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OUR SPRING LEAGUE PHILOSOPHY

  • Have fun!!
  • Foster friendship and belonging
  • Learn and develop field hockey skills
  • Build self-confidence and leadership
  • Promote sportsmanship
  • Instill a life-long passion for sport

 

Our primary focus is creating a fun environment where playing with friends can be enjoyed year after year. To that end we create teams in a non-tryout environment. If players choose to, they can remain with the same team from U6 to U18, strengthening their sense of belonging and teamwork every year.

Girls U13-U18 can also opt to change teams based on their playing preferences.

Frequently Asked Questions

I have never played field hockey before - does this matter?

No! New players are welcome every season. Spring League is about learning and developing skills in an atmosphere of fun and friendship.  New players can attend our free `New to Field Hockey` sessions in addition to team practices.  

When are my child's practices/ game times for Spring League?

Practice days and times are set for U6/U7/U8. For other age groups, team coaches choose the day and time of practices. Practice schedules will be completed in March. If you have a practice conflict, we will do our best to find another team with a practice time that works with your schedule. Please refer to the Spring League page for specific age-group information.

My child is a new player and would like to request to play with friends - where should I put this information?

You should include any requests within the "Friend/team requests" section of the registration form.

We have heard that you are changing how you assign Girls U13-U18 players to their teams. Why?

Click the link below for answers to this question.

My child is an existing player and would like to play on another team with friends - how do I go about this?

Girls U6-U12 and Boys U6-U18, you must fill out an online Transfer Request form.  Transfer requests must be submitted prior to end of registration:  January 31 for girls and February 15 for boys.  For more information see our Player Transfer Policy below.

For Girls U13 -U18 please complete your player preferences form within the Spring League registration. 

When does my transfer request get considered and when am I notified?

The club must first finalize team numbers and therefore must wait for registration to end (January 31 for girls and February 15 for boys).  Once our team numbers are confirmed we can then consider transfer requests.  Transfer requests will therefore be considered in late February and you will be contacted with the outcome of the request. 

Player transfer request form

Click here to access the form
 

What do I need?

All players are responsible for providing the following equipment:

  1. Running shoes or turf boots for artificial turf - Soccer cleats are NOT permitted on Rutledge Field but are allowed on other artificial turf fields.
  2. Shinpads
  3. Mouthguard - standard plastic sports mouthguards can be purchased at many sports stores. To mold the mouthguard to the shape of your mouth so it is more comfortable, place it in boiling water for about a minute. Then take it out and hold it in your mouth for a minute.
  4. Field hockey stick

How are Spring League teams created?

Each age group has a coordinator who is responsible for making up the teams each year with assistance from the Head Coordinator.  Guidelines are followed to promote fairness, equal opportunity and distribution of players from different schools:

  • Boys U6-U18 and girls U6-U12 returning players who register before the registration deadline will automatically be placed onto their previous team.  
  • Girls U13 returning players will be placed on a team with more players as they move to full field. Teams will be merged or folded and at this time we ask for players to tell us their preferences for play. This is done during the registration process.
  • Girls U14-U18 will be automatically placed on the same team, but can request changes on their registration forms to realign with their competitive preferences, as needed.
  • If numbers in an age group change dramatically, there may be need to rearrange teams.  We will try to keep players with team mates they know.
  • Wherever possible, children will be placed with a friend/ friends whom they have requested. We aim to have at least 3 schools represented on each team, rather than forming school-based teams.
  • Players registering before January 31st will be given priority when team placements are made.
  • When all teams are full, a waitlist will be started. Players must be registered before being placed on the waitlist.  Should a spot on a team become available, the first person on the waitlist will be offered the spot. A decision must be made within 24 hours of being contacted.  Coaches and managers do not choose who fills empty spots on their team.

A huge amount of thought, time and effort go into making teams. Please be respectful of our volunteer age group coordinators. If you are positive and encouraging to your child about the team he/she is placed on, your child will be too.

Why don’t you tier U6-U12 players for Spring League teams?

Research shows that youth participation in sport is on the decline.  There is a focus on high sporting achievement at an ever-earlier age. Many sports tier young players using try outs or evaluations to place players in teams according to ability.  The joy of “playing” is being eroded from sport and for many kids it just isn’t fun anymore or they don’t feel “good enough” to continue. So they quit.

We are proud to offer Spring League as a non-tiered program allowing kids to play for the sheer love of the game. Playing on a team offers the chance to contribute to something bigger than yourself, to learn how to work with others, and to learn the values of sportsmanship. We offer complementary programs during Spring League where players can spend extra time working on skill development and play more competitively.

My child’s team has players with a range of ability levels – how will you ensure that all their needs are catered for?

U6-U12 Spring League is a non-tiered program that enables experienced and new players to play together in teams.  This combination allows those who are new to benefit from playing alongside those with more experience.  And for players who are experienced, Spring League provides an opportunity to demonstrate leadership within a team environment.

We provide support to our Spring League coaches on how to coach all levels of ability through coaching workshops, weekly practice plans, youtube skills demonstrations and other means.  Teams may also request additional support from Lead Coaches or Junior Coaches.

Girls U13-U18 Tiered Spring League Teams

Beyond U12, team sizes need to grow yet enrollment traditionally decreases and some athletes start to look for a different experience in Spring League than they may have had up to U12. WVFHC wants to make sure athletes have some choice in their Spring League experience whether spring is their “off” season or their “main” season of field hockey.  Our mission is to equally support multi-sport athletes, social athletes, as well as offer options for all in their pursuit of excellence. You can choose your playing level to suit your individual preferences.

Who do I contact if I have other questions?

For more information about Spring League, please contact the coordinator for your age-group. These contacts are found here.