2010 / 2011 Elite and Select Programs
General Information
With the move to the Rinks at Exeter the Seacoast Spartans have the ability to field more teams each season. We plan to have two teams per birth year, Elites (AAA) and Selects (AA), for Squirt Minor through Bantam Major. We may also have two mite teams, the Elite mite team will consist of 2002s while the Select mite team will consist of predominately 2003s with a chance that some 2002s may also be on the team. Midgets will consist of one U-18 Team (1992s and 1993s), and two U-16 Teams (1994s and 1995s).
Spartans Philosophy
The main goal of the Seacoast Spartans organization is to provide a "skills development" program for youth hockey players Bantam age and below. A major component of this philosophy is that in the Spartans practice model approximately 85% of all practice time is directed by professional/highly qualified instructors.
A typical practice week consists of two one-hour and twenty-minute practice sessions. During those two practices, the first session is directed entirely by the Spartans organization as a "skills development" session. During the second practice session, the first 55-60 minutes is again run by the Spartans organization as a "skills development" session with the final 20-25 minutes given to the respective team's head coaches to cover systems/team play.
"Skills development" sessions include: individual skating, puckhandling and shooting drills; high-tempo drills that incorporate these skills while also teaching "hockey concepts"; game situation drills; and small area games. Although the "skills development" sessions are directed by the Spartans organization, each team's coaching staff is on the ice working with their kids and assisting in the sessions. Spartans team's coaches do not have to worry about planning and directed these sessions and they can dedicate all their time to working directly with their kids while on the ice.
The idea behind this is that the vast majority of our precious practice time at the youth level should be spent on skills development and hockey concepts, not systems. Our goal is to provide a solid skills foundation for our youth participants to give them best opportunity to move on to high school, prep school, junior, collegiate, and for some extremely gifted players possibly professional hockey as they get older.
We will never compromise this basic philosophy for the sole purpose of winning games. Yes, especially early in a season, some team wins may be sacrificed because of our "skills development" focus. But this is in the best long-term interest of our players. Spartans teams also typically fair much better in the win-loss column as they move through the season. Partly because our kids are developing their skills and partly because over the course of the entire season the coaching staff has time to fully implement adaquate systems.
Game Competition
As part of a complete hockey development model, the idea is for players to be able to take what they have learned in their practice sessions and apply it in a competitive game setting. While our main focus is skills development, when we play our games we also want to instill a competitiveness in our individual players and teams.
The main goal for our game schedule is to provide competition. Through the New England Hockey League, Granite State League and other USA Hockey sanctioned tournaments we strive for balance. We do not want teams with lopsided win-loss records from either perspective (too many wins or too many losses). With the New England Hockey League and Granite State League providing for parity adjustments, these leagues help us reach this goal. Our invitiational tournament schedules are tailored to each specific team and our teams enter tournaments where they "belong".
As a founding member of the New England Hockey League (www.thenehl.com) it can be factually stated that the competition in this league gets stronger each year. It provides excellent competition for both our Major and Minor teams as it is a birth-year based league. The Granite State League (www.nhhockey.com) provides local competition with a path to advance to USA Hockey's State, Regional and National Tournaments. Again, the parity provisions in both leagues help to ensure the most competitive schedule possible. Both our elite and select teams are eligible to participate in both leagues.
Elite and Select Teams
The program characteristics of both the Elite and Select teams are similar. The main focus of both programs is to provide high-quality "skills development" practices sessions run by the Spartans organization during the week following the model mentioned in the Spartans Philosophy section above.
Squirt MINOR through Bantam Major - Elite and Select Teams
Tuition Cost: $2,995
This includes everything other than optional apparel. Tuition cost covers all practice ice; game ice; home and away game jerseys and socks; practice jerseys and socks; NEHL and GSL league fees; all league tournaments (NEHL, States, Regionals, Nationals); three invitational tournaments, pre-season training camp; and professional instruction at practices.
Length of the Season: Our regular practice sessions, two one-hour and twenty-minute sessions each week, start the Tuesday after Labor day and go through the second week in March. Occasionally, we will have some ice in August if our teams are playing in an early season tournament. Games will start up immediately, and will end in early to mid March depending on how the individual teams fair in their season ending tournaments.
Practice Days/Times: These teams will practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the 5:00 - 9:20pm time range. The youngest teams practicing earliest. Practice times will be consistent throughout the season. There may be a slight adjustment to times once high school hockey starts, but it will then remain consistent throughout the remainder of the season.
Number of Games: Approximately 65. NEHL schedule is approx. 30 games. GSL schedule is approx. 10-16 games. Adding the three invitational tournaments and season-ending league tournaments, this brings us to around 65 games. Obviously, how each team does in their league and at their tournaments affects the total number of games.
Invitational Tournaments: We are planning to localize our invitational tournament schedule next season to try to cut down on travel and lodging costs. We will try to host one tournament for all teams in Exeter. The other two will be New England based, hopefully, very close. We do not plan on traveling to Chicago next year. We are not opposed to having a team go to Chicago or elsewhere, but the entire team would have to agree/want to go.
Note: For PW Major Elites only, we do plan to apply to the Quebec International Peewee Hockey Tournament again. We have gone 5 years in a row and we plan to go again. I would be shocked if we are not accepted again, but we never know officially until November 1. This is a major expense and time commitment, but it is the greatest youth hockey tournament in the world and the event will be something your kids will never forget. It is unbelievable!
Mite Elite and Select Teams
Tuition Cost: $1,895
This includes everything other than optional apparel. Tuition cost covers all practice ice; game ice; home and away game jerseys and socks; practice jerseys and socks; NEHL and GSL league fees; all league tournaments (NEHL and States); two invitational tournaments, pre-season training camp (this will be a modified version of the camp for our older teams); and professional instruction at practices.
Elite Team: The Mite Elite team will be comprised of all 2001 birth years. There may an exception made to have a participant "play up", but these are VERY rare.
Select Team: The thought right now is to have the Select team be comprised predominantly of 2002 birth years, making it a true mite minor team. Depending on the numbers and the talent level, there may be some 2001 birth years placed on this team. We will have to see the tryouts and make our decision once we have more information on the talent and numbers.
Length of the Season: Our regular practice sessions, two one-hour sessions (not 50-minutes) each week, start the Tuesday after Labor day and go through the second week in March. Games will start up immediately, and will end in early to mid March depending on how the individual teams fair in their season ending tournaments.
Practice Days/Times: We believe that these teams will practice on Mondays and Wednesdays in the 5:00 - 7:00pm time range. Once set, practice times will be consistent throughout the season. There may be a slight adjustment to times once high school hockey starts, but it will then remain consistent throughout the remainder of the season.
Number of Games: Approximately 45 - 50. NEHL schedule is approx. 20 games for our mites. GSL schedule is approx. 10-16 games. Adding the two invitational tournaments and season-ending league tournaments, this brings us to around 45-50 games. Obviously, how each team does in their league and at their tournaments affects the total number of games.
Invitational Tournaments: We are planning to localize our invitational tournament schedule next season to try to cut down on travel and lodging costs. We will try to host one tournament for all teams in Exeter. The other one will be New England based, hopefully, very close.
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