Hockey is the only major youth sport where all coaches must be screened, attend different levels of coaching education certifications and then take age-specific modules for the birth years they are coaching.

 

The objective of the USA Hockey Coaching Education Program (C.E.P.) is to improve the caliber and quality of coaching in amateur hockey. Five levels of achievement and six online age-specific modules have been established to educate and train each coach, from the beginner to the highly skilled expert.

 

The Coaching Education Program is committed to developing coaches who will be effective instructors and role models through a comprehensive education program at all levels of play. The program emphasizes fundamental skills, conceptual development, sportsmanship and respect for teammates, opponents, coaches, officials, parents and off-ice officials. 

 

READ MORE

Over the weekend of August 24-25, AHAI conducted the first of several USA Hockey Coaching Education Program (CEP) Clinics. Level 2 and Level 3 Clinics were delivered on Saturday to 150 coaches. On Sunday AHAI instituted the American Development Model (ADM) focused Level 1 Clinic to introduce the ADM to our newest coaches. In addition to classroom work, there is an on ice portion where coaches are put through a six-station ADM practice.

State Tournaments at all levels from Squirt to Adult, college scholarships awarded to our most deserving student athletes in conjunction with the Chicago Blackhawk Alumni Association, world-class insurance coverage, mandated background screenings for all adults with access to our youth players, a subscription to USA Hockey Magazine, the most widely distributed hockey magazine in the world - these are but a few of the benefits of membership in AHAI and USA Hockey. 

You may be surprised to learn the "hidden" benefits that you receive with your membership like state-of-the-art gold-standard coaches' education programs to ensure your child's coach has the most current material to assist your skater in reaching their full potential or the intensive training programs each IHOA official must attend so to ensure quality officiating at all levels.

"Like" AHAI on Facebook now through Friday, September 21 and you will be entered to win a pair of season tickets to the NIU Huskies Division II Hockey Games at Fox Valley Ice Arena in Geneva, IL. The Huskies home game opener is Friday, September 27 at 8:30 p.m.  Click HERE for full schedule. 

AHAI is pleased to announce the continuation of the Cross Ice Grant Program. The Cross Ice Grant Program is designed to aid AHAI Affiliates and their home rinks in promoting the growth of ice hockey through the implementation of a cross-ice hockey program. AHAI is again offering two Cross Ice Grants including the shorter soft Cross Ice Dividers as well as the NEW Cross Ice Hard Dividers. We encourage rinks and associations to purchase the hard dividers if possible. Cross Ice hockey is based on a model of practicing and playing across the width of the ice surface rather than lengthwise along the full length of the ice. The Cross Ice model for practice and play has been used in many of the leading hockey nations in the world for a number of years and is a more efficient way to use ice time and space and give children a greater feeling of success when playing hockey. By shrinking the playing surface, the Cross Ice model allows for players to increase the number of times they touch the puck, increase the amount of body contact and increase speed of decision making during playing situations - all of which translate into quicker development of the individual skills necessary to keep young players excited and motivated.

 

The hard dividers improve the game day experience for the players, improve the visual for the parents, and create a more realistic game surface. These dividers are regulation size boards, with dashers and kick plates as well as a door so skaters can pass through form section to section.

 

Two Grants will be offered for this upcoming season including Cross Ice Dividers and Cross Ice Hard Dividers. All applicants will be required to complete an application providing a full detailed report describing their cross-ice programs within three months after disbursement of their Cross Ice Grant.

 

The intent of the Game Limit Rule is to increase the practice to game ratio all all AHAI affiliate teams and to emulate the introduction of the USA Hockey American Development Model (ADM). Accordingly, AHAI has imposed team game limits at all USA Hockey age divisions.

Game limits include all league, tournament and practice games. All tournaments, both local and out of area will count as three (3) games toward the teams game limit. All playoff games for USA Hockey and AHAI registered League, State and National competition do not count toward the team game limits. The AHAI team game limits shall be mandatory for High School, Tier II and Tier III/ House/Recreation teams and recommended for Tier I teams. Click HERE for AHAI's complete 2013-14 Rules & Regulations.