Metro West Force Tryouts 2021-2022

Competitive Female Hockey Tryout & Evaluations

The Metro West Force Hockey Association wants the entire tryout process to be a positive experience for everyone involved.  It can be a stressful time for players and families so please become familiar with the information below, as we hope it will answer most of your questions.

Metro West offers three levels of Hockey "AAA", "AA", "A" (for U11 only) and "C" With three different levels of hockey, it is imperative for families to prepare for all possible outcomes.  Building unrealistic expectations prior to the process can have undesirable effects and spoil what could be a positive year for the player.

To ensure the process runs as smoothly as possible, the following procedures MUST be adhered to:

Any inquiries during and after the tryouts must be addressed to the MWF VP of operations (contact info below).  No other coach, evaluator, assistant or executive member will entertain any issues relating to individual players.  No phone calls or emails will be accepted until 24 hours have passed from the time of the placement posting.  Should you call or email regarding placement of your child within the 24 hour period, your inquiry will not be heard.

If the Tryout Coordinator feels the matter needs further review, he/she will then consult with Metro West Executive. In extreme cases, the matter may be referred to members of Hockey Nova Scotia for advice prior to final decision by the Metro West Chair.  There will be no opportunity for individual player feedback on tryout scores during or after the process.  Harassing or threatening calls/e-mails will not be tolerated.  They will be reported to the Metro West Executive Committee and action will be taken immediately. Hundreds of hours have been dedicated by volunteers to provide a fair process to place players on the Metro West Force teams.  Please respect their time and feel free to thank them for providing the opportunity to ice competitive teams and develop young athletes.

It is the player’s responsibility to check the website for his/her next scheduled tryout session.  All information will be posted on the website. We will attempt to provide all players at least 24 hours advance notice of their next ice session; however, this may not always be possible. 

Expectations for Competitive Hockey

We understand that many players are involved in other sports or activities and we would like to encourage that whenever we can.  However, hockey is a team sport and coaches and teammates expect that all parents and players will be committed to their respective hockey team.  Our coaches strive to deliver a fair play program that provides an opportunity for all players to develop.  For this to happen, we expect players to attend all practices and team sanctioned events.  Naturally, there will be situations that will lead to missed practices or events.  Please understand that players who regularly miss practices will also miss out on development opportunities which could lead to the potential for reduced playing time during games.

• AA and AAA teams will have 2 or more on ice practices per week plus dryland training. Practices are not optional and players are expected to be there.
• A, AA and AAA teams may have multiple games per week.
• All MWF teams are part of provincial leagues (except U7 & U9), potentially covering associations from Cape Breton to Yarmouth. A may be in provincial leagues as well at some levels.
• A, AA and AAA teams may have additional fund raising requirements.
• Parents also need to form a team and each do their part to ensure the success of the team. Any parent that does not contribute to the teams financially agreed upon objectives and or fundraising efforts can have their child's playing privileges revoked.

Please take note - If you and/or your player are not prepared to commit to the above, please advise the Zone Tryout Coordinator immediately in order to allow another player the opportunity.

Overview

The on ice evaluation process will be conducted by the evaluation committees for each division.  Non-biased evaluators from our female hockey evaluation committee will do the evaluation scoring.  Scores will be tabulated for each player to provide an overall score. This score will be used to in part to create balanced teams at each level.

At the AAA/AA/A level evaluations (mandatory for all players registered in the competitive tryout process, each player will be scored at each session.  These scores will be the determining factor to determine cuts to AA, A or C.

During tryouts, parents, siblings, guardians, friends or other interested parties are not permitted without special permission:

• In the arena
• in the dressing room,
• near the player benches,
• outside the door of the dressing room,
• inside the doors (lower and upper) to the playing surface where tryouts are happening at BMO and
• near evaluators wherever they are located during a session

Failure to adhere to these rules will result in disciplinary action determined by the Executive Committee.

Players WILL KEEP their jerseys until the end of the tryout process.  Not returning these will result in a $50 charge that must be paid before the player is named to a team and will result in the player’s score not being counted for the session.  This equipment is shared across multiple sessions and is required to be in the possession of the tryout coordinators when not in use during the session.

AAA/AA TRYOUT PROCESS

The goal of the evaluation process is to determine the best level where each player should play with MWF. The MWF evaluation committee reserves the right to change the format of the tryout process at any time in order to gather further information that will aid in the selection process. E.g. changing a session from 4 vs 4 to 5 vs 5 or half ice versus full ice.

Process for all divisions

The process is designed to evaluate the fundamental skill set of a player and give each player an opportunity to display these skills in game competition. Evaluators are not given players’ names; are encouraged not to share opinions; and are not provided with the other evaluators’ scores. Major discrepancies between evaluators are rare but will be investigated and if needed player’s history may be used. Players from other female Zone’s MHAs may be permitted to tryout with Metro West FHA based on HNSFC Regional Directors decisions that take into account the availability of teams in an area among other criteria.

Goalies

All goalies are to attend all their group sessions for skills and inter-squad games, along with separate goalie evaluations.

Goalies will be assessed in in all player’s sessions and a separate goalie session.

Stage 1 (Skills session)

All players will participate in a skills session.  Players will be scored on all drills completed in the session.  There will be skating, puck handling, 1 vs 1 and 2 vs 2 small space battle drills.  Players will be scored in compete level, decision-making, second efforts and creativity displayed for all drills.  Evaluator’s scores will be averaged and recorded.  Evaluator’s scores will be averaged and recorded.

Scoring from the first three (3) sessions will help create the teams for the following sessions games.  Groupings will change prior to the Intrasquad games and may change between Intrasquad game 1, 2 and 3.

Stage 2  (Inter-squad games) 3 vs 3

The next session will consist of Intrasquad games played where, at times, the bench flow may be adjusted to give the evaluators a chance to see designated players in head to head match ups.
The evaluators will be looking for a player’s decision-making, second efforts and creativity as well as individual skating and puck skills.

Stage 3 (Inter-squad games) 4 vs 4

The next session will be a half ice or full ice 4 vs 4 consisting  of Intrasquad games played where, at times, the bench flow may be adjusted to give the evaluators a chance to see designated players in head to head match ups.

Player releases to the AA/A/C level, as well as players being selected to the AAA levels, will occur after Stage 3.

Stage 4 & 5  (Inter-squad games) 4 vs 4 and /or 5 vs 5

These players will compete in at least two games.  Athletes may be reassigned within teams between the games to give competitive match ups.  Final cuts will be determined after these games.  After this stage is completed, players will be assigned to AAA, AA, A and C teams.

MWF may add on additional tryout sessions in order gain additional information for team selections.

Once the required number of players are confirmed, the MWF Head Coaches an Assistant Coaches can be confirmed. Team assignments will be decided by a MWF selection Committee in consultation will the head coaches.  No team draft will occur.

Special Note for all Players

For U13-U18 divisions, players will be required to declare a position prior to tryouts.  Metro West Executive reserves the right to meet with players and their families regarding a change in position, i.e. evaluation staff feel that a player may be better as a defenseman than a forward or vice versa, thus having the best players play at the highest level based on skill.  Parents cannot request a position change after the commencement of tryouts.
 
C Process
Families and players can choose to enter the C division and not participate in the competitive tryout process. All C teams will be balanced at the commencement of the competitive tryout process
 
Other notes

Parent Head Coaches will not be appointed until their child has secured a spot on the specific team.  Notification of adjustments to the rosters will again be posted on the website.  This will take place only after the scores have been processed, cross referenced and discussed. Every year we hear comments that this takes too long.  We can assure you that we are going as fast as we can.

Injured Players

Inevitably and unfortunately some players become injured during the process and/or sometimes before tryouts begin. This can result in a very difficult situation for everyone involved (injured players, parents, players this player is competing with, evaluators and Zone Executive).  When this happens, we attempt to place the player at the appropriate level base on a number of qualitative factors:

• Where did the player play last season?
• Spring Identification sessions
• How did he/she develop during that year?
• How was the injured player’s performance at the end of the previous season relative to the other players on his/her team?
• The player may be compared to another undisclosed, like-skilled player so that a score can be given and used in tabulating a final score.
• Discussion with prior coaches for other qualitative factors.
• In all, a complete effort for fairness of all involved is the goal.

Injured players must be able to return to play by Dec. 1st to be placed on a competitive team.

This means a player with an injury will have to submit a doctor’s note.  The doctor’s note must include the expected return to play date.

Missed session

If a player misses a scheduled session without prior approval from the MWF VP of Operations, they will be given a score of '0' for that session, which, in turn will be used in the final scoring.  Requesting to miss a session should be very rare and in exceptional circumstances only. Each situation would be considered independently, as each player and circumstance is individually different.

Contact Information

Mike Almond
MWF VP Operations
vp@metrowestforce.com
 
Andrew Bourgeois
MWF President
president@metrowestforce.com