May I congratulate you on being selected for Northern Conference team trials.

For those of you who don’t know I will attempt to explain what it’s all about. Great Britain, excluding Ireland and Scotland is split into four conference area’s, North, Midlands, South East and South West, each year invites to all the clubs within their particular conference area are sent a mail requesting them to send their best players for trial with the sole purpose of formulating a select team to compete in one inter conference tournament held in Hull at the beginning of May, this tournament has been organised to concentrate English ice hockey talent in one arena, one competition so that the scouts for England and GB national sides can view potential players. Please note: ONLY BRITISH PASSPORT HOLDERS are eligible to participate in conference.

Ice hockey is not a cheap sport, you’ll not be surprised to learn that if you opt to get involved in the Northern Conference team selection process it will not be cheap and there are NO guarantees of selection you may get cut after any session along the way, so participation in any pre tournament games is again NO guarantee of team selection for Conference weekend.

I am writing this letter to warn you now before you spend too much money of the expected outlay, please read carefully and calculate the costs to you, if you feel that it is not for you please drop out early! It will make the selection process much easier for the team if we know the players trialling are fully committed.

How does it work?

There are NO hidden agenda’s in Northern Ice Hockey, the coaches remit is to formulate a team consisting of the best players registered with club’s in the Northern Conference region, players that will gel and play as a team that will out perform the opposing conference’s. Their goal is to show off and champion players from the Northern with the objective of getting our players recognised by the national team selectors; and yes of course there is also a desire to win the Hull Conference Tournament.

At the start of trials there are NO restrictions on the number of players clubs can put forward for trial, merely a request to all club head coaches that they only put forward players that are of conference standard.

There are NO politics in choosing players, if a club cannot produce a player of conference standard they will not be represented! If a clubs head coach feels that his club has 15 of the best players in the country then they could all trial; further if they all prove to be the best in trials they will all be selected! No bias. A club shirt has NO influence on selection

It is a fact that every player put forward is the cream of their respective clubs and it is the Northern coaches job to assess and evaluate each and every player for skating ability, puck handling, game sense, coach ability, teamwork and more.

 There will be a maximum of four trial sessions where all players nominated will be assessed, following assessment cuts will be made to establish a training squad, the training squad will then form the nucleolus of the team. Once selected into the training squad all players are must attend all sessions, “extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration as a reason for your absence.” Team manager and coaches will decide if the reason is valid or should be classed as a ‘MISSED SESSION’, if it is decided that the reason is not valid the player will be informed ASAP that they have been recorded a ‘MISS’. Players are asked to inform the team manager of their reason for not attending a training session with as much notice as possible please. If not a valid reason a player can at anytime be removed from the squad/team due to lack of commitment .

When disputes occur there is an appeal process where parents can submit their reason for absence to be reviewed by the Northern Committee.

Final team selection must be made by Mid February ; at this time reserves will be nominated and those players nominated as reserves will be informed that as reserves they WILL NOT go to Hull and will not be substituted into the team unless a player pulls out or is cut because of discipline, they will be invited to continue to train and will be eligible to buy conference team shirt, tracksuit and merchandise and could be invited to participate in any pre Hull game or tournament.

Pre Hull tournament or Training Camps  - All players selected MUST attend, All non attendee's that do not have extenuating circumstances will be CUT from the squad. There shall be NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule. Teams will back fill from reserves,
Conference teams for Hull tournament WILL consist of 15 or 17 players + 2 NM.
Remember if you child is cut he/she has still done very well to be considered as one of the best at his/her age in the country, maintain you support and encouragement for next year; use rejection as a springboard to work harder and be determined to prove us all wrong. Players that have not made conference team selections have gone on to represent their country and play ice hockey at the highest level so don’t be disheartened , work harder to gain your place in next seasons squad.

This team will generally have two coaches from different originating clubs to aid unbiased selection, the teams manager may offer an opinion but cannot make a decision on team selection, unlike in football.

Thanks for reading this letter, I hope I’ve not put you off but just set your expectations, please feel free to ask any questions you may have.