VMHA 'C' Division Manager Manual

VMHA 'C' Division Manager Manual

Table of Contents

Role and Responsibilities

VMHA Division Managers play an important role in every successful hockey season. The Division Manager is the primary liaison between the VMHA Board of Directors and the association members and participants and may interact with multiple directors over the course of the season. Division Managers are encouraged to attend monthly board meetings to provide updates on their division(s) and raise any concerns requiring the Board's attention.

Pre-Season Preparation

The Division Manager's workload is heavily weighted towards the start of the season. All Division Managers will be assigned a VMHA email address and provided access to their division in TeamSnap. It is expected that the member information provided by these platforms remains private and is used solely for the management of the division. A timely reply to all emails/inquiries is also expected.

SOP 1: Obtaining a VMHA Email Address

Timing: Immediate upon acceptance of the position.

Steps:

  1. Provide the Registrar with your contact details (Name, Phone number, Email).
  2. The Registrar will then provide you with setup instructions for the Division Manager Email.

In-Season Duties

Meeting Attendance and Reporting

All Division Managers are required to attend:

  • The VMHA division manager meeting prior to A tryouts or C evaluation.
  • Both the PCAHA and VMHA Coach/Manager meetings as scheduled (Mid- to late-September/early October).

Division Managers are also requested to attend monthly Board Meetings and provide a brief written report on their activities and any issues arising.

SOP 2: Monthly Reports

Steps:

  1. By the 5th of the month, reach out to each team manager/head coach duo and confirm one or two highlights from the team's progress.
  2. Report any issues accurately and confirm with the team staff.
  3. By the 10th of the month, provide a summary document to VP2, cc'd to the Secretary (secretary@vmha.com).
    • Include your name and the division you manage.
    • Include the highlights and any issues for the board to discuss (pressing issues only).
    • Ensure the report is no longer than one page (half a page is preferred).
    • Key items: tournaments entered and played in (and won), team satisfaction, interpersonal issues, conflicts with VMHA policies, and administrative questions.

The Division Manager remains the first point of contact for team officials with inquiries and/or complaints that cannot be resolved at the team level. Such inquiries may be handled with the assistance of the appropriate board member or forwarded to them to address. More information around complaint handling can be found in the VMHA Complaint Resolution Process document.

Division Managers may also be asked to forward relevant information to their teams and assist with the distribution of team equipment and/or other materials related to fundraising, Photo Day, or similar. It is expected that such tasks are completed in a timely fashion.

End of Season Duties

The Division Manager will assist the Equipment Manager with the collection of all jerseys/equipment assigned to the teams in their division.

C House Hockey

Confirmation of Head Coaches

Steps:

  1. The Coach Coordinator, with support from VP2, will confirm head coaches.
  2. Division Managers should receive a list of Head Coaches prior to evaluations. Note that a head coach can only be a head coach for one VMHA team.
  3. Notify the Coach Coordinator and VP2 immediately if coaches cannot attend evaluation sessions.

Volunteer coaches in each division will be responsible for on-ice activities as well as player evaluations. Typically, the head coaches remain off-ice to assess the players, while the assistant coaches run the on-ice activities. The Division Manager should ensure each assessment group is adequately staffed; on-ice and off. Practice plans can be provided if needed.

Player Evaluations & Team Formation (Balancing)

Prior to the start of the season, the Registrar (registrar@vmha.com) will provide Division Managers with access to their division via TeamSnap. Evaluation groups and their schedules will be uploaded in advance. Division Managers may communicate with participants via TeamSnap or their VMHA email. An introductory email should be sent to all participants before evaluations to ensure everyone is aware of the schedule, check-in procedures, etc.

SOP 3: Preparing Evaluation Groups

Timing: Approximately 7-14 days before Evaluations.

Steps:

  1. Receive Evaluation Group Information from Registrar (registrar@vmha.com).
  2. Ensure you have at least one HCSP arranged for each ice time
  3. Obtain Pinnies for your division from the Equipment Manager (equipment@vmha.com).
  4. Ensure Evaluation Groups are put into an Excel Spreadsheet Template for the Evaluations (Provided by the Registrar).
    • Indicate the evaluation group and age group on every page.
    • Ensure each player has a unique pinnie associated with their name in the Excel Template.
  5. Print out two master lists, including player names, positions, and pinnie numbers.
  6. Print out 10 Evaluation Lists, which do not have player names -- only positions (F, D, or G), pinnie numbers, and evaluation sections.

SOP 4: Pinnies and Evaluation Handouts

Steps:

  1. Confirm with the Registrar by email that there will be a table available for you.
  2. Ensure you take the following to the rink:
    • Laptop, tablet or phone with the Team Genius App (if applicable).
    • Master list of players and pinnies.
    • 10 copies of the evaluation sheets (no names, just pinnie number and position).
    • The Pinnies.
  3. Arrive at the rink at least 60 minutes before the first ice time.
  4. Set out the Pinnies and arrange them numerically.

At the conclusion of assessments, the Division Manager will ensure agreement on the rating of each player and meet with the coaches to draft balanced teams. This shall be done using the Team Formation Process found in the Appendix of this document. Any questions regarding the draft process shall be directed to VP2 (VP2@VMHA.COM). Note that each head coach may request one assistant coach or team manager be put on their 'protected' list. Friend or carpool requests may be provided but shall not take precedence over the draft order.

C Balancing

The Ice Allocator is responsible for scheduling balancing/exhibition games.

Division Managers are responsible for:

  • requesting an advance for payment of referees for balancing games. Please refer to the Manager Manual under Paying Referees and Referee Fee Reimbursement
  • Obtaining team ids from the registration. These are required for scorekeeping in Spordle

Steps:

  1. Contact the Equipment Manager (equipment@vmha.com) to obtain jerseys.
  2. Enlist a parent volunteer to assist with jersey distribution and collection.
  3. Ensure jerseys are distributed and collected at each game.

In 'C' hockey, balancing games will be scheduled such that each team plays every other team at least once. Confirm game numbers with the appropriate PCAHA League Manager at the time of scheduling. The Division Manager will need to request officials for each game from the refassignor@vmha.com. The Division Manager should be present at each balancing game to record their observations, arrange scorekeepers and timekeepers, and ensure the officials are paid.

Finalizing Teams

Steps:

  1. Meet with the coaches at the conclusion of balancing games to discuss any adjustments required, facilitate any final trades, and assign goaltenders.
  2. Forward the final team rosters to the Registrar, ensuring all players and team officials are properly assigned in TeamSnap and HCR.
  3. Forward the names and contact information for the Head Coach and Manager of each team to the appropriate PCAHA League Manager.

The Division Manager will write a balancing report outlining the outcome of each game, identifying strengths and weaknesses of each team, and explaining any player movement between teams. The balancing report should be provided to the appropriate PCAHA League Manager, as well as the VMHA President and Coach Coordinator, before the start of league play. An example for the required format is found in the appendix. The Template can be obtained from the Registrar or from VP2.

Affiliate Players

Steps:

  1. Compile a list of players who can safely participate with the age group above, if needed.
  2. Provide this list to the Division Manager of the higher age group.
  3. Ensure the requesting team is aware of and follows all PCAHA rules, guidelines, and limits pertaining to affiliate players.

SOP 5: C TEAM BALANCING PROCESS

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

All VMHA C Hockey Divisions shall follow this evaluation process. If a division cannot follow this process for any reason, VP2 will be immediately notified and will adjudicate the draft and balancing process in conjunction with the Division Manager.

PART 1: "C" Evaluations

  • C evaluations are completed by all head coaches or a proxy.
  • Coaches evaluate the players as follows:
    • The top player evaluated gets a ranking of "1" ; it is an aggregate ranking of their play.
    • The second player evaluated gets a ranking of "2"
    • And so on through all players playing. By the end of an evaluation session, you should have every player ranked.
    • restart the next evaluation session at 1.
    • rank all goalies as a complete cohort - the best goalie in the division gets a 1, etc.

PART 2: PREPARING EVALUATION RESULTS FOR SELECTIONS

  • All evaluations are received, and each player is given an aggregate ranking.
  • For U13-U18 the entire list of players in the division is divided into forwards and defense. For U11 the list remains whole.
  • Each list is then ranked. In case of a numerical tie, decimals are further used to determine ranking. If the tie is a pure tie, the players are randomized in the list (if player A and player B are tied for 15th in the list, then flip a coin to see which player is put in the 15 slot and which in the 16 slot).
    • Draft is done by positions. Forwards all at once then Defense -- this means that there are 2 ranking lists.
  • Coaches will be sent the groups 24 hrs in advance of the team formation meeting.
    • If a coach believes that a player has been inappropriately ranked, they may petition the group to change that player's ranking.
    • All coaches must agree on the change, otherwise the original ranking stands.
  • All coaches must agree on the player lists prior to team formation to check for errors.
    • Changes made in real-time if changes need to be made to ensure competitive balance.
  • Protections are then flagged in the group lists.
    • One additional staff protection (assistant coach or manager, not both).
    • Staff protection must be rostered to HCR.
    • Head coaches and the one additional staff can protect their own athletes to the team -- these are color-coded to the team, however, they remain in the list.
    • There are no protections for friend requests. In most situations, we will not be actively soliciting them, as they have created significant challenges in balancing teams.

Division Managers shall not solicit or encourage friend requests from players or families, as this often leads to unanticipated expectations.

If two players wish to play together, they may inform VMHA. Division Managers may pass this information to coaches; however, no guarantees will be made. Friend selections fall under the coach's discretion during the draft and may be subject to trades.

Exception -- U18C Division
At the discretion of the U18C Manager, limited friend requests may be allowed for second- and third-year players within the U18 division. Requests are limited to:

  • one reciprocal friend,
  • cannot create "daisy chains,"
  • may not be accommodated if both players have very high ability, and
  • are not guaranteed to be fulfilled.

PART 3: TEAM FORMATION PROCESS -- PLAYER DRAFT

  • No trades are allowed once the draft is complete; the initial teams for balancing are set.
  • Friend requests are at the sole discretion of the coach and may only be selected when that player is on the board (and has not been chosen by another coach).
  • A Board Member will be on hand at the draft to adjudicate as necessary. If no board member is available in person, one will be on-call by phone.
  • Initial 'Draft' order determined by team protected athletes overall combined ranking.
For example:
  • U13C1 -- two athletes protected -- 4.2+4.3 = 8.5
  • U13C2 -- two athletes protected -- 4.4+4.5 = 8.9
  • U13C3 -- two athletes protected -- 4.7+4.7 = 9.4
  • U13C4 -- one athlete protected -- 4.2
  • U13C5 -- two athletes protected -- 4.3+4.4 = 8.7
  • U13C6 -- one athlete protected -- 4.5

Draft order based on combined ranking would be: C4, C6, C1, C5, C2, C3

  • For U13 and up, there are Draft Rounds for Forwards, Defense, and Goalies. For U11 and below, there are Draft rounds for Skaters and Goalies only.
  • Each Draft Round is a snake draft.
    • 1,2,3,4,5,6,6,5,4,3,2,1.
  • The draft will be done in person and will be scheduled within 2 days of the completion of evaluation skates. Please notify head coaches of the likely dates well in advance.
  • A team that is unable to send their head coach or a proxy will have their draft chosen by a board member (likely VP2). The default team will be chosen by selecting the top-ranked player at each opportunity.
  • The draft will not be postponed for any reason. This is to ensure as many balancing games as possible. If the Division Manager cannot attend, then it will be arranged that VP2 or another board member or Division Manager will attend in their stead.
  • When selecting, teams are only able to select from the top 6 players on the draft sheet.
  • Once a player is selected, the entire list shifts up to reveal another "eligible" player. Every time an athlete is selected another player becomes available (i.e. the player deck is always replenished for the next pick).
  • Coaches may select from the players available to them. They may not select from another area of the draft list. The number of eligible players for selection stays the same until the end of the selection round (i.e. transition from Forwards to defense).
  • If a protected athlete is in the grouping at the time of a selection, they must be selected immediately once their turn arrives, but the player shall not be removed from the eligible space until that coach takes the player.
  • A team must pick on its turn -- there are no trading turns, and there are no foregoing turns.
  • Once the Forwards Draft is complete, the Defense Draft follows immediately where the Forwards Draft left off. The Forwards shall be completely selected before Defense players are visible to coaches for selection.
  • Once both forward and defense drafts are complete, the teams are re-ranked based on their aggregate evaluation scores for the goalie draft.

PART 4: TEAM FORMATION PROCESS -- GOALIE ASSIGNMENTS

Goalie positions are determined as follows:

  • Goalies are ranked based on the evaluation and confirmation from the coaches.
  • Goalies are placed into a ranking sheet and paired up where required.
An example follows:
  • Evaluation Scores: Goalie A -- 5, Goalie B 4.8, Goalie C 3.4, Goalie D 4, Goalie E 4.5, Goalie F 3.5, Goalie G 4.2, Goalie H 3.0, Goalie I 3.3, Goalie J 3.2.
  • Rank 1/10: Goalie A & Goalie H (Score: 4)
  • Rank 2/9: Goalie B & Goalie J (Score: 4)
  • Rank 3/8: Goalie E & Goalie I (Score: 3.9)
  • Rank 4/7: Goalie G & Goalie C (Score: 3.8)
  • Rank 5: Goalie D (Score: 4)
  • Rank 6: Goalie F (Score: 3.5)

Teams are re-ranked based on average player scores. The team with the lowest score goes first, the team with the highest score goes last. In the event that a goalie has been protected, that goalie and their paired goalie are assigned first, and the teams are re-ranked without that team in play.

Goalie duos are assigned first, followed by singles. The team with the lowest scores shall be assigned the goalie duo with the highest ranking. In the case of a tie, the highest-ranking duo is the one with the highest-ranked goalie.

Goalies are not chosen, they are assigned. In the case of an absolute tie, a team may choose between the two highest goalie groups.

PART 5: FINAL NOTES PRIOR TO BALANCING GAMES

  • The best result is a consensus result.
  • It is in everyone's best interests to speak up for themselves and for others in the cause for balancing.
  • A perfect balancing outcome is that every team wins a couple and loses a couple.
  • It is imperative that coaches work with the best interests of the entire age group cohort in mind and not in their team's self-interest.

PART 6: TEAM FORMATION PROCESS - BALANCING GAMES

  • Each team plays each other once. This provides an assessment of each team against each other.
  • Coaches will instruct their players to play to the best of their ability during balancing. The goal in balancing is to win the hockey game.
  • The division manager is responsible for requesting an advance for payment of referees for balancing games. Please refer to the Manager Manual under Paying Referees and Referee Fee Reimbursement

Balancing shall be evaluated on a game-to-game basis using the following metrics:

  • Wins and losses.
  • Goals For and Goals Against.
  • Shutouts For, and Shutouts Against.

Points are awarded to determine the need for balancing adjustments as follows:

  • One-goal win/loss or a tie = 0 points to each team -- they are considered balanced.
  • Two or three-goal win/loss = +1 point for the win, -1 point for the loss -- they are considered mainly balanced.
  • Four or more goal win/loss -- the goal differential sets the number of points to be given/taken (e.g. a 10-4 game is +6 for the win, -6 for the loss) -- they are considered very imbalanced.
  • If a team is shut out, they earn an extra -1 point (unless a 0-0 tie, e.g. a 2-0 game is +1 for the win, -2 for the loss) -- shutouts can either indicate strong goaltending or the inability to generate offense, indicating a potential balance issue.

At the end of the single game series, rankings are assessed by the points. The points differentials indicate the following:

  • A points differential between all teams less than 10: Likely close to balanced. No trades are recommended.
  • A points differential between any one team and any other team of more than 10 and less than 20: 1 player trade necessary between those two teams (anticipated to be a single trade between the top-ranked and lowest-ranked team).
  • A points differential between any one team and any other team of more than 20, or any case of multiple teams needing trades, will have the trade situation adjudicated by a Board Member.

Player trades shall be from the top 4 ranked players on a team and from the bottom 4 ranked players on a team. In all cases, like for like will be traded (e.g. D for D, F for F, RH for RH, LH for LH) unless this is not physically possible.

The cause of the balancing issue shall be taken into account when considering a trade. For example, if a team is having difficulty scoring, then a proven goalscorer is rightfully sought in a trade. It is inappropriate for a team to unduly 'protect' all of their goal scorers from a trade when a team desperately needs scoring.

Remind coaches that our goal is BALANCE.

In the case of any impasse in the trade process, VP2 shall work together with the coaches and the Division Manager to facilitate the trade. If a trade cannot be facilitated, VP2 can force a binding trade through an arbitration process. Such a decision will be ratified by the Hockey Ops committee prior to enforcement.

Note that at the conclusion of the draft, spaces should be identified on each team to accept the final releases from Rep. The strongest rep releases should go to the weakest teams. These releases may not arrive until the end of the balancing games, and so the decision about where the rep releases should go may fluctuate throughout the balancing process.

Appendix A: Balancing Report Example

VMHA Uxx "C" Balancing Report

Overview

This should explain the process of how you divided the division, what issues/challenges/requests you had and why you think the division was evenly split.

Example: We have 50 players in Hockey 3 this year. This includes 5 players of advanced skill who have moved up from Hockey 2, and three weaker players who moved down from Hockey 4. The teams were drafted in late September and we spent the next two weeks trying to accommodate 5 players (all on one team) who had a direct conflict with the home game time.

Game Summaries

This is a recap of all the internal balancing games (and scrimmages) which were played. A short summary/chart will provide a quick snapshot for us. In the case of blowouts or anomalies, the objective is to explain why it happened -- things like the best skater was off playing soccer, the regular goalie wasn't in net, etc. What we're looking for is the reason for the disparities of the scores and the quick reason why you think it happened.

Examples:

NX2000, C1 vs. C2: C1 defeats C2, 8-7. Shots are even at 18 each. Very even play with 4 kids per team scoring goals. Slight edge in puck possession to C2. Most of C1's goals scored off the rush.

NX 2001, C3 vs. C4: C4 wins (8-7), out-shooting C3 slightly (18-15). Balanced game, no clear edge in puck possession. Five players scored for C4, four for C3. In typical H3 fashion, lots of goals scored on breakaways. Item of note: C4 was missing their three weakest players for this game.

NX2002, C1 vs. C3: 13-3 in favour of C3, but shots much closer at 21-17. Six kids scored for C3, three for C1. As is indicated by the score, C3 controlled the play for most of the game. Item of note: C1 practiced just before the game so fatigue very likely played a part in the outcome.

NX2003, C2 vs. C4: Total blowout. C2 out-shot C4 39-10, outscored them 19-5, and completely dominated throughout the game. Items of note: C4 had one of their strongest players (strong skater & 3-goal scorer) in net AND the team's three weakest players were at this game.

NX2004, C2 vs. C3: A very even game, final score 5-4 in favour of C2, who out-shot C3 29-23. Two players scored for each team, and goaltending was stellar at both ends of the ice. Item of note: C3 was missing one of their stronger players (5 goals in previous 2 games).

NX2005, C4 vs. C1: C1 dominated the first half of the game but C4 came on strong in the latter part of the game. Final score was 7-5 in favour of C1. C1 out-shot C4 significantly, 21-11. Five different players scored for C1, and four players scored for C4. Item of note: C4 had one of their strongest skaters in net which likely contributed to C1's dominance in shots taken.

Team Wins Losses Ties
C1 0 3 1
C2
C3 4 0 0
C4 2 2 0
C5 0 4 0

Actions

Based on the games played, it should be clear as to which teams stand out as outliers (or whether or not you are truly balanced). Explain the reasons for the outliers and what you've done to 'equalize' those teams. Do not need names of specific players but descriptions such as second best rated skater, weakest D-man would be good. Outline when the changes were made and the results of the changes and how the next round of balancing games went with these new changes. This could mean a repeat of another set Game Summaries. Finally, a statement why you think you are balanced. We're not really looking for stats but if you are inclined to do so, that will help us as well. Bottom line, what we want to see is that the results of your balancing game (win/loss/tie) are pretty equal amongst all your teams, if not, then we will be questioning why and possibly asking you to make the necessary player moves.

Example: There were four close games and two blow-outs (although the shots were nearly equal in NX2002). C2 and C3 seem to be pretty even but slightly stronger than C1 and C4 (which are also even).

This is a comment from the coach of C1, when asked for his take on the first two games his team played:

Against [C2], we played a fairly close game, although I thought the goaltending was in our favour. They did control more of the play, but I think that it was within reason. Against [C3], our top-ranked player was more of a liability than an asset. He seldom skated, and really did not have a game to remember. He (along with 5 other players on our team) went to the 6:00am practice prior to the 8:15am game, and I would like to think that that made a difference. The other piece of the equation when we played [C3] was goaltending - Bobby made a number of saves, including stopping Toby about 6-7 times on breakaways.

I have spoken with the coaches at length regarding the balance of the teams, as well as what will happen going forward if they are NOT balanced. They are all confident that this is as good as it's going to get, and that any player movement is likely to result in an imbalance favouring C1 and C4 (which is really no different from where we are now).

Thus, I submit that the Hockey 3 teams are as balanced as they can be at this time.