Convening & Evaluations

Teams Being Pre Selected Before the Season Starts
Meadowvale’s policy is that we do not guarantee a specific skill level to any player. The only player that has a spot held in reserve is the Head Coach’s child and this is addressed if there is any issue. All players are subject to evaluations and convening. Rumours you may hear over the summer, during evaluations and through out the season about the Head Coach having already picked his team are just that, rumor. The Head Coach is not given a complete list of registered players for the season until the first coach’s meeting in late August. The complete list of players is not available until just before the first evaluation session.

Coaches may have a wish list of who they would like on the team to prepare for the season or have a core of players in mind in which to build from. The coaches are encouraged go out to the games of the players in their age group prior to the end of the previous season to see them in game situations… most do. Sometimes evaluations do not show the whole picture. But no one is placed on a team until evaluations. After the first evaluation session the Head Coach will have a very good idea who his top six player choices are and these players may be asked not to come out for the second evaluation. This way they can focus on selecting the remaining players and reduce the number of players on the ice. All players have the right to be playing at the highest level possible. All the coaches in the division are expected to attend all evaluations and assistant coaches are encouraged to also attend. Just because you don’t see the coach on the ice doesn’t mean he isn’t looking, some prefer to observe from the stands. No player spot is guaranteed until after the six week convening period is complete.

Skills Evaluated By a Third Party
Meadowvale does not involve a third party to perform their evaluations. A third party adds another layer of administration, confusion and added cost. Hockey talent comes in many forms and skills evaluation is just one part of the equation. Talent selection is a subjective process. No two coaches have the same outlook and this is the same when a Head Coach selects their team.

• Team considerations are made up of many different factors and each coach has their own style which needs to be taken into account.

We value the time and effort our Volunteer coaches provide each season. Evaluations are there for the Head Coaches and Staff to select the best team possible. Each coach wants to have not only a winning team but a team that will have fun and support each other through out the season.

Meadowvale Teams in the Same Loop are Not Balanced
Every season the Operations Group at Meadowvale monitors all teams and especially where we have two or more teams in the same skill level. Our intention is to ensure that all teams are balanced.  No Coach at any multi-team skill level entry has the first 16 player picks with the other having the next 16. The draft order is by coach agreement to ensure the teams are balanced. However in most cases it starts with a coin toss. The coach with the first pick chooses one player and then each coach alternately selects two players from there on.

After the teams are selected this is reviewed by the Operations group at Meadowvale, Area Conveners, MHL Convener and Meadowvale’s convening representative during the first six weeks of the season called convening. Games between the teams are requested during the first couple of weeks of the convening period.

The reasons that not all Meadowvale teams can be scheduled in the first week is due in part to the fact that the MHL Conveners can not be at all the different arenas and ice time availability is limited. If there is a balancing issue that needs to be addressed it is done ASAP with the consideration of the minimum amount of player movement.

Year End / Mid Year Reviews
Meadowvale is run solely by volunteers and does not have the resources, time, or financial support to perform mid year and year end evaluations. Some other sport organizations request that each Head Coach submit a year end player evaluation on all of their players. This practice, though possibly beneficial, doesn’t take into account summer hockey development programs, 3 on 3, growth spurts, etc.

Instead we ask each Head Coach that plans on returning next season to go out and scout the teams in their division, interact with the other coaches and make notes for next season. This way they have their own back ground information for next season evaluations.

Too Many Players on the Ice
This is a timing factor since we get our ice from the City of Mississauga and insurance from Hockey Canada starts after the Labour Day weekend. Adding to the limited resources of ice time is that The City of Mississauga doesn’t have ice in all of its arenas until the third weekend after Labour Day. So ice is very limited between Labour Day and the start of the season. This is why we hold evaluations on the two consecutive Sundays following Labour Day.

The ice times are divided up depending upon the number of players registered in each age group.

As mentioned above, after the first evaluation session the Head Coach will have a very good idea who his top six player choices are and these players may be asked not to come out for the second evaluation. This way they can focus on selecting the remaining players and reduce the amount of players on the ice.

Why Evaluations are Held Before Games?
Fielding the teams based on last years placement does not take into account player development over the summer, growth spurts that effect coordination and new players joining the association. This is why evaluations are held before the season starts. All players are placed in a pool and then selected for the appropriate skill level. The convening process is for fine tuning the team entrees and moving player(s)/teams entered to the appropriate level in comparison to the other team entries in the division.

Skill Levels for Each Division
Contrary to popular belief, the skill levels are not determined by the coaches or parents or players. This is determined by the Hockey Operations group at Meadowvale. The methodology is based on last year’s regular season results, potential player movement and the competition level of the division. Our goal to have each team be competitive when they hit the ice. A 50/50 shot at winning is ideal. A team that wins with ease is no longer developing and a team losing every game loses confidence. We look at the division as a whole. Is every team at the top of the standings, are there teams in the middle, etc. As an Association we will not field a team just to lose every game for future development. Other associations have, and continue to, field teams at a higher than appropriate skill level. We feel that playing at a higher level does not accelerate the learning curve but can do the opposite and discourage the players from continuing to enjoy the game. Instead we would rather see a player have a competitive season, be challenged, have fun and will be ready to make the next step to the higher level when the opportunity arises.

Length of Convening – Too long or Too Short.
The length of convening is determined by the MHL and is stated in the MHL rule book. This is a well established procedure that has stood since the MHL’s adoption of multi tier skill level for the house league system. Yes, convening is too long when after a few weeks players have bonded and made new friends. And yes, it is to short since it is a daunting task to evaluate all the team combinations over a six week period. It is not a perfect system and each year rules are updated to improve the process for all.

Placed at Wrong Skill Level
If you feel that you were evaluated at the wrong skill level then you MUST continue to play with the team assigned. A player that does not play can not be reevaluated. Get out on the ice and play at the top level you are capable of playing so the conveners can see you. Evaluation mistakes are possible. It is virtually impossible to get 100 % of all House Players placed at the proper level right away. Each game during the first six weeks of convening is monitored by the MHL, Area Reps and conveners representing all 8 Associations.  The eight Area Associations, and Meadowvale in particular, do not want to see any player(s) lighting up the score board, stopping every shot on net, or not allowing any goals against.

To high-light any error that you feel has occurred; please complete a “Competition Investigation” on-line form available on the web site (http://www.meadowvalehockey.com/contactus.htm).  We can not guarantee that the end results will meet your expectation but we will ensure that the concern is addressed.

The main purpose of convening is to have another set of eyes look at the competition levels of the games in each level, to help eliminate unintentional bias and oversights.  Parents focus on their player(s), coaches see their team, and Association’s concentrate on their teams. That is why there are other Area Convening Reps and MHL Division Reps present during this time period out monitoring the games. Like a third party insurance verifying that the majority of the associations are in favour of the teams/players are entered at the correct skill level.

Not Moving up a Level Each Season or Moved Down a Level This Season
We do not move players up a level each season based on what level they played last season. Seniority does not come into the equation; the requirements are the essential skills.

The fact that you played at a certain skill level last season does not necessarily mean that you’ll play at the same level next season. Meadowvale does not guarantee team placement to any player. Yes, it is disheartening to be playing a level down from the previous season! Circumstances change each season, new players join the division, skills develop at different rates, are a few factors affecting the range of talent available. Over the years we have seen players move down a level and then bounce right back the next. It gives them time to develop their skills at a different pace and regain personal confidence.

Ice Times

Practice Times
The amount of ice provided to Meadowvale is based upon a City of Mississauga formula taking into account the quantity of registered players last season. The City of Mississauga has first rights to the sheets of ice that were in the contract from the previous year, before reissuing ice for the next season. If the City wants to take back a sheet of ice, say at prime time for one of their Park & Rec programs, then they take it back and in return we get compensated with another sheet at a different time or even arena. Each season after the city divvies out the ice to each association then the Ice Directors from each association begin negotiations with each other, trading ice times/locations that best fit their association’s needs. The other associations are not always interested in the ice times we are interested in exchanging. They then must be added into our rotation. We divide up these times equally between all divisions. Ice prime time ice is a very hot and limited commodity. You just can not pick and choose the time and arena that you would like.

MHL Game Times
The games are scheduled by the MHL. They can not schedule games Sunday afternoon one week and then Saturday the next. The ice times they receive are in blocks using the same ice sheets in the contract each week. If they do not have a block of ice Sunday afternoon in their contract then they can not schedule games. Nor do the ice times change each week. The ice time blocks are static time and place throughout the season. Games are scheduled for House League starting the week on Saturday mornings usually with the younger age groups. As the players get older then the games move later in the day. Then in the senior divisions games are Sunday nights and throughout the week to allow players to work. At the younger age groups you will be scheduled games during these times if it is an odd number team loop or to make up missed games. The ice times for the MHL are separate contracts than the practice ice times for each association and are not interchangeable. At no time does the MHL consider our practice schedule in conjunction with game schedules, they are entirely separate.

Ice Time
Every house league team receives the same amount of practice ice time from Meadowvale. The Red team(s) gets the same amount of ice time as Green team(s). In other leagues you will notice that the Select (Red in Mississauga) will have separate practices and then the remaining of the House League teams will have a group practice together. Each player/parent pays the same and therefore receives the same quantity of ice time. Therefore the other House League teams do not support the upper tiers. Practice time lost to game conflicts is compensated by the Ice Allocation director. Any team that has a conflict is then given the first available time in which another team has a conflict or is not able to use.

During a game each player is to receive “Equitable Ice Time”. This is not equal ice time since we do not run the house league program on a buzzer system. Players learn to change on the fly to allowing the flow of the game to continue. The actual amount of ice time will vary game to game depending on the amount of players on the bench, number of penalties during the game and when whistles occur. Some times a player may miss a shift due to the timing of penalties in order to get the line rotations back in order. No player should ever play a complete period or sit on the bench for a complete period. This is a Meadowvale policy and all coaches agree to this policy before they can be a Head Coach at Meadowvale.

Conclusion
Have any constructive ideas on how things can be improved? Would you like to get involved? Don’t have the time! Then think of all the hours that your coaches, staff members, board of directors put in each season. All of these hours are volunteered. No one receives any compensation for travel expense, meal allowances, free enrollment, etc. All time and expenses are volunteered to make your hockey experience better.

Meadowvale is always looking for volunteers. You can help out by being a Head Coach, applications are available each season just after the New Year on the web site. Or if you are interested in helping out on a team please contact the Head Coach to offer your services. Meadowvale does provide reimbursement for all training costs.

The Meadowvale Board is always looking for eager volunteers to help out. The time to get involved is at the AGM held at the end of the season. This year’s AGM is April 30; click here for details. Just sent an e-mail to the President president@meadowvalehockey.com asking that your name be added to the ballot for the Board of Director election at the AGM.