Another season is over and the dust has settled. My first year as president has been a great experience. No one really knows what goes on behind the scenes until you are in the director’s seat, the learning curve was steep and I would like to thank all those who gave me their patience.

Our season started early, meetings with other associations began in August and there is a lot of discussion before any decisions are made. It is a big task to get things coordinated with the other associations as each has the needs of their membership to fulfill.

Things really get underway at NSDMHA in early September with registration. It takes a tremendous amount of work to get the kids categorized into groups and put into the online registry, calculate ticket credits and collect fees. At that point things are very hectic and every day seems to bring a new issue. The registrars are getting pretty burnt out. Even though the kids have not hit the ice countless hours have already gone into the process. By mid September our focus is to get the kids on the ice, set up schedules for coaches and do player evaluations. Next we move on to tryouts. It is quite a juggling act to get all the players on the ice using the two rinks in a very constrained time frame. (and the rink scheduler’s nerves are frazzled)

October is the most hectic month. The tryouts seem like they are never going to end and when they do understandably everyone is not always happy with the results. Trying to explain the results is not always a nice job, not a fun time for the evaluation coordinator. Just when you think everything is beginning to settle down, the tournament coordinator has a tournament request and a whole new set of tasks begin.

Once the teams get their rosters completed then everybody needs equipment, first aid kits, and jerseys so the equipment coordinator gets into high gear.

Now we need coaches, managers, ticket coordinators, and trainers, for every team. All the coaching staff needs to be certified, child abuse and criminal record checks have to be coordinated, at this point the risk management coordinator is on high alert. Now the division coordinators are on the phones calling all players for novice, atom, pee wee, bantam, midget and female hockey. Before we know it Sunday has arrived and the ticket coordinators have 15,000 tickets and credits to account for. Then somebody says we need a checking clinic and the development team steps in.

November, December and January are relatively quiet months, unless it snows and that brings with it a whole new set of issues. The discipline committee meets to resolve some disputes, but most every thing is running smoothly at this point.

Just as we catch our breath February roars in and with it comes playoff season. Besides trying to coordinate things in our own rinks we have to consult with the other associations and that is like trying to crack the Divinci Code ! I have been around long enough to know that some other teams and associations don’t bother to coordinate schedules with others, and then the blame game starts, this year was no exception.

Along comes March and the season is coming to a close. March break is upon us and by then we are scratching our heads wondering what to do with all the surplus ice time that no team seems to want. Then there are finances to be balanced and awards to be considered.

After a busy and rewarding season I would like to thank most of all the parents and guardians of the kids, you are the backbone of the association; your participation makes the wheels turn.

Thanks to Carla for a great job as office administrator and registrar. This year was a very trying one for you but you never let us down. Cheryl Rendell, what would I have done without your help? No one knows the countless hours and effort you bring to our association. Gordie McGean, thanks for being the voice of reason. Even I know I have to be put in my place every once and a while and you were the man for that job. Sheri Campbell, you made it easy for me, your job as equipment manager and certification coordinator never ends, you never missed a beat. Shane Ryan you had the job of evaluation coordinator and POP coordinator, your meticulous attention to detail insured things ran smoothly.

Darryl Baxendale, no one worked harder than you to promote female hockey. Scott MacMullin , as atom coordinator you had to work with a lot of parents and kids, who were finally getting to play, and all the questions that come with that, thanks for a great job. Blaine Penny you had the Pee Wee division, never an easy task, thank you for all your effort. Thank you to Charlie Johnston our Bantam coordinator and representative on the Cape Breton Hockey League. Mike Bishop had Midget, a division where the kids are no longer kids, and they dictate a new set of rules. Thanks for your perseverance Mike. John MacPhee our development coordinator, you made some great inroads with development, took on the task of creating a new program for defense skills and brought video technology to the ice sessions, thank you. Harold Marsh, goal tender development your dedication showed. Peter Keagan, discipline committee, checking clinic coordinator, both were jobs that required a lot of patience and planning. Thanks to Troy Jenkins for stepping up to coach the Pee Wee A team and congrats on coaching them to a provincial title. John Hardy- Vice Predident, coach mentor, discipline, jack-of-all-trades, what can I say. You left no stone unturned, took on all the issues, there is no way I could have done it without you, many thanks. A big thank you to Urban Day, Peggy MacDonald, Deanna Tobin and Cheryl for their unwavering support of the weekly minor hockey draw. Thank you to our Referee in Chief Dave Ivey and Regional Director Fred Howard.

Thank you to my family who supported me throughout the year, never complaining when I couldn’t attend their events because I had hockey business.

I knew going into this job it was dangerous but I took it anyway. There were big shoes to fill. It is not easy to follow Freddie Howard, Gordie McGean and Rosemary Murrin. I hope I can say I did ½ as much as they did for this association.

If I missed anyone, and no doubt I did, I apologize. It takes many people and volunteer hours to accomplish all the goals of our Hockey Association. I have appreciated your talent, expertise and time. You have all been an integral part of providing a safe, happy and successful year for our players.

Sincerely,

Joe Peck

President, NSDMHA

President's Report - 2015-2016

About Us

Information

Search