Page 30 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 130

30 Issue #130 November 2023 www.sportsenergynews.com

Seaway Valley Minor Hockey Association A/AA -

Facing Obstacles

the Head Coach of the Seaway Hockey, NGS Minor Hockey, and for SVMHA, and I have a vested
Valley U15 AA Rapids. Our team Akwesasne Minor Hockey. The interest in trying to keep our AA
lost it’s two top scorers from last problem right now in our district association alive and competing at
year and one of our goalies. I knew is participation numbers. Overall, all our levels. Our executive has
By Brad Robertson
going into the season that it was they have dropped, and therefore identified the various reasons for
going to be a challenge, but my it’s getting tougher to field teams at our challenges, and everyone wants
years of experience and knowledge the AA level due to this reduction to try and come up with solutions to
has prepared me for this challenge. in overall players. AAA hockey in our current situation.
Unfortunately, these and other the HEO Branch is flourishing and
I have studied other hockey
challenges have to be faced at each takes away the associations top hierarchy’s and the one system I
of our levels we provide. players as it should. Our District see tremendous value in is the club
2 kids belong the Eastern Ontario
Seaway Valley Minor Hockey systems in Europe. Club Teams top
Association is the smallest Wild AAA territory. The Seaway teams filter down by age and level
association within the HEO Valley Minor Hockey Association of competition. One association
is a feeder system for the AAA Wild
(Hockey Eastern Ontario) managing an entire hockey group
Branch. We represent and draw and has graduated many players to from youngest to oldest and all the
the AAA ranks. Our association is
from District 2 which consists of levels. The associations best kids
six minor hockey associations: proud of the number of great players form the travel teams and their
ell, minor hockey season is Cornwall Minor Hockey, Char Lan we have helped develop. We want association filters down from there.
to continue doing so going forward.
Win full swing and the team I Minor Hockey, Alexandria Minor
I, for one, would love to see
coach has started its season. I am Hockey, South Stormont Minor The uphill battle for us as
our District 2 associations study
an association comes down to how that could be done within our
numbers. Our tryout numbers at district. It would obviously take the
each of our nine levels are usually cooperation and forward thinking
TIME TO TAKE between 22 and 30 kids. Our of all six associations along with
competition within HEO has much
SVMHA. Minor hockey as we
larger tryout numbers, especially
know it is in an overall regression
CHARGE OF THE SNOW within the Ottawa association within the district. Most of the six
where they triple the number of
associations numbers aren’t growing
kids trying out at AA compared to
us. Once our former players have and in fact have declined over the
last several years. I truly believe that
moved on to AAA, we seldom see if the dIstrict’s associations took a
any of them return. The rest of the hard look at trying to develop a club
larger associations lose kids every
system in which all the districts’
year as well to AAA but AAA cuts players ended up playing at the
filter back to those associations
level their talent allows them. All
which makes for strong AA teams. six associations working together
AA rosters holes get filled by not for the good of all of the district and
only A or B Rep players that have
the future of minor hockey in our
developed but also players with region.
AAA experience. Seaway Valley
rosters only get replenished with I truly hope that our hockey
B Rep players. That makes it very community can work at making
CORNWALL MOBILE SMALL ENGINE difficult for our teams to compete and growing the game many of us
1112 Marleau Ave., Cornwall, ON within a league in which the talent love. These are challenging times
613-361-0017 or 613-935-6229 pool is much larger and has more but with the foresight and a shared
cornwallmobilesmallengine.com talent to choose from. vision I believe it can happen.
www.simplicitymfg.com I am the Coach Coordinator Coach Brad