To Our Hockey Family,

The WHA Board would like to present you with some further information on our upcoming season. The upcoming season will be different from previous years. To begin the season, all practices will be only skills and drills that allow for social distancing per NYS guidelines. There currently is no games or "competitive" practices per NYS until further notice.

The WHA Board is current working with the city to finalize rink guidance on COVID Safety Protocol in accordance with NYS, NYSAHA, and USA Hockey. We will be updating our COVID protocols frequently as we approach the upcoming season. Due to the possibility of the Watertown Municipal Arena shutting down at any time, we will be strongly considering refunds in that situation and on a prorated scheme.

We will be updating you on changes via email, our website, and our Facebook.

Sincerely,
Dan James
WHA President

Dear WHA Members,

Once again, thank you all for your patience on how WHA plans to proceed with youth hockey this year.  The Board has been working with the USA Hockey, NYSAHA, and the Watertown Municipal Arena as well as receiving input from the NYS Dept. of Health.  Based on all the information gathered, we continue to feel we can move forward to provide our players a safe and positive experience on the ice while maintaining appropriate distancing to minimize health risks.                                                                                                                                   

Based on all the information and guidance at this time, we have some obstacles to overcome and therefore have the following guidelines:

Guidelines:

1. Capacity
   1. At this time, the Watertown Municipal Arena is limiting the capacity to 50 participants on the ice and allow 50 spectator.  Due to this restriction, WHA is implementing a 1 spectator per player policy at this time.  We will also have to monitor on ice attendance at each level to decide if two separate practice groups necessary. 
   2. Additionally, the arena will be divided into 2 areas.  One area will be the penalty box side and one area on the bench side.  Each ice session will be assigned a side for all in attendance to adhere to.  
2. Masks
   1. Players must wear a mask at all times unless a six-foot distance is maintained.  If wearing a mask is intolerable on the ice, it may be removed; however, it MUST be put back on when leaving the ice. 
   2. Coaches must wear a mask at all times unless a six-foot distance is maintained.
   3. Spectators must wear a mask at all times unless a six-foot distance is maintained.
3. Entry/Exit
   1. There will be designated directional entrances and exits for each side.
4. Locker Rooms
   1. Access to the locker rooms will be limited to goalies only (and locker room monitor/coach) with a limit of 10 people.
5. Arrival
   1. Currently, Watertown Municipal Arena is NOT requiring temperature checks upon arrival.  Therefore, if your player has cold/flu-like symptoms, it is on you as parents to ensure that they DO NOT come to practice.  If anyone becomes noticeably ill, they will have to leave the ice and arena immediately.
   2. Coaches will be recording attendance for each practice.
   3. All players must arrive fully dressed except their helmet, skates, and gloves.  These items can be equipped in the designated area inside.
   4. Goalies of 10U and up will be allowed access to one locker room.  While in the locker room, six foot distance is to be maintained and restroom will be closed.
      1. Goalies of the group assigned the penalty box side shall use locker room 3 and goalies of the other group will use locker room 1.
   5. All players must bring their own labeled and filled water bottles as the arena’s water fountains will be out of service.
   6. All players shall not enter the arena any sooner than 15 minutes prior to their scheduled ice session and must stay in the designated area.
      1. Lobby restrooms will be available for use. 
6. Exiting
   1. All player are to remove only their helmet, skates, and gloves after their ice session.
   2. All players must exit within 10 minutes after their ice session.  This is to minimize any potential overlap with other ice sessions.

Practices begin September 14th, 2020

We are pleased to announce that LiveBarn will be available at Watertown Municipal Arena.  For those that don’t know about LiveBarn, it’s a streaming service to broadcast the action on the ice in the arena.  However, there is a monthly subscription fee.  There will be a 10% discount code provided by the WHA as soon as it is issued by LiveBarn.  

Also, we have suspended team fundraising for the 2020-2021 season and have approved funds for all teams for when NYS allows tournaments to proceed.

All of this is subject to change at which time we will be providing further updates as needed throughout the season. 

Thanks again for your patience during this time!

WHA Board.

We are a LiveBarn Venue. If you can’t make it to the rink, you can still stay connected by watching all events Live and On-Demand.

Please forward this to friends and family and let them know they can still catch all the action, even from home!

10% DISCOUNT - PROMO CODE: 5f6e-2md8

·   Live stream events from any LiveBarn venue

·   Watch On Demand for 30 days

·   Save and share 30-second highlights

·   Download entire games/practices

LiveBarn is available via a monthly or annual subscription:

·   Save 10% when you use promo code: 5f6e-2md8

·   Existing subscribers can update their promo code to 5f6e-2md8 within their profile

For more information, visit livebarn.com. Download the LiveBarn iOS App for easiest mobile viewing on Apple devices (Android App coming soon).

Follow LiveBarn on Twitter (@LiveBarn), Facebook (@LiveBarnSports), Instagram (@LiveBarnSports) and YouTube (@LiveBarn).

Click on the "Board of Directors" and "Board Minutes" links to the left for more information.

The next Board meeting will be held  October 21, 2020 @ 6pm at the Fairfield Inn and Suites.

If you'd like to participate via video conference, please contact Jessica Whitmore @ jwhitmore30@gmail.com for the link.

August's Virtual Meeting Link: (Google Meet Virtual Meeting Room) WHA August 2020 Board Meeting  

Since its organization in 1958, the Watertown Skating and Hockey Association, Inc., has remained true to its original purpose of developing “the health and cultural growth of youth in the community” through participation in athletics. 

Over the past 50 years the Association’s volunteers have coached, trained and mentored thousands of children in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.  The Association has skaters on the ice ranging in age from 3 to 18 years old.  Our teams compete throughout New York and Canada and we play host to several hockey tournaments in Watertown each season. 

The Association is the local affiliated organization of USA Hockey, Inc., the national governing body for the sport of hockey in the United States.  We take pride in the strict standards of coach education, qualifications and screening required by USA Hockey.  The quality and dedication of our coaches and volunteer management and staff is directly reflected the years of loyalty of our many skaters and parents.  Besides training athletic skill and teaching a sport, our coaches strive to develop character, sportsmanship, and overall physical fitness. 

Our mission is to provide each child with the opportunity to grow socially, learn mental and physical discipline and experience the power of teamwork and collective competitiveness.

The Association looks forward to another 50 years of developing civic minded, responsible citizens through youth sport.