
2005
National Aboriginal Hockey Championships
Miramichi,
New Brunswick
The Aboriginal Sport Circle, Canada’s national
voice for Aboriginal sport and recreation, is pleased to present the 2005
National Aboriginal Hockey Championships. The following information offers
a basic overview of the event, technical guidelines and specific criteria
for team selections. Should you require further details on the
Championships, or require more information about the Aboriginal Sport
Circle, please contact our offices at (613) 938-1176 or toll free at
1-866-938-1176.
Introduction
The
Aboriginal Sport Circle (ASC) was established to promote personal
excellence through sport and to support the holistic development of
Aboriginal athletes and coaches. As
a program of the ASC, the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships reflect
those priorities while serving as the premier competition for minor level
Aboriginal hockey in Canada.
The
National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC) provide a forum for elite
Bantam/Midget age Aboriginal hockey players, which attracts participation
from First Nations, Inuit and Metis within each of the thirteen Provinces
and Territories of Canada. The long-term vision for the NAHC is to
establish a competitive structure that will serve as the impetus for
grassroots and regional Aboriginal hockey development. The event will help
foster cultural unity and pride and celebrate the athletic abilities of
Aboriginal athletes from across the country.
Principles
The
NAHC embodies shared traditional Aboriginal principles that encourage
holistic approaches to the personal development of all participants
(athletes, coaches, team staff and officials).
The Championships take a balanced approach that supports the
physical, mental, spiritual, and cultural aspects of life.
For this reason, the NAHC will include the meaningful involvement
of Elders and cultural components throughout the Championship program.
The
NAHC are designed as an elite, all-star format where the best
Bantam/Midget age hockey players are selected to compete on behalf of
their Provinces and Territories. The event is inclusive, which means
anyone of Aboriginal ancestry, whether First Nations (status or non-status
Indian), Inuit or Metis, is eligible to compete.
The
Championships promote drug and harassment free sport.
Therefore a strict “zero tolerance” policy is adopted.
The use of alcohol, tobacco (non-ceremonial), performance enhancing
substances and any acts of discrimination are strictly prohibited.
Location &
Dates
The 2005 NAHC will be held in
Miramichi, New Brunswick, April 17 – 23, 2005.
The competition will span seven days with both the male and female
championship games being held on Saturday, April 23rd.
Travel Dates
Miramichi is located 140 KM from the
Moncton Regional Airport and 100 KM from the Bathurst Regional Airport.
Travel to the 2005 NAHC has been designated for April 15 & 16
and departure on April 24.
Community Snap Shot
The City of Miramichi is located in
North-Eastern New Brunswick along the world famous Miramichi River.
The City was formed in 1995 through the amalgamation of five
incorporated municipalities and six surrounding unincorporated areas.
It is centrally located within a two-hour drive of the larger urban
areas in the province, with a population of 48, 000 plus.
There are 15 First Nations communities in New Brunswick, all within
a 3 hour drive of each other. Within
100 KM the First Nations communities are Metepenagiag, Nataoganea,
Esgenoopetitj, Tjipogtog, (Elno) Menigog, Elsipogtog, Pabineau and
Ogpiigantjeq.
Venues
Two arenas will be used for the 2005
NAHC. The primary venue will be the Miramichi Civic Centre, home of the
Maritime Junior Hockey League’s Miramichi Timberwolves.
This site features an ice surface (85’ x 190’), which seats
close to 3000 spectators. The
secondary venue will be the Lord Beaverbrook Arena.
Accommodations, Travel & Food
Each team is responsible for arranging
and paying for their accommodations, travel and food.
All hotels are located within a 5 to 10 minute drive from the
arenas. To simplify team
reservations, the 2005 Host Organizing Committee has block booked rooms in
hotels/motels throughout Miramichi. A detailed listing of accommodations
and rates are available through the 2005 Host Organizing Committee.
Technical
Guidelines and Criteria
Team Selections
The NAHC are designed as an All Star
Championship. As such, each Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Body
(P/TASB) is responsible for conducting regional selections (i.e. talent
identification camps) to determine its team rosters. Each P/TASB is also
directly responsible for submitting team registrations to the ASC and
coordinating travel to the Championships.
In preparing for the event, it is recommended that each P/TASB establish a
working partnership with their Hockey Canada Provincial/Territorial hockey
branch and government.
Eligibility
Ancestry
Teams
must be comprised only of players and coaches who are of Aboriginal
ancestry. Every player and coach must carry with her/him documentation
that verifies her/his Aboriginal ancestry.
In most cases, picture ID along with a Status Card, Inuit Card or
Metis Membership Card will be adequate.
In cases where the participant is non-status (Indian), an Ancestry
Form must be completed, which documents their lines of descent,
authenticated and endorsed by the parent(s) or guardian, coach, and P/TASB,
and submitted to the ASC at the Team Roster Deadline.
Ages
Male
Division:
Male
teams are restricted to using Bantam and/or Midget age players as of the
2004/2005 hockey season - born in the years of 1987 to 1991.
Female
Division:
Female
teams are restricted to using Bantam and/or Midget age players as of the
2004/2005 hockey season - born in the years of 1987 to 1991. An exception is made in the female division, which allows
teams to carry a maximum of five (5) overage players born in the years of
1984 to 1986.
School Enrollment
All
players participating in the 2005 NAHC must be enrolled in school and/or
have completed the necessary requirements for their high school diploma
(or the equivalent).
Participant Restrictions
·
Teams are prohibited from selecting players who have played
ten (10) or more regular season league games in Major Junior “A”
·
Teams are prohibited from
selecting players who’s club teams are competing at a Hockey Canada
Branch Regional or National Championship held on dates which coincide with
the 2005 NAHC
·
All players and coaches must be
registered with their Hockey Canada Branch on or before February 10, 2005
Residency
All players and coaches
must hold permanent residency in the Province/Territory for which he/she
competes. Exceptions are made for players who attend school on a full-time
basis in another P/T. In such
cases, the player can choose to compete for either his/her home P/T, or
the P/T where he/she attends school.
In cases where a player competes for the P/T where he/she attends
school, a completed Residence
Declaration Form must be endorsed by the parent(s) or guardian,
coach, and P/TASB and submitted to the ASC at the Team Roster Deadline.
(further residency information is provided in the official
technical criteria)
Minimum Certification Standards for Coaches
Each team’s Head
Coach must possess a minimum of Intermediate Level certification. All
Assistant Coaches must possess a minimum of Coach Level certification.
Proof of certification will be required upon submission of the TEAM
ROSTER FORMS.
Each female team is
required to have a minimum of one female coach (either as an assistant or
Head Coach) on the bench at all times.
Head Coaches that
don’t have proper certification but have experience coaching at the
National, Professional and/or Major Jr. “A” level may apply to the ASC
for Special Exemption.
Policy on Drug and Harassment Free Sport
The Aboriginal Sport Circle promotes
drug and harassment free sport. Therefore,
a strict “zero tolerance” policy has been adopted for the 2005 NAHC.
All participants are strictly prohibited from the use of alcohol,
tobacco (non-ceremonial) and performance enhancing substances.
Any acts of harassment or discrimination will not be tolerated.
All
participants (players and team staff) registering for the 2005 NAHC are
required to sign a CODE OF CONDUCT
FORM, which outlines in detail the drug and harassment policies
enforced at the tournament.
Each P/TASB must
implement a screening process, which includes conducting Police Records
Check and CPIC (Canadian Police Informative Check) on all team staff
members (coaches, managers, trainers and chaperones). Staff that have
not submitted to or passed the required checks, prior to the Team Roster
Deadline, are not eligible to participate in the 2005 NAHC.
Registrations
Each P/TASB is responsible for
submitting all the necessary forms and fees to the Aboriginal Sport
Circle. To be eligible to compete at the 2005 NAHC, teams must abide by
the following processes and deadlines:
Team Registration Deadline (November
5, 2004, 4pm EST)
All
P/TASB intending on sending teams to the 2005 NAHC must submit a TEAM REGISTRATION FORM (one per team) to the ASC on or before November
5, 2004, 4pm EST. The
Team Bond must also be submitted at this deadline (see Team Bond for
details).
Team
Roster Deadline (April 1, 2005, 4pm EST)
Teams
that have met the Registration deadline must submit their TEAM ROSTERS FORMS on or before April 1, 2005 4pm EST.
Additionally, teams must submit all applicable PARTICIPANT
FORMS to the ASC and branch letters on or before April 8, 2005, 4pm
EST. All Forms must be
completed in full and include all necessary signatures of authorization. Teams that fail to meet the deadline will forfeit the entire
amount of their team bond fee.
Team Bond ($500.00)
Rather
than imposing a registration fee, a Team Bond has been established in the
amount of $500 per team. The bond is mandatory for each team to pay and must accompany
Team Registrations, which are due on November 5, 2004. The bond will serve
to secure each team’s position in the Championships and will be
reimbursed in full upon meeting all the necessary requirements.
Team Rosters
Each team shall consist of the following:
·
20 players (18 skaters and 2 goalies)
·
4 Alternates (3 skaters and 1
goaltender)
·
1 General Manager
·
1 Head Coach
·
2 Assistant Coaches (maximum)
·
1 Trainer/Equipment Manager
Technical
Information (general)
Sanction
As
an event sanctioned by Hockey Canada, the NAHC will operate in strict
accordance with the rules and regulations established for national
championships. The detailed Technical Package will be distribution to all
Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Bodies.
Competition Format
Through
a preliminary ranking process, teams will be divided into an A and B pool.
Each team will compete in a round-robin format within its pool.
Upon completing the round robin, the teams will cross over for the
quarterfinal games. The winners will advance to the semi-finals, while the
losing teams will play in the relegation round.
The two winning teams will advance to the championship final, while
the losing teams will compete in the Bronze medal game.
Team Uniforms
Each
team will be supplied with a set of jerseys and socks. Team colour
combinations will be assigned through the Aboriginal Sport Circle.
Rules
and Disciplinary Committee
Prior to the NAHC, a Rules and Disciplinary Committee will be established
to
accept and rule on protests arising from
competition. The Committee will be
comprised of individuals not directly
involved with the hosting of the 2005 NAHC.
Awards
The players and staff (coaches,
manager and trainer) of the top three female and male teams will receive
medallions (gold, silver and bronze respectively). The female and male
teams that win the overall championship will have the name of their
Province/Territory engraved on the Turtle Island Cup.
All
Star Selection Process
(2004
National Aboriginal Hockey Camp)
The ASC’s National Aboriginal Hockey
Program consists of two annual initiatives; the National Aboriginal Hockey
Championships and the National Aboriginal Hockey Camp.
Each year an independent scouting committee will select 18 female
and 18 male all stars from the NAHC. These all stars will be invited to
attend the National Aboriginal Hockey Camp. Six additional male and female
players will be identified to attend the Camp at their expense.
Each P/TASB is also invited to select one (1) coach to attend the
Camp as a participant in the ASC’s Coach Mentorship Program. The 2005
National Aboriginal Hockey Camp will be held at the University of Ottawa.
The dates for the Camp have yet to be determined.
Further details on the Camp can be attained through the Aboriginal Sport
Circle.
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