Southwest Zone Hockey Association

Welcome to Team Resources

This page is for coaches, managers and team volunteers. It has (almost?) everything you need to run a team: forms, templates, game day tools and who to call. Parents are welcome too. If you want to know how your team is run, it's all here.

Who to contact (team staff only). Parents go to their manager for everything. These contacts are for coaches and managers.

  • A concern the team can't resolve: your Category Director, u15director@swzhockey.ca or u18director@swzhockey.ca
  • Booking extra ice: ice-allocator@swzhockey.ca
  • Rosters, registration, affiliates: SWZ Registrar swzadmin@telus.net
  • Questions about a suspension: your Category Director

Behaviour and conduct tools for team staff

Game Day

The RAMP gamesheet app. Download the free RAMP GameSheets app and create a personal account. Open the game with its code at least 10 minutes before puck drop, select your players and bench staff, then sign. The timekeeper enters all stats. Load the game code before you get to the rink if the wifi is poor.

Suspensions.  Coaches: You don't report suspensions; they come to you. The EFHL Discipline Directors send suspension notices to SWZ's Category Directors, and your Category Director contacts you when a player or staff member on your team is suspended. The gamesheet app then shows SUSPENDED beside that person's name until the games are served.

Rosters. Managers: keep a printed copy of your current roster with you at all times, in case the app or wifi fails. This matters most at tournaments, which may not use the RAMP app.

Affiliates. Before contacting an affiliate player, contact that player's own head coach, so you don't pull them away from their own team's games or practices. An affiliate can play up to 10 games with your team; exhibition and tournament games don't count. Once the affiliate's own team has finished its regular season and playoffs, there is no limit. Affiliates can replace injured or absent players, not suspended ones. Mark affiliates as AP on the gamesheet.

For Coaches

Certifications are due November 15. A team whose coaches are not certified by then cannot play. Coach, assistant and safety courses are reimbursed by SWZ.

  • Please visit the Hockey Alberta: Coaching Requirements chart
  • Every team official: Respect in Sport Activity Leader, or The Shift Forward once it expires, before going on the ice
  • At least one team official: Safety.   Head coach: Safe Return to Hockey

Where to register. Coaching courses, Safety, Planning a Safe Return to Hockey and The Shift Forward are all booked through the Hockey Canada Registry (HCR). Log in with the same account you use to register players.

SWZ coaching philosophy. Equal ice time. Respect for players, opponents and officials. A positive, fun environment: no yelling at or berating a player in front of teammates. Pick captains for leadership, not just skill. Tell players and parents your approach to discipline before the season starts.

Issues go to your Category Director first. Never go directly to the league or Hockey Edmonton; your director does that.

Practice planning. Ice is expensive and limited, so every minute counts.

  • Plan ahead. Write the plan before you get to the rink, not in the parking lot.
  • Share it with your assistants in advance so they can set up and run drills without stopping to ask.
  • Share it with your players. Post the drills in the dressing room or send them in TeamLinkt.
  • Less standing around, more reps. Keep lines short and use stations.
  • Lean on your fellow coaches. Swap plans and drills with other SWZ coaches.

A few planning tools: Hockey Canada Drill Hub, CoachThem, The Coaches Site

More coaching development tools are in the works. Check back often.

For Managers

The first three weeks set up your whole season.

  1. Meet the head coach: agree on your role, fundraising, cash calls, tournaments and extra ice. Set the team meeting date.
  2. Send the welcome email. Decide if you want a second manager.
  3. Send the team survey with a firm deadline and a reminder 48 hours before it closes.
  4. Hold the team meeting. Send the agenda and survey results first. Collect signed Codes of Conduct.
  5. Set up a team bank account and team email. Run the first cash call right away.
  6. Apply for tournaments as soon as the survey results are in.
  7. Fill the volunteer roles while everyone is still keen.
  8. Order team apparel early. Get C and A letters from SWZ. No name bars on SWZ jerseys.
  9. Plan an early team bonding event.

Downloads: 
Manager Season Checklist (PDF) 
Welcome email template (Word) 
Second team email template (Word)
Team Survey questions (PDF)
Team Budget template (Excel)
Team Accounting tracker (Excel)
Getting Extra Ice for Your Team (PDF)

Extra ice. Book through the SWZ Ice Allocator at ice-allocator@swzhockey.ca. SWZ books through Hockey Edmonton at $200 an hour. Don't book directly with the City; their rate is much higher.

Managing expectations is the most important job of the season. Stay neutral and support the coaches. If you can't, let someone else manage.

Tournaments, Blackouts and Permits

Blackouts and game changes. A blackout tells the scheduler when your team cannot play. Build the fees into your budget.

  • Blackout weekend (4 days): $100
  • Game change to new ice: $100
  • Game swap with a team in your division and tier: free

Permits. Any game not on the league schedule, or moved, needs a permit approved in advance on your RAMP team site. Exhibition, tournament and reschedule each need one. Do not play until you have the league's confirmation email.

Tournaments

Provincials. If your team might host provincials, talk to your Category Director early. You need approval to apply, and SWZ has an application template.

Team Volunteers

Every family helps. Fill these roles at the first team meeting.

  • Team manager: the person who really runs the team. Don't get on their bad side. :)
  • Timekeeper: runs the game clock at home games.
  • Scorekeeper: runs the RAMP gamesheet app at home games. This must be a different person from the timekeeper. Every non coaching family takes a turn at one or the other.
  • Penalty box, doors and music: runs the penalty box doors and plays the music at home games.
  • Jersey parent: keeps the home and away jerseys and brings both to every game.
  • Treasurer: tracks cash calls and expenses and shares the ledger with families.
  • Tournament coordinator: applies for tournaments, books hotels and buses.
  • Social coordinator: team bonding events and the year end party.
  • Stats keeper: goals, assists and penalty minutes, if the coaches want stats.
  • Parent liaison: first stop for parent concerns after the 24 hour rule.
  • Apparel and fundraising: team gear orders and fundraising events.
  • Video: records games for the coaches to use in training and player development.
  • Photographer: takes game and team photos to share with families. No photos or video in dressing rooms.

  • Scorekeepers: download the RAMP GameSheets app and log in with your RAMP registration login. Game codes are in each home game's notes in TeamLinkt.

Timekeepers: download the RAMP GameSheets app and log in with your RAMP registration login. Game codes are in each home game's notes in TeamLinkt.