AM – Y8 Mites (2014/2015) / U6 (2016/2017/2018). 9:10 AM – Squirts (2012/2013) / Peewees (2010/2011). 10:20 AM - Bantams (2008/2009) / Midgets (2004/2007). 11:30 AM - All Girls Only U10-U19 (2003/2013). There is no cost to anyone registered with PYH for the 2021-2022 season. Also, there is no coaching during 3v3s, only dropping pucks. We encourage fun & creativity all summer if you choose to attend.
PYH will again host Powerskating and Stickhandling with Ben Travers for 2 hours on Tuesday nights at Hobomock beginning May 3rd. We have 2 separate sessions for Y8 Mites and up, broken up by age groups. We will also again host a series of Learn to Play Hockey sessions for all new players aged 4-12 in 8/9 week increments. Anyone is welcome from any town to register. See our PYH website for registration options and more details.
Scholarship Fund:
Our Joseph Birolini and William Hickey PYH Scholarship Fund efforts are off to a great start and we have an upcoming Bruins Alumni Game at the Bog April 23rd for even more support! Tickets for that event are still available. Venmo @pembroke-youthhockey $20 per ticket for easiest method of purchase.
Volunteers make this all happen!
We are always looking for more volunteers and coaches. We cannot be successful without the help of our members. Please let us know if you are interested in volunteering at PYH.
Anyone interested in coaching (new or experienced), must complete a coaching application (found on the PYH website), and send to PYH Coaching Coordinator Matt Mulready via email (mulreadyd4g@yahoo.com). We would really like to have more female and non parent coaching candidates.
Thank you again for your continued commitment to our program, your feedback and ideas. We hope to see you again for the upcoming season. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the PYH Board directly or via email at info@pembroketitansyouth.org.
Thank you,
Pembroke Youth Hockey
