Letter from the President
September 2, 2024
Dear AHA Members,
On behalf of the AHA Board of Directors, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 2024-25 hockey season! This will be my third season as AHA President, sixth year on the AHA Board, ninth as an AHA member, and thirteenth as a coach and hockey dad. My wife Danielle and I have three children who are AHA members – our twin sons Gavin and Liam, who just started their senior (!) year at Andover High School and play in AHA’s High School Half Season program and for AHS; and our daughter Elizabeth, an eighth grader at Doherty Middle School who is member of AHA’s girls U-14 team.
My main goal as President for this upcoming season is, as always, to continue to enhance the overall AHA experience for all members – players, coaches, and families – by, once again, focusing on our Mission Statement. AHA is a non-profit, volunteer-managed, community-based recreational association, and it is our mission to achieve three main goals for our members. The first is to organize and promote a fun, safe, and developmentally rewarding hockey experience for our members. Second, we strive to be an association that is centered around our families. Finally, it is our mission to serve our community – not just our members, but the world in which we live.
In order to achieve these goals, all of us - board members, coaches, players, and parents – necessarily have certain responsibilities as members (both to the association and to each other). AHA is only as good as its members, and so all members should strive to set good examples and model positive behavior on and off the ice. Second, without volunteers willing to step up and loyal families willing to commit to AHA, AHA cannot live up to its mission. Finally, AHA must continue to manage its operations and plan for its future in a way that is true to its mission but is also flexible, adaptable, and economically responsible.
First, AHA is only as good as its members, because AHA IS its members. The main objectives of any youth sports organization – town or club; hockey, softball, or dance – should be having fun, making friends, exercising, learning about values such as teamwork and responsibility, and improving skills in that particular sport or activity. It is incumbent on the adults – board members, coaches, and parents – to ensure that the entire AHA experience is a positive one for our kids – filled with teaching, encouragement, and developmentally appropriate opportunities, and free from negativity, bullying, and harmful speech or conduct. It is critical that each coach models such positive behavior to his or her teams, specifically by preparing players for success on and off the ice and communicating information and expectations clearly to families.
Next, without committed volunteers and loyal families, AHA simply can neither offer nor support programming that will live up to goals of the mission. Unfortunately, AHA was faced with a painful example of this over the summer. As you may be aware, regrettably, we will not be able to support a fourth team at the bantam age level this season. This was due to many factors, most notably because the team as announced in the spring did not have a full-time volunteer head coach nor was a full-time goalie available. A working group of AHA board members and coaches from other teams tried to produce a solution for these families, but as time went by, some players who had been initially rostered to the team decided to pursue other opportunities outside of AHA, leaving us with too few players remaining for a competitive lineup. AHA has been working to find opportunities for the remaining impacted players.
As President, I take responsibility that we as a Board should have done a better job communicating the facts, and explaining options, to these families, and I apologize for the disappointment these kids experienced when they learned that their team would be disbanding. I share this story not to place blame on anyone else, but to demonstrate that without the time, energy, creativity, and passion of our volunteers to lead our organization, and the commitment of our families to participate in programs, there can be no AHA.
Finally, AHA must continue to manage its operations and plan for the future in a way that is true to the mission but is also flexible, adaptable, and economically responsible. AHA is fortunate to remain one of the largest youth hockey organizations in New England, with a wealth of recourses available to it. It is the responsibility of the Board to continue to manage those resources in the best interest of the association and to adapt to the challenges we face to accomplish our goals. However, the environment in which AHA operates is very different than it was in the past. Every season there are new competitors, and global macro- and microeconomic factors impact our daily business and operations in a very tangible way. The Board devoted considerable time and energy this off-season to planning, including budgeting, negotiating with our vendors and partners, and examining short-, medium-, and long-term strategic goals.
This offseason, the AHA board has dealt with several issues which prove that, today, youth sports are a business first. In one example, AHA board members spent hours facilitating negotiations between our home rink and our main league over the per hour cost for a sheet of ice. As a result of a compromise between the parties, AHA fortunately no longer has financial liability for unused weekend ice time, as the parties have contracted directly between themselves. However, the tradeoff for that positive result is that AHA teams will play less games at home on a week to week basis this season. Another example, which is impacting us in real time, is that our league is now in a commercial dispute with the service provider which hosts our website (and many other youth hockey programs in the area) and is currently blocking our website provider from accessing certain data (including, most importantly, team schedules). We are working on solutions and will follow up with specific instructions for the affected teams shortly, but the net result is that while for-profit businesses battle each other over money, our volunteers are forced to spend more time on administrative tasks and our members are lacking access to information in an efficient and convenient manner during one of the busiest weeks of the year as a parent.
Hopefully, my message is not coming across as overly negative - for tomorrow, the promise of a new season begins for our youth travel and high school players. Shortly thereafter, our younger players will take to the ice. We still have openings for our Learn to Skate, Learn to Play, and Mite House League programs so please sign up if you have not done so already and encourage your friends, family, neighbors, and classmates to do the same.
On the other end of things, we are proud to announce that we will also once again be starting up our adult hockey league, the Warrior Cup, next weekend. Please sign up and spread the word (especially to any goalies in the area looking for a game on Saturday mornings). And while we are on the topic of adult hockey, it has become an AHA tradition to organize a season-ending adult tournament trip. This coming spring a group of coaches and parents will be heading to play in Nashville, so please enter some information here if you are interested in joining.
Finally – as you prepare for those trips to the rink over the next eight months – don’t forget to do some shopping at the AHA team store – and make sure to outfit those siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who will cheer on your players with some new AHA apparel.
It continues to be an honor to serve this great organization as President. Some of my closest friends and fondest memories from past decade have been with, and because of, the people who ARE the AHA. I hope all our players have fun on and off the ice this season, and that, overall, it is a positive and worthwhile experience for all members.
Sincerely,
Tim Bennett
AHA President
781-883-7967
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April 8, 2024
Good morning AHA!
Congratulations to Coach Joe Barbagallo and the AHA Pee Wee 3s, who finished their story by winning the Valley Hockey League title with an 8-2 thumping of Stoneham on Saturday night! Full recap to follow shortly.
We also acknowledge the Bantam 3 and Winter Midget 1 teams, who fought hard but fell in their championship games this weekend.
With that, after 215 days, thousands of hours on the ice, in the locker room, and on the road, countless smiles and laughs, and a little blood, sweat, and tears, the 2023-24 youth hockey season concludes.
Thank you to the nearly 800 players, dozens of coaches and managers, and thousands of parents, grandparents, and family and friends who made this season possible. Special thanks to our board members who have worked tirelessly to keep the trains on time and move the program forward strategically.
This season we captured three league titles (Boys HSHS 1, Mite 3, and Pee Wee 3) and a state championship (Girls U10 Gold). We had several other teams experience on-ice success, from playoff runs to tourney titles. Our players have continued developing their hockey skills, and have become bigger, faster, and stronger than when the season began. More importantly, our players have continued developing their life skills, and have become better teammates, more resilient, and more self-confident kids.
The AHA program remains strong both in terms of membership numbers and financial resources. The AHA Board never stops working and is already planning ways to make next season even bigger and better. On that note, two closing points. First, rosters for 2024-25 youth travel teams will be posted shortly. Special thanks to Rich Enos and the placements team who have been working around the clock on what is a very complex project. Second, we will have several openings on the Board for next season. If you'd like to get involved, please reach out to me at president@andoverhockey.org and we can find the best role for you. As a volunteer run, community centered, not-for-profit organization, we depend on our members and are always looking for new people to work with us and shape the future of your youth hockey organization.
Best wishes for a happy spring!
Sincerely,
Tim Bennett
AHA President
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September 4, 2023
Dear AHA Families,
On behalf of the Board of Directors, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 2023-24 hockey season! And even though it may still feel like summer outside, it is time to get back on the ice.
This will be my second season as AHA president, fifth on the AHA board, eighth as an AHA member, twelfth as a hockey parent and coach, and forty-something as a hockey player. My wife Danielle and I have three children in AHA – our twin sons Gavin and Liam, who just started their junior year at Andover High School and who play for the AHA’s High School Half Season program and for AHS; and our daughter Elizabeth, a seventh grader at Doherty Middle School who is member of AHA’s girls U-12 team.
As we kick off the new season, I thought it might be helpful to highlight some initiatives on which your board of directors has been working diligently since the end of last season. I’ve broken it down into three main areas (which, conveniently enough, is how the board is organized): Coaching and Player Development, Business and Operations, and Member Relations.
Coaching and Player Development
AHA is always working to improve our on ice offerings and the performance of our players, and I believe the package we can offer members this season is unrivaled not only in terms of what you get but also what you pay for it. As always, we have dedicated volunteer coaches and managers - many of whom have played in college or beyond - who will devote hundreds of hours to your children over the next seven months. Second, we engage with professional skills providers who will train our travel team players with the highest level of expertise - all included in base AHA tuition. This fall we have also added a supplementary skills package Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons (at Phillips, led by the Elev802 team) which will focus on power skating, defensive tactics, and offensive skills.
AHA remains specifically committed to the future of our girls’ program. We are pleased to announce that this season Kim Bruff will be working with us as a special consultant. Kim is a lifelong Andover resident who played for AHA as a youth and at Austin Prep before playing collegiately at the University of Maine. Kim then transitioned to a coaching career and is now back with AHA, this time as a parent, and will serve as a mentor to our female players and assist our board and coaches with planning special events for our girls both on and off the ice.
Business and Operations
The off-season is actually the busy season for the AHA board, and this year was no exception. We spent countless hours on multiple iterations of our schedules (which itself is a project worthy of a write up in a business journal and which has resulted in more single team practices), budgets, and team rosters. New uniforms and equipment are here (or will be arriving shortly!), including some great new mini-nets for our youngest players.
Behind the scenes, AHA board members are working on memorializing “unwritten” policies and procedures into a formal operations manual and annual calendar, as well as exploring creative new approaches with respect to our fundraising and investments. We are always thinking strategically how to enhance the AHA experience in the future, including networking with other Andover youth sports organizations, other local youth hockey programs, and non-profit thought leaders from around the state. Personally, I am proud (and as an association, we are lucky) to have a team of such intelligent, dedicated, and creative volunteers who treat their board roles in a professional manner.
Member Relations
We are always looking for passionate and creative people to join our member relations team. This year, we are specifically focused on the physical and mental health, safety, and well-being of our members, so please stay tuned for special events throughout the season. We are also already starting to plan for our annual Heseltine Tournament over Thanksgiving weekend (which is 80 days away, but who’s counting?!?). As always, we are constantly looking for new and exciting ways to add new members and enhance the experience for our current families. Please reach out to webmaster@andoverhockey.org if you’d like to join our crew. Even if you are a parent of a new player in Learn to Skate, we invite you to participate and welcome your ideas. We are specifically seeking social media savvy volunteers with experience in marketing, event planning, and fundraising.
AHA also remains proud to serve the community. From our scholarship programs and charitable donations, to our involvement with Andover civic organizations and events, to our collaboration with the Boston Ice Storm sled hockey program, we are dedicated to making a difference off the ice as well as on it.
Start of the New Season
Practices for nearly five hundred of our players (in mites through high school) begin TOMORROW!
Registration remains open for certain programs, including Learn to Skate, Learn to Play, Mite House League, Rec Hockey, and Warrior Cup. In addition, we have limited spots available for alternate players (skaters and goalies) on our Girls U12 and U14 teams. If you know of someone who might be interested, please contact girlsdirector@andoverhockey.org.
In closing:
To our players – be kind, skate hard, and have fun.
To our coaches – be organized, educate your players, and model good behavior.
To our families – be supportive, get involved in the AHA community, and remember it’s only a game that goes by far too quickly.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or feedback. I wish you all good luck in this upcoming season.
Go Warriors!
Sincerely,
Tim Bennett
AHA President
781-883-7967
***
April 3, 2022
Dear AHA Members and Friends,
As the 2022-23 hockey season comes to a close, I would like to take a moment to thank all of our players, coaches, managers, board members, and families for making this a season filled with improvement and success on the ice; community engagement and team bonding off the ice; and an overall fun experience for everyone, kids and adults.
Over 700 AHA players from our learn to skate and learn to play programs through our high school and Warrior Cup adult teams participated in hundreds of games and thousands of hours of practices and skills sessions. Our teams were successful, winning local and out-of-state tournaments, beating club teams, and capturing championships. We partnered with some of the best skills providers in the business. We strengthened our relationships with the Andover High School and Phillips Academy hockey teams. We added new programs this season, including our hugely successful Rec Hockey offering as well as our Girls’ Select and Full Ice Mites supplemental teams. We partnered with the NHL and the Boston Bruins to run two sessions of Learn to Play, providing hundreds of kids with their first opportunity to fall in love with the greatest sport in the world. We hosted two major tournaments – the annual Heseltine Mite Tournament Thanksgiving weekend and the Massachusetts Hockey Girls’ State Tournament last month. Finally, many of our AHA teams were active in the community, serving local charities and neighbors in need.
Plans are already well underway to make the 2023-24 AHA season even better. As previously announced, we are working on a supplemental “games only” pilot program for the squirt, pee wee, and bantam age groups. We plan to enhance offerings for all our players, including adding skills clinics in areas such as power skating and defensive tactics. We are also working hard to improve and grow offerings for our girls and our goalies.
Off the ice, we are in the planning stages of a new initiative focusing on the health, safety, and welfare of our members – topics such as AED/CPR training for coaches, injury protection and prevention, and general information designed to aid the physical and mental health of all our members are planned. We are going to partner with Andover Recreation for a summer street hockey league (stay tuned for details!). We will continue to expand our involvement in the community, including our partnership with the Boston Ice Storm Sled Hockey team. And on the topic of community and charity, I am proud to announce that AHA will be a sponsor for both the Step Up for Colleen 5K and Andona’s Clown Town this spring. (Yes, I will participate in the 5K. No, I will not ride the Zipper or Round Up.)
My goal for the off season as president will be to continue moving AHA in what is hopefully the right direction in terms of our on-ice product and off-ice management, with a specific focus on our fundraising and community engagement endeavors. I plan to continue networking with other youth hockey programs to see what they are doing right (hello, Winchester) as well as coordinating with other sports and recreational organizations in town.
AHA is a large community based, volunteer run, not for profit organization. To that end, we are always looking for committed, passionate, and talented volunteers to help. We will have several spots opening on the Board this summer. Every team needs a manager and several assistant coaches. And all of our events, especially tournaments and placements, require lots of helping hands. Even if you’ve never set foot on the ice, please consider getting involved and helping your youth hockey organization.
In closing, please note I will not personally be involved in the player evaluation and team formation process, but I will always be available to speak with new or prospective members about any questions, concerns, suggestions, or even compliments(!) you may have about AHA. I hope to see you at the fields or around town this spring. Thank you for your support of AHA.
Sincerely,
Tim Bennett
AHA President
781-883-7967
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September 6, 2022
Dear AHA Families,
On behalf of the AHA Board of Directors, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 2022-23 hockey season, and my honor to serve as the president of this amazing organization.
This will be my fourth year on the Board, seventh as an AHA member, and eleventh as a hockey parent and coach; all together, I have spent more than forty years involved in the best sport in the world. I grew up in a hockey family – my grandfather, father, and brother all played, while my mom knows more about the sport than all of us combined. I played youth hockey in Arlington and for Austin Prep during my high school years, then attended Holy Cross where I participated in club hockey and also served as a student coach for the women’s hockey team. My hockey career since then has involved a lot of late nights and/or early mornings at various rinks (including one memorable weekend in Montreal) trying to recapture a little of those old glory days. My wife Danielle and I have three children in AHA – our twin sons Gavin and Liam, who just started their sophomore year at Andover High School and play for the AHA’s High School Half Season program and for AHS; and our daughter Elizabeth, a sixth grader at Doherty Middle School who is member of AHA’s girls U-12 team. We share our home with our beagle Cooper who, if you live nearby, you’ve probably heard.
This summer, I spent a lot of time thinking about my goals for this season as AHA's president. I’ve had dinner with several past AHA presidents, and spoken with lots of former and current Board members, coaches, and families. I’ve reached out to youth hockey leaders in other communities and also met with the leaders of other youth sports organizations here in Andover to exchange ideas and try to figure out how we can work together to make things more coordinated and efficient. I have heard many great things about AHA – as well as some fair criticisms.
As president, I owe a fiduciary duty to AHA and its members to manage the association in a financially responsible manner that is consistent with our Mission Statement. Therefore, it is my goal to enhance the overall AHA Experience for all members – players, coaches, and families – by focusing on that mission statement. Our mission statement has three main prongs. First, AHA’s mission is to organize and promote a fun, safe, and developmentally rewarding hockey experience. Second, we are a family-centered organization. Finally, it is in our mission to serve the community.
Fun
That first prong is broken into three parts: fun, safety, and development. The “fun” part should speak for itself. It is our job as parents and coaches to make youth sports a fun experience for our kids. That includes the car ride home after a tough performance and invoking the “24-hour rule" regarding any non-urgent communications with coaches. Showing respect for the opponent, opposing coaches, the opposing team’s parents, and (perhaps the most challenging) the referees is also expected. We are all role models for our children and unsportsmanlike conduct at AHA events will not be permitted. It’s not fun when mom and dad are yelling in the stands or giving you the silent treatment on the drive home.
It has been well publicized that youth sports nationwide are facing a shortage of officials. AHA is working to ensure that none of our games will be cancelled due to a lack of referees by encouraging interested members to register as on-ice officials. Through AHA's Officiating Reimbursement Program, AHA will cover registration fees for current members (high school and younger) who get patched to work AHA games for the 2022-23 season. Please contact our Treasurers Sal & Kristy DiAgostino for more information.
Generally speaking, the more creative an experience is, the more fun it can be. I challenge all coaches, managers, and parents to think of innovative and inspired ways to make this season an enjoyable experience for your children and your teams. Please share your ideas on how to make this season fun with Fred Porter, our VP for Member Relations. From Bruins games and outdoor skates, to tournaments at Waterville Valley and Jay Peak, to pool and pizza parties at a teammate’s house, we want all AHA kids to associate their AHA experience with fun on - and off - the ice.
In partnership with the Andover High School boys’ and girls’ hockey programs, we are also bringing back our “AHS Player of the Game” program this winter, and encouraging all our youth teams to support the Andover hockey community by proudly wearing AHA jerseys to school and to AHS boys and girls games.
We also want the community (and beyond) to know how much fun it is to be a part of AHA. To that end, we are working to grow our social media presence, including expanding to platforms such as TikTok that appeal to our younger members (and potential members). Fran Walker, our Social Media director, is the point person for this initiative. We are looking for high school aged members and college aged alumni to help as our new Social Media Interns. If you are interested in learning more about this program, please contact Fran. I’m pleased to note that one AHA alumnus who is a current senior in college reached out to us - unsolicited - this summer to volunteer already. And, of course, please be sure to follow us on Facebook and share your pictures and videos with us during the season.
Safety
The safety and well-being, both physically and emotionally, of all our members is our paramount concern. You likely have seen media attention given recently to the inappropriate and at times criminal behavior of youth sports coaches, including some youth hockey coaches in Massachusetts. All AHA coaches must be USA Hockey certified, including passing a background check and completing SafeSport training. If you have any concerns in this area please contact our compliance director Kevin Cormier and me immediately.
Parents, please remind your players of our locker room policy and discipline policy. Bullying, hazing, and inappropriate speech or conduct of any kind will not be tolerated. And, as an aside, there is no need for a youth player to have a cell phone in the locker room or on the ice (amazingly, I’ve witnessed a phone fall out of player’s pants while on the ice... the referee didn’t really know what to do so just handed it back to the player at the next whistle.). At a minimum, it causes a distraction and at worst can lead to far more unacceptable situations. If your player needs to bring his or her phone to a practice or game in order to communicate with you or otherwise to arrange for a ride home, please tell them to give the phone to a coach for safekeeping until leaving the rink.
We are fortunate to hold practices and games at the Phillips Academy Ice Rinks complex, and appreciate the efforts of Matt Gray and his staff in providing us with a world class facility. Please do your part to keep locker rooms and common areas clean and respect the rules of the rink. This goes for the parking lot too, which is especially important in the winter when there are rows of cars double parked with their engines running in the pickup lane and our littlest members are trying to navigate snowbanks and icy walkways in the dark while dragging a bag and a stick.
Lastly on the topic of safety and wellbeing, it goes without saying at this point, but if your player is sick, please keep them away from AHA events until they are feeling better. Common sense dictates showing this courtesy to your teammates and their families.
Player Development
AHA is always working to improve the development of our players, and I am proud of the package we can offer this season. First and foremost, we have an army of dedicated volunteer coaches and managers – moms, dads, grandparents, and friends - who devote countless hours to your children. We have coaches who have played high level college and even professional hockey. Some of our long time coaches and board members like Dan Archambault, Kevin Cormier, Rick Falzone, and Matt Kiley are at or approaching a thousand hours of youth hockey experience. All of our coaches from Learn to Skate through High School will be provided with the tools to plan and execute challenging and efficient practices and to manage the bench appropriately during games.
Second, we have engaged with professional skills providers who will train our travel teams with the highest level of expertise - all included in your base AHA tuition. Jon Hutcheon and his team at Elev802 Boston have developed an age and skill based hockey curriculum for each level. Pat Gigante and his team at XP will work with players off the ice in their brand new facility to improve their agility, balance, coordination, and flexibility. Erika Hammar and the Empower Hockey team will literally train your hockey player how to be a better ice skater. And Steve Mastalerz and the GDS team will train the most important members of the team, our goaltenders.
On the topic of goalies, the AHA Board has recognized that we need to do more to attract and retain goalies at all age levels. To that end, as a part of AHA’s Goalie Initiative we have discounted goalie tuition at all levels and offered special training through GDS year round. We are also piloting a free program for non-full time goalies to try some training at GDS – this would be especially useful on younger teams where players still “pass the pads” each week. That said, we still have needs at certain age levels for goalie, so anyone is welcome to give it a try! We will help you with equipment and training to make sure the experience is as user friendly as possible.
The Board is also invested in the future of AHA’s Girls’ Program. In addition to our full season teams at the U-8 through U-14 levels and fall half season U-16 and U-19 teams, this winter AHA will feature supplemental “game only” girls teams at U-12 and U-14. Both full season AHA U-12 and U-14 players and non-current AHA members are welcome to try out for these teams. The goal of this supplemental program is to welcome back to AHA girls who live in Andover but play for other programs, and to give them an opportunity to play with their friends, neighbors, and classmates at a high level of competition. More information about this program is forthcoming, but if you have any questions please contact our girls director Alex Balford. I’m also pleased to note that AHA will be hosting the Mass Hockey Girls Tier III State Tournament this March (apologies to those who enjoyed the drive to Springfield).
Some of the most common complaints about youth hockey are that the season is too long, it’s too expensive, and it is a hard sport to break into at an older age. To address some of those concerns, this winter we will be piloting an AHA Recreational Hockey program for boys and girls ages 9-14. The season will run from after Thanksgiving until mid-March, with no games over the holiday break; the cost will be very reasonable; and the idea is to give those “late bloomers” a chance to give hockey a try. It’s also geared at kids for whom hockey is not their primary activity, such as basketball players or skiers, with games scheduled for late afternoon on Sundays. Please pass this information along to anyone who might be interested. For more information, and to register, please see here.
If you have any questions about AHA’s offerings this season, including our skills programs or our player development initiatives for goalies, girls hockey, or rec hockey, please contact AHA’s director of coaching and player development Rich Enos or me.
Family
I often joke that when we were contemplating a move back to the Boston area several years ago, the first thing my wife did was contact a real estate agent, while the first thing I did was to start researching youth hockey programs. That is a bit exaggerated, but when I first reached out to AHA to inquire about joining the program, I was welcomed warmly by AHA Board members and coaches such as Pete Vaccaro, Matt McLaughlin, Bob Hauser, and Dan Zuccaro. It is my goal to make sure every new AHA family has a similar positive experience. To that end, I am proud to announce the first season of the AHA Family Mentoring Program. The goal is simple – to connect families new to AHA with veterans in an informal setting. For the new families, the mentor family can be a resource for questions you might have about topics related to hockey (Do the socks go over the shin guards?), the AHA (What is the ‘Placements Committee’?), or Andover generally (Where’s the best pizza in town?). If you are interested in participating in this program, either as an AHA “vet” mentor or as a new family, please let Fred Porter know.
Part of being a family-centered organization is also remembering our roots and our history. This season, we will be expanding the scope of our annual Thanksgiving Weekend Heseltine Memorial Mite Tournament to include a celebration of all AHA alumni who are no longer with us. We are planning an alumni game and other programs, in addition to the traditional exciting action on the ice featuring our mite all-stars. If you would like to be involved with this event, please contact me.
Community
AHA is fortunate to have a strong, vibrant, and talented membership core, most of whom have the means to enjoy participating in activities and experiences such as youth hockey. However, at some point all of us encounter difficulties in life – be it job loss, illness, or death of a loved one. Taking care of our fellow members is at the core of what makes AHA such a special organization. It is my promise AHA will help any member who is struggling with the cost of tuition. Please contact our Treasurers Sal & Kristy DiAgostino to confidentially discuss your family’s needs.
AHA is also called to serve the greater community beyond our membership. We’re proud to be associated with local programs that benefit our neighbors in need, such as shoveling snow for seniors through Andover Elder Services, and donating clothing and food to organizations such as Lazarus House. We also support hockey related charitable endeavors beyond Andover’s borders, such as the Wounded Warriors sled hockey program (for whom last year our Bantam 1 team raised over $2000).
As a non-profit organization which needs to charge tuition to cover ice rental, league fees, uniforms and equipment, skills vendors, and other expenses, AHA depends on the generosity of its members and sponsors to drive these community based charitable initiatives. If you are interested in learning more about AHA’s Fundraising Program, or to discuss a donation or sponsorship, please contact Gia Cyrier, our director of fundraising.
Start of the New Season
Practices for nearly 500 members begin this week and have been loaded onto to the AHA website (hosted by our wonderful partners at Crossbar) through mid-November. You can learn how to sync your personal device here. Returning families may remember that the practice schedule shifts somewhat starting around Thanksgiving because the Phillips Academy teams begin their season and so we do lose a few hours of ice each week thereafter. We are working on ways to manage that shortfall creatively and cost-effectively over the winter.
Registration remains open for our Mite House League. Contact Mite Director Joe Barbagallo or MHL Commissioner Bob Romano for details or to get involved and please spread the word. Practices start this week but teams won't be formed until games start in October so there is still plenty of time to sign up.
Registration is now open for our Learn to Skate and Learn to Play programs which start in early October. Contact Initiation Director Shawn Furey with any questions and also please spread the word to anyone interested.
At the other end of the career arc, registration is now also open for the fall season of our adult Warrior Cup league which starts September 18th. Contact Bob Kenny with your career stats and highlight reels if you’re interested.
Thank You and Get Together
In conclusion, I’d like to express my appreciation to last season’s board members, especially Mike Stevens. Mike and I have spent lots of time together over the years and especially this summer discussing the future of the AHA, and he left us with a solid framework to continue the great work of this organization. I’d also like to acknowledge our new and returning Board members for their tireless efforts this summer to get ready for the season, including Rich Enos, Fred Porter, Kevin Cormier, Sal & Kristy DiAgostino, Ed Donnelly (VP for business and operations), Andrea Igo (scheduler), Tim & Ann Swan (registrars), Kevin Davis (secretary), Diana Petersen (equipment), Rick Falzone (VHL representative), and all our age level directors who are still jugging rosters this morning. I’d especially like to recognize the efforts this summer by Andrea and others putting together the schedule. Everyone would love the 6:30pm practice slot on Tuesdays and Thursday, and we have done our best to come up an equitable, efficient, and predictable schedule for all teams.
Finally, I would like to cordially invite you to Oak & Iron on Wednesday, October 12, for AHA’s annual coaches and parents “Meet & Greet” Social. Please register here and contact Gia Cyrier or our special events coordinator Steph Howard for more details.
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To many, Labor Day is more of a milestone than New Year’s. With the chaos of back to school and the start of a new schedule of activities, it can be easy to get caught up in the day to day and forget to appreciate the little joys in life. This is especially true of the hockey season, which is a grind. It’s tough getting up for those 6:30am games on Sunday mornings when you’ve had a late night, it’s pitch black and ten below, and your kid is playing a team that beat them 7-2 last time. Marlboro is far away and the parking lot is bigger than an airport. And some towns I won’t mention by name always have that annoying parent wearing a jersey with their kid’s name on the back who brings a cowbell and videos the whole game with commentary more biased than Jack Edwards. But, as the father of two sons who have already aged out of “youth” hockey, I would encourage you to stop and appreciate the ebb and flow of it all, because it really does all go by so fast. Take the opportunity during one of those early morning rides to the rink to really talk to your child. Make friends with the new family on the team and invite them over for a drink. Share a Box of Joe with the parents from Wilmington or Tewksbury. Take a video of your son or daughter this weekend and then take one at the end of the season and compare it to see the differences, not just in their skating but how they different are – how they look, how much taller they are, how else they’ve grown. The little things like that are what matter and are why we are here as parents, coaches, and Board members. I wish you all a fun, safe, and rewarding season. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can help make your AHA experience all that it can and should be.
Sincerely,
Tim Bennett
AHA President
781-883-7967