2022-23 Okotoks Oilers Athletic Association U17 AAA Head Coach

The Okotoks Oilers Athletic Association (OOAA) is now accepting applications for the volunteer position of Head Coach for the U17 AAA Oilers for the 2022/2023 season.  This is a school-based day-time program with a paid monthly honorarium.  

OOAA is looking for an enthusiastic and highly motivated person to work with a group of young athletes to foster good sportsmanship, work ethic, skill development and healthy competition. The candidate should have demonstrated coaching experience, knowledge of the U17 age group needs and requirements, demonstrated hockey knowledge, and ability to travel with the team when required.

The U17 AAA Head Coach must have, or be able to achieve the following qualifications and certifications:

• High Performance 1 
• Respect in Sport
• Checking Skills

Volunteer acknowledges that he/she will maintain valid and up to date certification at all times.  

The roles and responsibilities of the volunteer position include:

• Coaches will need to have the availability to organize, plan and attend practice and skills sessions during the day.  A typical week will include up to 4 practice ice-times early morning.
• Work with the OOAA Board of Directors, Divisional Director and Director of Coaching Development on an as needed basis to maintain development programs for U18 aged players.
• Work with the OOAA Coaching Development personnel throughout the season 
• Prepare for and attend all home and away games, including out-of-province games/tournaments.
• Develop and attend off-ice workouts and other team functions.
• Select qualified assistant coaches, team manager, and other team personnel as needed.
• Attend OOAA Coach’s Meetings as required.
• Liaison with other OOAA coaches in the Association to develop long term program development.

The Okotoks Oilers Athletic Association is an equal opportunity organization. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all coaches.  If you are interested in this volunteer role, please submit your expression of interest to mbara@okotokshockey.com along with a resume of your qualifications by Monday May 9, 2022.  Interested coaches will also be required to complete a pre-screen survey, link to survey will be sent upon receipt of your resume.  Only those being considered for the volunteer position will be contacted for an interview.  Interviews will begin the week of May 16, 2022.

Changes for male AAA and AA hockey

AEHL transitioning U16 AAA to U17 AAA

The Alberta Elite Hockey League and the Elite Male Committee will replace the U16 AAA category with a U17 AAA category of play for the 2022-23 hockey season. All U16 AAA teams from 2021-22 will transition to offer U17 AAA teams in 2022-23. U18 AAA will continue to be a three-year age category of play unimpacted by this change.

The Elite Male Committee determined that the previous structure with U16 AAA was not conducive to deliver continuous development opportunities for AAA-calibre players across the province from U15 AAA through U18 AAA. Based on historical data, it was determined that approximately 40 per cent of the total AEHL player population consists of 15-year-old players (U16 AAA age) – the highest percentage for any of the five birth years in the AAA stream. Of the 380 15-year-old players playing U16 AAA, over two-thirds do not go on to play U18 AAA the next season; approximately 50 per cent of U16 AAA players end up playing U18 AA in their 16-year-old season.

The data suggests that 16-year-old players are still interested in competitive, regional systems of hockey following their U16 AAA season, but the former AAA structure resulted in an oversaturation of 15-year-old players in the AAA structure and a bottleneck leading into U18 AAA that creates a lack of opportunities for 16-year-old players in AAA hockey.

By eliminating U16 AAA (a single birth year age category) and replacing it with U17 AAA (a dual birth year age category), there will be more opportunities at AAA for 16-year-old players and fewer opportunities for 15-year-old players, creating the potential for most AAA players to remain in the model from U15 AAA through U18 AAA. This continuity affords AAA associations improved opportunities to develop players over a greater time and helps ensure that AAA-calibre players select the AEHL as their Elite league of choice for the continuity it affords to play elite hockey over a prolonged period of time, at a reasonable price and within a reasonable distance of their resident minor hockey association.

Affiliation: For the purposes of affiliation, U17 AAA teams will be eligible to affiliate any 15-or-16-year-old players not playing U18 AAA. Players on U17 AAA teams will be eligible to affiliate to U18 AAA, but not U18 AA or U16 AA.

U16 AA expanding to provincial pilot project

To align with the change to U17 AAA, the AA Hockey Committee will continue to operate U16 AA for the 2022-2023 season as a pilot project, expanding from a pilot with Hockey Calgary and the South Central Alberta Hockey League (SCAHL) to a province-wide pilot project.

U16 AA was created to ensure 15-year-old players can access a level of hockey suitable for their skill level. With AAA restructuring to reduce the number of 15-year-olds in the AAA model, the AA Committee determined that the 2022-23 season would be crucial to determine the viability of U16 AA while continuing to ensure there is an equitable opportunity for all AA calibre players in the AA model.

U13 AA structure changes

Following a review by a Member Ad-Hoc Committee of the U13 AA model, the AA Hockey Committee has introduced U13 AA structure changes for the 2022-23 hockey season. The changes include new criteria on the minimum number of U13 players in a recruitment area required to host one U13 AA team, as well as amending the numbers at which more than one team is required.

Starting in the 2022-23 season, a recruitment area will be required to have a minimum of 125 total U13 registered players to host a U13 AA team and be permitted to host an additional U13 AA team for every additional 125 total U13 players registered in that recruitment area (ie: 2 teams at 250+ players, 3 teams at 375+ players, etc.).

In the past, the percentage of U13 players selected from each AA Recruitment Area varied between 8% and 23% of U13 registration in a Recruitment Area. This means that AA teams in some Recruitment Areas represent nearly three times more of their total U13 registrants than teams from other Recruitment Areas.

The Committee determined this gap was too wide and criteria needed to be implemented to ensure recruitment areas operate with and select a more similar percentage of their top players for the highest category of U13 hockey. The updated structure will ensure U13 AA teams are comprised of between 7.6- 15% of total U13 registration, a significant improvement.

2022-23 Okotoks Oilers Athletic Association U13 AA Head Coach

The Okotoks Oilers Athletic Association (OOAA) is now accepting applications for the volunteer position of the U13 AA Head Coach for the 2022/2023 season.   

OOAA is looking for an enthusiastic and highly motivated person to work with a group of young athletes to foster good sportsmanship, work ethic, skill development and healthy competition. The candidate should have demonstrated coaching experience, knowledge of the U13 age group needs and requirements, demonstrated hockey knowledge, and ability to travel with the team when required.

The U13 AA Head Coach must have, or be able to achieve the following qualifications and certifications:

• Development 1 
• Respect in Sport
• Checking Skills

Volunteer acknowledges that he/she will maintain valid and up to date certification at all times.  

The roles and responsibilities of the volunteer position include:

• Work with the OOAA Board of Directors, Divisional Director, and Director of Coaching Development on an as needed basis to maintain development programs for U13 aged players.
• Attend OOAA Spring Combine, April 2022, more information to be provided at interview.
• Organize, plan and attend up to 3 weekly evening practices as well as player development skills sessions scheduled throughout the season.
• Work with the OOAA Coaching Development personnel throughout the season 
• Prepare for and attend all home and away games, including out-of-province games/tournaments.
• Develop and attend off-ice workouts and other team functions.
• Select qualified assistant coaches, team manager, and other team personnel as needed.
• Attend OOAA Coach’s Meetings as required.
• Liaison with other OOAA coaches in the Association to develop long term program development.

The Okotoks Oilers Athletic Association is an equal opportunity organization. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all coaches.  If you are interested in this volunteer role, please submit your expression of interest to mbara@okotokshockey.com along with a resume of your qualifications by Sunday April 3rd, 2022.  Interested coaches will also be required to complete a pre-screen survey, link to survey will be sent upon receipt of your resume.  Only those being considered for the volunteer position will be contacted for an interview.

U18AA Raider Head Coach Application

OOAA  U18 AA Rocky Mountain Raiders Head Coach 2022-23

The Okotoks Oilers Athletic Association (OOAA) is now accepting applications for the volunteer position of the U18 AA Rocky Mountain Raiders Head Coach for the 2022/2023 season.   

OOAA is looking for an enthusiastic and highly motivated person to work with a group of young athletes to foster good sportsmanship, work ethic, skill development and healthy competition. The candidate should have demonstrated coaching experience, knowledge of the U18 age group needs and requirements, demonstrated hockey knowledge, and ability to travel with the team when required.

The U18 AA Rocky Mountain Raiders Head Coach must have, or be able to achieve the following qualifications and certifications:

• Development 1 
• Respect in Sport
• Checking Skills

Volunteer acknowledges that he/she will maintain valid and up to date certification at all times.  

The roles and responsibilities of the volunteer position include:

• Work with the OOAA Board of Directors, Divisional Director and Director of Coaching Development on an as needed basis to maintain development programs for U18 aged players.
• Organize, plan and attend up to 3 weekly evening practices as well as player development skills sessions scheduled throughout the season.
• Work with the OOAA Coaching Development personnel throughout the season 
• Prepare for and attend all home and away games, including out-of-province games/tournaments.
• Develop and attend off-ice workouts and other team functions.
• Select qualified assistant coaches, team manager, and other team personnel as needed.
• Attend OOAA Coach’s Meetings as required.
• Liaison with other OOAA coaches in the Association to develop long term program development.

The Okotoks Oilers Athletic Association is an equal opportunity organization. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all coaches.  If you are interested in this volunteer role, please submit your expression of interest to mbara@okotokshockey.com along with a resume of your qualifications.  The application window will remain open until the position is filled.  Interested coaches will also be required to complete a pre-screen survey, link to survey will be sent upon receipt of your resume.  Only those being considered for the volunteer position will be contacted for an interview.

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