Jr. Greyhounds 2016-2017 tryouts
Attention all players who aspire to play within the Soo Jr. Greyhounds rep program next season — and attention all parents for a message from Sault Minor Hockey.
Sault Minor Hockey, a division of the Sault Major Hockey Association, is now taking try-out registration for all players interested in being part of the various Jr. Greyhounds atom and pee wee teams for the 2016-2017 season.
Sault Minor Hockey intends to operate Soo Jr. Greyhounds rep teams at the pee wee major AAA, pee wee major AA, pee wee minor AAA, pee wee minor AA, atom major AA and atom minor AA levels for the 2016-2017 campaign.
Registration forms are available via the saultminorhockey.ca website.
For starters, atom AA and pee wee AAA tryouts will be held on Saturday, April 16 and Sunday, April 17 at Community First Soo Pee Wee Arena. A schedule will be posted on the Sault Minor Hockey website prior to tryouts.
Of note, players wishing to play pee wee AA must first try out for their respective AAA team.
Some players may require completed and signed NOHA tryout permission and release forms, which will be on the website. Instructions for those who needs a release form signed are available on the 2016-2017 registration form via saultminorhockey.ca.
Interested players from teams and leagues that are not sanctioned by Hockey Canada are eligible to try-out, provided that at the end of this season, the player is not participating in the non-sanctioned program.
Tryout registration deadline for the Jr. Greyhound programs is Sunday, April 3.
Tryout costs will remain the same — $45 for atom $70 for pee wee. No additional fees apply to players trying out for pee wee AA after the AAA sessions.
For the record, atom and pee wee Jr. Greyhounds teams are currently the only AAA and AA Hockey Canada-sanctioned teams in Sault Ste Marie.
As such, and with respect to teams and programs that are operated independent of Hockey Canada and are not sanctioned by the governing body, Sault Minor Hockey has released the following statement to all parents and players.
“We understand that people want choice and we respect that decision. We just ask that you make the choice wisely and research all aspects before making a commitment either with a Hockey Canada-sanctioned program or elsewhere. We encourage you to fact find to see what the truth is and what is simply advertising. Check out the long-term success rate of previous non-sanctioned options. Ask yourself, if Hockey Canada is so bad, why are so many non-sanctioned leagues following and even promoting the Hockey Canada standards in their own advertising?
“Our Jr. Greyhound teams have the opportunity to play against the vast majority of teams in Ontario and the United States. Our Jr. Greyhound teams use only Hockey Canada-certified referees ensuring player safety. Our Jr. Greyhound teams mandate that all coaching staff be certified as well as having a criminal record check for your child’s safety. Teams within Hockey Canada certified programs have association boards and various levels of governing bodies provincially and nationwide where you can bring forth any concerns you may have to be addressed. Jr. Greyhound teams do not answer to an owner/operator.
“We at Sault Minor Hockey want you to know that we’ve heard the public request to make things better. That’s why at Sault Minor Hockey we are regularly making changes to better our product. We are time-tested with many years of experience of operating representative hockey in Sault Ste Marie. None of our senior board members have children involved in our hockey program. Not one of our senior board members benefits financially from youth hockey. We volunteer for the benefit of the players.
“Please make an informed decision and choose the best option for your child, whatever that may be.
“Sault Minor Hockey was established to provide a place for young persons to participate in a tournament team format. This allows for the opportunity to travel regularly to other centres to play the sport and to enter more tournaments then would otherwise be allowed in a house league set-up. By participating in Sault Minor Hockey, players will have an opportunity, through increased ice time and programs, to improve their skill level in the sport. The players will also have an opportunity to interact with people from other communities.
“Sault Minor strives to ensure that the participants not only become successful hockey players but also well-rounded student-athletes who represent the city of Sault Ste Marie and the Jr. Greyhound program with pride and distinction.
“We wish you good luck and hope to see you wearing the red and white Jr. Greyhound jersey.”
We have been thinking of putting our son with the “KBX Selects”. How ever after reading this we will sign up him for the “Junior Greyhounds” Try-Outs.
“Best to be safe than sorry” is our Philoosophy.
As we go back and “re-read” The “KBX Selects” are a business and we are un-easy with the concept of paid Coaches at this level.
If you think that Sault Minor/Major aren’t a business, ask them to see their books 🙂
Verrrrry intteresting. Thanks for the Info. Very informative. !! Article .
To Hockey is $$$ now: We are happy with our decision. Go spread your BS some where else.
Good article and thank you for sharing Randy. It is nice to see this all put out in the open.
The way I see it KBX is set up as a business and to create jobs for the Owner of KBX and his friends. That is fine and that is his right to make a living. Having said that there is a reason why Hockey Canada exists as a the Governing Body and the Watchdog for the Sport. Our boys are staying with Sault Major/Sault Minor/Soo Pee Wee and will Try out for the Junior Greyhounds. All do respect to KBX they are not sanctioned by Hockey Canada and that kinda scares us as a family.
Good to know all of this.
Although my boys are younger and not at this level, I cannot help being concerned with what I am reading. Can someone please explain, from as unbiased a standpoint as possible, what is going on? Where is the animosity coming from? There must be a lot more to this, or some history provoking it. This is “The Sault!!!” Don’t we have tremendous opportunities to develop under dozens of highly-experienced, top-notch hockey folks and PROS!? All this hockey knowledge and we do not have a streamlined system? There must be decision makers? Who? Do they answer to the parents who are working their butts off to pay for this?
I’m totally green so please forgive me. But this may become very important for my guys in a few years.
To Can of Worms:
Sault Minor Hockey makes it clear on their website that they are open to suggestions and available to answer any & all question’s.
So far our dealings with Sault Minor have all been good . . . they have ansewered all the questions and concerns that we presented to them as Parents.
In the end as long as your happy. Nobodys spreading any BS, just the truth.
The only thing KBX has done is made Sault Major/Minor re-evaluate the way they do things which is all good. Do the research, choose your path. Have fun! Thats what hockey is supposed to be at this age!
Yes everyone considering the soo minor/major rep program should do their homework…the first question that you might want an answer for is why does it cost $12,000 – $14,000 per year X 3 to 4 yrs to play rep at the the bantam and midget levels of the Sault Major Hockey Association which according to my calculations is $50k plus….equivalent to 2 years of university education? That’s right, by the time your kid is ready for the beer league you will have spent a small fortune.
The reason why parents want choices is primarily due to cost and of course maybe a little bit of value for one’ s hard earned $$$. At this price we should be getting the coaching equivalent of the OHL or better….so where is the value? The great program Sault Major preaches about only offers 2 practices a week (which coaches waste half those practices on the chalkboard) ? Thats right 2 practices is all they can afford on a $150,000 budget. You may also want to ask them ….do they offer an off ice conditioning program for that money….I can tell you the answer is a bewildered ‘Nope’ . What they do offer and which gobbles up a lot of your hard earned money is a bus that takes the team (and only the team) to all league games and tournaments. That is right and parents get to follow that bus with approximately 36 empty seats in their own vehicles….hows that for good value?? So parents are paying for a half empty bus to take their kids to Sudbury and North Bay and are not allowed to fill the empty seats….
So anyone exploring alternatives is very just in doing just that….
In closing ponder this…..Why is KBXs business model less expensive than Sault Major’s ‘not for profit’ model? Do your homework…..cause that beer league diploma will cost you a small fortune otherwise.
Geoff,
So what you are saying is that KBX is offering a Beer League diploma as well? Please enlighten us.
Randy: The answer to your question is yes. How many kids that have graduated from the Soo Major program, ( the most expensive AAA program in the province), have actually got a sniff of the ‘O’? You only need to look at the high school program cause you will find a pile there. What I’m saying is save your money, play house league. News flash we are geographically challenged, and to add insult to injury, we have a AAA league that I FEEL rapes parents and furthermore makes it impossible financially for many other kids to play. As for KBX….maybe he can offer a value based alternative for those that think lil Johnny is gonna make the show or maybe not. For those parents that are hell bent to see their kid develop, I would say give KBX a shot. He does seem to be offering a full meal deal, which may get everyone a first class honors beer league diploma, as opposed to the match book cover diploma soo major currently offers IN MY OPINION.