President's Message
Dear SMMHA Players and Families,
On behalf of the St. Marys Minor Hockey Association, I would like to welcome all of you back to the arena and we hope that everyone is safe and healthy as we continue to navigate the challenging realities of life during the pandemic. When we left the arena in March, we had no idea when or how we would be able to return - but it is great to see so many of our players as we begin our new and modified season for 2020-2021.
After many months of meeting, planning, and revising, our Executive has put together a 12-week season that will provide our players with opportunities to work on skill development, team building, and modified game play. Although things on the ice might look different this year, our mission remains the same - to develop and promote positive experiences in hockey for all of our players, coaches, volunteers and officials, and to continue to instil a love for the game of hockey that lasts for years to come. Even with all the changes in routines and protocols, we hope that everyone will enjoy having the opportunity to get back on the ice with their teammates and friends.
The SMMHA Executive, Coaches Committee, Covid Committee and other key committee members have been working hard to ensure that all players are able to enjoy their love of hockey in a safe and positive environment. We want to thank all of these members for their dedication, time, and efforts to provide these great experiences for our players. We also want to thank our families and membership for your continued support, patience, and understanding as we have had to implement new policies and protocols to ensure players could get back on the ice in a timely manner while still following all guidelines put in place by the Town of St. Marys, our governing bodies (HC, OHF, OMHA, OWHA) and our local health authorities.
For all parents, players, coaches, and volunteers, our website has become an important asset in ensuring that everyone follows the required protocols and knows where to find information about the guidelines in place. The website is easy to navigate and provides information about team practices/ice times, sponsors, coaches, health screening, and Covid-related policies. More than ever, it is important to take time to consult the website about changing protocols and requirements for players and coaching staff.
The success of SMMHA rests on the many volunteers who come forward to either coach or to help out on one of our many committees. As a member who has been involved in SMMHA for over 12 years, I realize the huge amount of time and hard work that it takes to organize and run our association - even more so during a challenging year like this one. Without the help of volunteers, our players would not be able to be on the ice and enjoy all the positive aspects of playing hockey. If you are interested in helping out SMMHA in any way, please feel free to join us at our monthly meetings (listed on the website calendar) and/or contact a member of the
Executive for more information about how you can help out.
A huge thank you again to all of our volunteers, coaches, and staff - who give their time for the most important players of all - our kids.
Regards,
Kristene McCurdy
President, SMMHA