NEXT GYHA BOARD MEETINGS
2/21 Thursday @ The Pond 6:45 PM



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To Order Decals go to the following internet address
to place your order (2) decals for $10.00

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Below is an article that was in the
GEAUGA MAPLE LEAF NEWSPAPER
 ON APRIL 20TH, 2006

Geauga Youth Hockey League Reflects on Stellar Season

By Lauri Gross

Geauga Maple Leaf, April 20, 2006 issue.

They say if your child’s first word is “Zamboni,” or your kids ask if Christmas is “home or away,” then you know you are a hockey parent.  Janice Sugarman, Bainbridge township resident, hockey parent and board member of the Geauga Youth Hockey Association (GYHA) should know. Her first-grade son, Louie is about to wrap-up his second nine-month hockey season as a GYHA Maple Leaf and he is not happy about facing three hockey-free months. “He likes baseball, too,” Janice said “but hockey is number one.” 

Louie played on one of eight travel teams in the GYHA, a group of more than 200 players
 ranging in age from three to 18 who hail not only from within Geauga County but also from Chagrin Falls, Solon, Aurora and other locales.  GYHA also includes an In-House League which plays against other Maple Leaf teams, a learn-to-skate program and two girls’ teams, new this year.

Mrs. Sugarman estimates that at least half the kids in the league are “like Louie – who can’t get
 enough.”  That passion has helped the GYHA teams achieve considerable success since the group became part of the Cleveland Suburban Hockey League (CSHL) in 1998.  (GYHA itself was formed a few years before joining CSHL.)

A few weeks ago, GYHA group held their annual awards banquet where they celebrated, among
 other things, the six CSHL championship banners they won in the 2005-2006 season.  In fact, the group has won championship banners in nearly every season, beginning with their very first year of existence. 

Gary Petre, GYHA Vice President attributes the group’s success to having a strong Learn-to-Skate program and excellent coaches. “We really built it (the Learn-to-Skate program and In-House League) up quite a bit and from I hear it is much stronger than other programs in the area.” He added, “We do seem to attract some good coaches. We encourage our coaches to get training and our teams tend to do very well.”

Even though the competitive season is officially over until conditioning and try outs for the
2006-2007 season begin in August, most of the GYHA players extended the season by playing in a Garfield spring league that wraps up this week. Some will continue through the spring and summer in hockey camps.

 Initially, the Geauga Maple Leafs played at the Auburn Ice Palace and then the Arctic Freeze
Arena when the establishment changed owners and names. For the 2005-2006 season however, the team changed their home ice facility to Gilmore Academy as they based their playing from that school’s Cuyahoga County rink.  James Revak, Board President of the GYHA, said the GYHA board is making plans to move back to Auburn’s ice rink after it re-opens this summer as The Pond.

Becoming a hockey family represents a huge time commitment.  Coaches and league organizers
 – mostly parents – are all volunteers.  During the pre-season (September - October) it is common for kids to play hockey six days a week and during the regular season (November - February) families can expect to be at a rink about four days each week.  Even the youngest players make an occasional trip to tournaments as far away as Columbus or Pittsburgh, and travel demands increase for older players who are likely to compete in Michigan and elsewhere.

 A self-described huge sports fan who played hockey as a youth and grew up in a hockey family,
 Mrs. Sugarman doesn’t complain about the demanding schedule. “It’s a huge commitment that I am willing to make,” she said. Her younger son, Joey, also skates but isn’t yet as dedicated to the sport as his older brother.  Mrs. Sugarman’s husband, Peter, who was previously not a hockey player or fan is now both. “Because of Louie’s interest,” Mrs. Sugarman said, “Pete now plays, too, and he coaches.  I got the family into it.”

 Although practice and game time is considerable, Mr. Revak explained that having more than
20 rinks in the area helps keep practice schedules reasonable.  Fewer rinks would mean nearly
round-the-clock scheduling to fit in all the teams. “There really aren’t any more super-early practices,” he said. “Our schedule is not too bad. Late-night practices are pretty much gone, too.” 

 Besides opening the calendar to accommodate the sport, hockey families must also open their
 wallets.  Players buy their own equipment including skates, pads, helmets, jerseys, pants, gloves, sticks, bags and pucks.  There is a $50 fee to try out for a GYHA travel team and a $950 fee to join one.  In addition, parents pay fees to compete in tournaments, which organizing groups host as fundraising events.  GYHA holds various fund-raisers to help offset some of the costs.

Mr. Revak pointed out that joining the GYHA In-House League is an excellent – and affordable
 – option for players who want to try hockey but whose families might not be ready for the time or financial commitment of a travel team.  The In-House League plays once each week, against other  Maple Leaf teams.

“We try to organize them (In-House teams) based on skill level more than age group,” said
 Mr. Petre whose daughter, Jackie (age 12, a Kenton 6^th grader) used to play for the Maple Leafs and whose son, Alex (age 10, a Kenston fourth grader) is currently a Maple Leaf. “We match them up according to skill. Our object is to have balanced teams and we adjust the rules as we need to, to make it more competitive. Usually kids on the In-House League have a little less experience and their intentions are to have fun, get exercise and play hockey.”

“We are always looking for new players,” said Mr. Revak. “We have a loaner program so if
you are not sure if you’re going to like hockey, you can try it for free and we’ll loan you the
equipment.” He added that this program is especially attractive for families with 4 – 8 year olds
 who are thinking of trying the sport.

Mr. Revak has been playing hockey since age 10.  He and his wife, Bonnie, have two sons
who also play: Douglas (age 12, a Kenston 6^th grader) is a goal tender for the Cleveland Barons, a AAA travel team; and Gregory (age 15, a Kenston 8^th grader) who has been a Geauga Maple Leaf and next year will play for Kenston High School.

Mr. Revak said hockey is the “best game for learning life lessons: How to win and how to
 lose. How to be part of a team. How to prepare for the game and to excel. We have made such
great friendships with all the people we met not just in Auburn but all around the area. And the game itself is a mental challenge all the time. You have to make decisions in a split second. Very few kids are good at making the proper decisions in a split second. The other thing I love about it is that you are multi-tasking.  You are developing skills and using them simultaneously.  You don’t just skate, you stick handle, you try to avoid getting hit (checking is allowed beginning at age 11), you are doing 4, 5 or 6 things simultaneously. It’s a constant mental challenge and you can never be perfect at it. That’s why it’s fun to play.  You are always working on something.”