Bearcat Expectations & Parent / Player Contract
What to expect from Bearcat Coaches:
Our Bearcat coaches’ goal is to help our players continue development as an athlete and person. We want to help the players create a passion and respect for the game of hockey. Coaches firmly believe that sport creates many lessons that will serve our athletes well away from the rink, and we will make those connections as much as possible.
Philosophy – Our focus will be to work hard, play with discipline, respect our opponents/officials, represent Bearcat with class and have fun! We will work hard in all aspects of the game and focus on outworking our opponents.
Player development vs. winning – Our plan is to play equal minutes the majority of the time and give kids the opportunity to develop in all facets of the game - IE roll all of the lines. At critical times in a game (power play, penalty kill, change a match up or the last few minutes of a game, etc.) there may be adjustments to the lineup to put the team in the best situation to win the game.
Discipline - Respecting teammates, opponents, coaches, and officials is always the expectation. When expectations are not met, players will sit out shifts. We will be firm, and demand good sportsmanship, teamwork, and systems play.
Gear - We have sponsorships. Those sponsors expect our players to wear their gear. If your player does not wear team approved gear - your player will sit out shifts until they are in proper gear. All players must have a neck guard otherwise they will sit out.
Fun – We love hockey and want the team to enjoy the game and develop a passion for the sport. The coaches think that comes from enjoying their time on the ice with their friends and giving them a positive experience. When we don’t play up to expectations or behave in appropriate ways, there will be lessons and consequences. We will demand their attention and commitment to accomplish our team goal.
Bearcat Expectations of Parents:
Please encourage your player to listen to the coaches and reinforce that hard work, effort, discipline, and commitment to getting better will be rewarded. The messaging about their on-ice play needs to come from the coaches. Anything other than that confuses the player, so please refrain from “coaching.”
- Positive reinforcement -
Your encouragement, support and positive reinforcement of your player’s growth is vital. Study and learn the game of hockey for yourself. Share the experience both on and off ice with your skater. Ask them questions about the game and getting them talking goes much further than giving them advice or “coaching” them in the car after the games. - Safe Sport -
All members of the coaching / team managers are certified with Safe Sport and USA Hockey. Please review the Safe Sport Manual for reference. This includes both on-ice as well as off-ice safety. In short, no form of any of the following shall be tolerated: sexual misconduct, physical or verbal abuse, emotional misconduct, bullying, threats, harassment, and other forms of misconduct. This is a zero tolerance policy. Violations of safe sport guidelines will be subject to immediate suspension of parents or players attending any further events. See https://www.usahockey.com/makingareport in order to make a report to USA Hockey Safe Sport. - Officials -
Please refrain from yelling at the officials. Understand that your voice from the stands is loud and clear on the ice and becomes embarrassing to the player and the team. The officials don’t change calls based on how we respond. Imagine being kicked out of a game (happens all the time) and the embarrassment that would cause you or your player/s. - Game time arrival -
It is our coaches expectation that your player be at the rink no less than 1 hour before game time to settle in, participate in team warm ups, get geared up / dressed and get the game plan. Some coaches/teams will be required to be - Games and locker room access - Your head coach will dictate who has locker room access. Only assistant coaches, team manager and those with valid safe sport registrations will be allowed in the locker rooms (at the coaches discretion). If you have young players which cannot get geared up - the coaches and assistant coaches will help.
- Expectations during games -
Our fans are expected to model the behavior we want our players to follow. We will be a respected organization and want other organizations to invite us back to their tournaments. We want other players (competing against us) to envy the Bearcat and want to join our organization / teams for future events. Yelling and coaching from the stands is not acceptable unless it’s positive and supportive of our players. Do NOT engage with "ignorant" parents from other teams or be vocal with officials/players/coaches/parents from the opposing team. Please DO NOT cheer opponent penalties (deserving or not) as this always creates tension and leads to parents arguing in the stands with parents from the opposing team. - Hotels –
The players will have curfews based on the next day schedule, and there will be times where swimming will be off limits. Proper food and nutrition is expected, as the focus of the weekend is to be prepared for the games. We will make sure our team is always welcomed back to the hotel by leaving the areas clean and being respectful of other guests. - Concerns that need to be addressed -
If you'd like to speak with the head coach regarding your child, your family, the program, the staff or other concerns or complaints, it will not be done over teamreach or email. Please note that coaches will not discuss playing time or depth chart positioning with you as a parent. Teamreach and email is used for communicating information about team functions. We ask that parents wait 24 hrs after the game or weekend incident and work with the Team Coordinator to set up a time coach, parent and Team Coordinator will meet face to face or have a conference call to discuss what's on their mind. The player can be included if necessary. - School functions and missing practice –
If your player is involved in another activity and needs to miss events, games, practice or be late for them, please let the head coach and team manager know in advance (especially important for goalies). At the beginning of the season, many players will be wrapping up other leagues and activities. Again, please keep us informed of absences of practices or tournaments. Availability should also be updated in your team app / calendar.
Bearcat Expectations of Players:
- Work hard
- Practices and games are to be done with maximum effort
- Skate through the whistle, Skate hard to bench on shift changes, skate through the drill
- Listen by looking at coaches when they speak
- Respect parents, opponents, coaches and officials
- Be a positive teammate in both good and bad times
- Represent Bearcat and your team win or lose
- No bad language or attitudes
Player / Parent Contract
Parent Contract- I understand that inappropriate game/practice/hotel misconduct behavior, on my part, can lead to disciplinary actions and can bar my attendance at tournaments, games or practices. Inappropriate game/practice/hotel misconduct will not be tolerated, and I agree to abide by all rules, regulations, and decisions of the Bearcat Board. Any dismissal from the program due to code violations, will result in a zero refund policy.
