WAHA growth remains a priority, and continued Grant Programs that focus on recruitment and retention of players is a focus. 

 Equipment grants for our newest players to help reduce entry costs; Try Hockey for Free & More to draw more players to give hockey a shot; and 8U girls Jamborees to provide exposure for female players to the growing community of female who play, have provided our associations  with avenues to recruit and retain players.   WAHA gave out over 130,000 in grants last year to foster growth in local associations through these programs and has committed to this and more for 2024.

This year we saw a pilot change in the Girls State Tournament format to reflect the growing number of girls teams across the State at 10U and 12U.   This pilot will be revaluated after the 2024 State Tournament.  

With the growth of the Girls Classification WAHA will be adding two roles to the Girls & Women Committee.  Robin Bilsborough will remain as the Girls Section Director and committee chair, while the committee will add  two age level representatives to focus on programing for this growing segment of our players.

Stacy Hintzman will assume the roll of 14U & 12U age level rep stacy.hintzman@wahahockey.com

Rebecca Hildebrandt will assume the roll of 10U & 8U age level rep coachbeckyhildy@gmail.com

WAHA wishes to thank these two individuals for their time and commitment to growing the game. 

Dan Jablonic, USA Hockey’s Player Development Manager for Wisconsin and the rest of the Central District, is available to meet with your coaching staffs to talk hockey and to help the coaches in any way he can. This fall and winter he has been making the rounds to WAHA associations to demonstrate how to integrate the teaching skating skills into regular on-ice practices. If you are interested in having Dan work with your coaches, you can contact him at dan@usahockey.org. 

This August will see the implementation of the Wisconsin Instructional League for  Coaches and 10U and 12U players. 

League information will be released in March, but please note the dates for your summer calendar planning.

Tryouts are planned for August 10-11, where each region will have the opportunity to form a 10U and a 12U team.   

Practices will be held the week of August 12 and controlled scrimmages held August 23-25.

Practices for these teams will focus on instruction for both players and coaches about the concepts they will need for later ages in the development progression. 

This fall  WAHA received a record number of applications for the Try Hockey for Free and More Grant! We are thrilled to announce the 17 associations that were selected as recipients of the $1,000 grant to help grow hockey in their community.

Congratulations to the following Associations!

The grant application is still available for associations that are looking to host a Try Hockey for Free Event on the National date of February 24, 2024 or another date this winter/spring. Visit the WAHA website for more information.

The health of our kids playing our great game should be everyone’s top priority. Playing someone who has a concussion can result in more serious injury or even death.

Wisconsin State Law requires that any athlete with a suspected Sports Related Concussion (SRC) is immediately removed from play. 

“When in doubt, sit them out.”

It is important to notify a parent or guardian when an athlete is thought to have a concussion. Any athlete with a concussion must be seen by an appropriate health care provider before returning to any practice (including off-ice activities) or competition.

Whenever any individual is removed from participation for a concussion or exhibiting symptoms of a concussion, it must be reported to the WAHA Player Safety Coordinator using the WAHA Concussion Reporting Form, found on our website. 

Before any individual who has been removed from participation for a concussion or exhibiting symptoms of a concussion, they must be cleared by a medical professional and a USA Hockey Return to Play Form must be filled out completely and signed by all required individuals. The RTP form can be found on the WAHA website. Once filled-out, send it to the WAHA Player Safety Coordinator,  Jerry Kennedy  -  safetycoordinator@wahahockey.com

Please help our Associations comply with the law.  If your player is sitting out of practice for concussion symptoms please ensure a report has been filed on the WAHA website and the return to play form completed when they have been cleared to return. 

Each WAHA Association should have a Safety Officer on their Committee to ensure compliance of this State Law.

Kohlman Cup 

The Kohlman Cup is an Annual Weekend Festival for 12U Tier II players to represent their region against other other regions in the State.  We encourage any boy or girl interested in competing to tryout for the event.  

March 23-24th Boys Tournament ~ Sun Prairie

April 6-7th Girls Tournament ~ Verona

Registration is open for Regional Tryouts in mid March.

Number of regional girls teams will be determined by registration numbers as of February 15th

Information about the Kohlman Cup and registration links can be found here:

https://www.kohlmancup.com/home

WAHA  BOYS DEVELOPMENT TRYOUTS & SUMMER CAMPS

Information & Registration Click Here 

WAHA Pre-Goalie HP 14 (2010) and HP 15 (2009) Tryouts 

Goaltenders born in 2010 and 2009 can register online for more than one goalie tryout in their birth-year. Goalies will be selected from the Pre-Goalie Tryouts listed below to compete in their respective birth-year

Goalie Registration will open on Sunday January 7th and remain open during all the goalie tryouts

2024 Pre Goalie Tryout Dates - Times - Locations:
Sunday January 28 - 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm at Altoona Hobbs Sports Center
Sunday February 11 - 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm at Sun Prairie Ice Arena
Sunday February 18 - 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm at Stevens Point Ice Hawk Arena
Wednesday February 21 - 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm at Naga-Waukee Park Ice Arena

March 22-24...... WAHA HP 14 (2010) Skater Tryouts at Stevens Point - Ice Hawk Arena

March 22-24...... WAHA HP 15 (2009) Skater Tryouts at Waupaca - Expo Center

April 13-14........,,WAHA HP 16 (2008) & HP 17 (2007) Tryouts - at Green Bay - Cornerstone Community Center  

May 10-12..........Central District HP 15, 16 & 17 Tryouts at Iowa -TBA

June 9-14...........Central District HP 14 Player Development Summer Camp at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa 

USA Hockey National Player Development Select (15,16 & 17) Camps - TBA 

CENTRAL DISTRICT GIRLS TRYOUTS AND SUMMER CAMPS

USAH Girls Central District Tryouts April 12-14, 2024 Orland Park, IL at Arctic Ice -  Birth years '07, '08, '09, '10

USAH Girls Central District Player Development Camp June 16-20, 2024 Green Bay, WI at Cornerstone Community Center

Registration opens February 1st  at Central District Hockey

More information can be found here 

WAHA 12U GIRLS DEVELOPMENT CAMP 

The 2024 camp is changing date and location to June 21-23rd in Fond du Lac.  Same great staff of NCAA coaches and players to provide a challenging and informative weekend for our 12U players.   

Participants in the Kohlman Cup will receive early registration information April 1st.  Open registration will begin April 7th.  

Camp information Here

WAHA Goalie Development Camp Launches for 2024

August 2nd-4th, 2024

Stevens Point,  WI ~ Ice Hawks Arena

This multifaceted development camp will provide both goalies and goalie coaches with the tools to build skills to continue development through out the season.  

Sessions will be divided by age and level of play.  

Camp will include education component and coaching instruction with

Larry Clemens & Erin Connolly

Registration will open in February on the WAHA website

WAHA's partnership with Positive Coaching Alliance provides coaches, parents and players with many resources to enhance your experiences through sport.  

WAHA has one more scheduled session for this winter.  Don't miss this opportunity to add to your coaching tool box.  For level 4 coaches, these sessions will count towards your continuing education components needed.  

MASTERY:

Coaching for Peak Performance provides deeper exploration of PCA’s second principle for coaches, ELM (Effort, Learning and bouncing back from Mistake). Coaches will explore how to help their athletes improve and perform

Sunday, February 4 - 6pm

Click Here to Register for This Session

PCA workshops combine the latest in sports and educational-psychology and organizational behavior with practical advice from a National Advisory Board of top pro and college athletes and coaches who use our principles at the highest levels of competition. It is our goal this year to support a cultural transformation within all Wisconsin Hockey programs that promotes not only the best possible performance, but a safe and healthy youth hockey experience for all.

Parents Resources: 

Please check out all the resources at Positive Coaching Alliance 

Association team Playdown Weekend - February 2-4, 2024 

State Tournament weekends:

WAHA Tier II

March 2-3, 2024 ~ 10U & 14U Girls & Youth 

March 9-10, 2024 ~ 12U Girls & Youth  

March 15-17, 2024 ~ 18U Youth 

WAHA Tier I

March 8-10, 2024  -  Youth & Girls 13O thru 19U

April 1st, 2024 - LAST date to submit Declaration of Candidacy forms for election to WAHA  Board of Directors 

April 15th, 2024 - LAST date for additions to or amendments of WAHA Bylaws and WAHA Rules and Regulations.  Submissions must be sent to WAHA Secretary prior to this date

April 15th, 2024 - Nominations for Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame  2025 eligibility must be submitted by this date - information on how to submit can be found on the WI HHOF website