First off – welcome to SYHA and thank you for choosing to play hockey with us!!!
This guide is meant to help both first time hockey parents – and parents who are simply new to our program.
Shaker Varsity Hockey Games
SYHA players get in free if they wear their SYHA jersey
Shaker Public Skating Sessions
SYHA players skate free at all public skating sessions at Thornton Park during the season. The schedule can be found here:
Ice Arena | Shaker Heights, OH
Practices & Games
Our team practices begin on Saturday, August 16th (Mighty Mites start the weekend after Labor Day). We are members of the Cleveland Suburban Hockey League. The start and end dates for the season can be found on our Important Dates page.
We are a USA Hockey member organization and follow their model which suggests players are on the ice 4 times per week. Typically for our teams that means two weeknight practices and two games/practices on the weekends. Occasionally there are games during the week.
Game and practice schedules during the season are typically updated within a few days of the league scheduling meetings notes on the Important Dates page.
Addresses for all CSHL rinks can be found on our Local Ice Rinks page.
SportsEngine
SYHA uses SportsEngine to schedule and manage our teams. All parents should have the SportsEngine app. This will show your team’s schedule and other important information.
Tournaments
SYHA covers the entry fee for each Mite team to enter one tournament each season. All Squirt, PeeWee and Bantam teams attend an out-of-town tournament over MLK Weekend. This entry fee is covered by SYHA. We also cover the entry fee for each Squirt, PeeWee and Bantam for one additional tournament.
Families are responsible for hotel costs, meals and transportation. Typically, hotels run between $150-$200 per night. Tournaments require teams to stay at specific hotels and have minimum requirements for the length of stay. Information on this year’s tournament and hotel will come later in the season.
Teams may choose to enter additional tournaments or play non-league games, but that team is responsible for the costs and organizing of those events.
Skate-A-Thon
Skate-A-Thon is our organization’s annual fundraiser and always happens between the preseason and regular season. Awards are given to players and teams raising the most money. We also have auction items on the day of the event and players compete in a variety of skill events. Skate-A-Thon is capped off with the annual Bantams vs. Coaches game. More details on this year’s Skate-A-Thon will be announced later.
Volunteers
We are a parent/volunteer run organization and there are many opportunities throughout the year to volunteer. These include:
We encourage all parents to help out – making our kids’ experience the best it can be.
Jerseys & Team Store
Our jerseys typically cost about $60 each. Our socks cost about $30 each. Mites through Bantams need to have a current home and away jersey. Please be sure to get a jersey number that is approved BEFORE ordering a jersey – we cannot have players on the same team with the same jersey number. Parents are responsible for the cost of jerseys and socks.
Jerseys, socks and other SYHA apparel are available in our team shop. We expect it to open in August. Details will be announced later.
Equipment
The Equipment page on our website is a great resource for what you need.
Families are responsible for their player’s equipment costs. We have a few options to help with those costs.