Tryout Procedures
The Rep Operations Committee shall consist of the 1st VP and 2nd VP of SOMH.
The Rep Operations Committee will be responsible for appointing an Evaluation Panel to conduct objective player evaluations that will be used for the purposes of validating player selection. The Evaluation Panel shall be comprised of an equal number of members from each of the Local League Associations.
The Rep Operations Committee shall be responsible for determining the format and ice-time for Tryouts, and for establishing a reasonable Tryout fee. The Tryout format and associated fees recommended by the Committee will be subject to approval by the Board. Applicable fees will be determined by the Rep Operations Committee in a manner to ensure coverage of applicable ice time and third-party support costs required for the purposes of conducting Tryouts.
To help ensure that Tryouts are fair and objective for all players, the Rep Operations Committee will be responsible for retaining appropriate on-ice support to help conduct the Tryout Process to avoid any potential conflict of interest between players and evaluators.
The Rep Operations Committee will be responsible for ensuring that all relevant details about the Tryout process, including related fees, ice schedules and conditions are adequately communicated to the Local League Associations families well prior to tryouts taking place.
Coaches of Rep Teams will be responsible for following the instructions of the Rep Operations Committee and the terms of this Policy. Coaches will not discuss any player evaluations with anyone other than members of the Evaluation Panel.
Player Eligibility
All Players attending and /or participating at any Tryout for a potential spot on a SOMH Rep Team must have one of the following prior to stepping on the ice:
(a) Completion of SOMH Registration, including completion of any necessary Tryout forms, and payment of all applicable Tryout fees.
(b) A current address within the approved SOMH boundaries as listed in the HCR system accessible by the Association’s Administrator or hold SOMH grandfathered rep rights for their current address.
(c) A Non-Resident Player Form (NRP) that has been authorized by their Centre. Midget level players may also have an “Authorization to Move Form” to attend if their home Centre is not forming a Midget A team or where they have been released from their home Centre.
(d) Players planning on moving within the approved SOMH boundaries must have a Residency Transfer Form filled out and submitted to the OMHA prior to attending a Tryout or at a minimum, documentation that they have purchased a residence in our boundaries. (Residency Forms will be available at the tryout desk). A successful OMHA change of residency (which is the responsibility of the player) must be finalized as a condition of any offer on a SOMH Rep team.
Tryout Attendance
All Players wishing to play for any Rep Team will be expected to attend all Tryouts held for that team until released by the team Coach. Exceptions may be at the discretion of the Rep Operations Committee of the Board.
Players that do not attend the A tryouts will not be eligible to try out or roster with any applicable BB team, subject to any exceptions determined by the Board.
Any player that could not attend the Rep Tryouts due to an acceptable reason may be given the opportunity to make the team by trying out and being evaluated by the Coach and Rep Operations Committee, where the following exceptions apply:
(a) The player is an incumbent Rep player but could not attend due to injury, family commitment or any other reason that will be forwarded to the Rep Operations Committee and Coach prior the Tryouts commencing.
(b) The player played Rep hockey in a different center and recently moved into SOMH territory; or
(c) The player was released from a Junior, AAA or AA team and resides within SOMH territory.
Underage Players
Any player that is underage and wants to try out for the older representative team can do so in accordance with OMHA regulations. In order to be eligible, the player must be considered top three in skill with the older team, where “top 3” is considered to be a truly exceptional player. Both the Head Coach and a majority of Evaluation Panel members must all concur that the player is top three in skill. Where the player is considered to be top 3, they may be eligible to play up to the higher age level unless:
(a) The Team at the player’s own age level does not have a minimum number of SOMH players to be viable;
(b) A major team cannot form under the OMHA requirements;
(c) Players on the higher-level team who are comparable in skill would be released from the Rep team in order to accommodate the younger player;
(d) The Head Coach and Members of the Evaluation Committee have concerns about the player’s development, size and potential safety issues created by contact situations. No player has a right to play up to a team at a higher age level. The SOMH Board reserves the right to make all final decisions on all player movements.
By OMHA rules an underage player cannot play up 2 years. As an example, a U11 player cannot tryout for the U13BB team. If the player is cut from the older team tryout the player is required to go back to the proper age group.
Rep Player Selection and Offers of Commitment
Players participating in Rep tryouts will be eligible for a minimum of 3 Tryout skates, as per OMHA Regulations. The minimum 3 tryout skates can include A tryouts and BB tryouts.
Head Coaches will have overall responsibility for evaluating players and selecting a proposed team roster, having regard to the skill, game sense, teamwork and coach-ability demonstrated by the players during the Tryout.
Head Coaches are not to make any final player decisions without first reviewing and having their selections assessed and validated by the Evaluation Panel and the Rep Operations Committee. Upon having their player recommendations validated and approved by the Evaluation Panel and the Rep Operations Committee, Head Coaches will then be authorized to communicate offers to eligible players.
Head Coaches will be required to provide selected players with OMHA Offer of Commitment Letters, which players shall sign and return within 2 weeks of the Offer of Commitment being extended, as a condition of maintaining a spot on the team.
All NRP players must be given a Letter of Commitment within 14 days of the commencement of the tryouts as per OMHA regulations or they will have to get special consent from their home Center.
Evaluation Panel
The Rep Operations Committee of the Board shall appoint an Evaluation Panel comprised of an equal number of independent evaluators from the Local League Member Associations, possessing significant hockey experience. These evaluators may be coaches from the Local Associations (current or retired), current or former board members, member volunteers, or professional hockey instructors whose role will be to help assess players participating in the Tryout Process in an objective manner.
Members of the Evaluation Panel shall not have any conflict of interest with specific players being evaluated. Panel members shall observe the Tryout Process and evaluate players using the system and forms provided for in the Hockey Canada Development Guide for Player Evaluation and Selection. The results of these evaluations shall be kept confidential. Throughout the Tryout Process, the Evaluation Panel will meet and consult with the Coach for the purposes of providing advice, guidance and recommendations regarding player selection.
Before coaches make any releases or inform any player about an offer it must be approved by the Evaluation Panel. A meeting will be set up within 72 hours of the final tryout to discuss the selections made by the coach. Every possible effort will be made to select teams in the Spring at the conclusion of the Tryout process.
Following each Tryout Skate, members of the Evaluation Panel will provide their player evaluation forms to the Head Coach for review. These forms are to remain strictly confidential and will be destroyed following the Tryout process.
On Ice Activities
To help ensure that Tryouts are fair and objective for all players, the Rep Operations Committee will be responsible for retaining appropriate on ice support to help conduct the Tryout Process to avoid any potential conflict of interest between players and evaluators.
Any on-ice assistants utilized during Tryouts must be non-parents without any potential conflict of interest to players trying out for a particular team. Head Coaches will be prohibited from offering Bench Staff positions until the Tryout Process has been concluded. Head Coaches may participate on-ice during the Tryout process or can evaluate players from the stands.
Tryouts cannot be conducted on private ice. Unofficial tryouts of any kind with only selected invitations are not permitted and may disqualify players from potential selection and also result in the removal of Head Coaches, where this rule is broken.
Player Releases
All player releases will be listed on the SOMH website, under each team site specifically. It will be the responsibility of players and their families to confirm whether a player has been invited back using this process. Final releases will either occur on the website, or by phone call from the Head Coach in conjunction with the Rep Operations Committee. This process is to ensure player privacy and avoid unnecessary stress on players or families at the arena.
While players not selected for a Rep Team may wish to later discuss opportunities for improvement with Head Coaches, selection decisions will not be subject to review or appeal, and specific evaluation scores will not be disclosed.
Where the Coach’s selections are not reasonably consistent with the opinion of the Evaluation Panel, any disagreement will be resolved by the Rep Operations Committee of the Board.
All players participating in the A level tryouts and subsequently released, can try out with the BB team if the Board determines that sufficient player numbers make such a team feasible. Players released during tryouts will be given strong consideration for potential AP opportunities.
If an additional player moves into SOMH residency and is eligible to roster to a Rep team, he or she will be granted a maximum of three skates with the team and evaluated as per the tryout evaluation process. New players moving into territory may not dislodge a previously selected player but can be added to the Roster, should their tryout be successful.