About Tri-City

Eagles Operating Plan 2007/2008 (PDF)
Registration Package

History
Administration
Principles
Codes of Conduct
Club Program
US-Sweden Cultural Exchange

History

The Tri-City Eagles organization inaugural season was 1993-94. From the modest beginning of one Bantam and one Midget team, the organization has grown to one of the most diverse anywhere. This fall, the club will have teams at Squirt, PeeWee, Bantam, Midget levels.

The mission of The Tri-City Eagles "to help young individuals develop as athletes, leaders, and members of the community through a competitive hockey program that stresses excellence, commitment, self-sacrifice, teamwork, and sportsmanship". The organization features an active community service program for all players, which resulted in the organization being awarded an NHL A.S.S.I.S.T. grant during it's first year of operation.

The  Tri-City Eagle  is given to honor individuals or families who have provided Exemplary Service to The Tri-City Eagles Youth Hockey Organization:

• Co-founder and Coach Don Greer-1996
• Board of Advisor Al Kapinos-1996 Anders & Christina Lundin-1996
• Edward McGrath Family-1996
• Ulf & Pia Sterner-1996
• Co-founder and Coach Tom Hendrix-1997
• Eric Lewis Family-1997
• Ed Barton Family-1998
• Board of Advisor Yvon Labre-1998
• Coach Jason Healy-1999
• James Ferry Family-2000
• Board of Advisor J. Michael Swift-2000
• Ulf & Elizabeth Bergsten-2000
• Coaches Gary & Joe Cremen-2001
• Sean Moyer (player)-2001
• The Kenneth Levine Family-2002
• Mr. Joe LaCour-2002
• Board of Advisor and TCE Statistician Mr. Chuck King-2003
• Coach Jonathan Carr-2003
• Coach Michael Hendrix-2003
• Coach Brad Preston-2004
• Coach Josh Reece-2004
• Coach Darin Segal-2004
• Coach Andy Colandro-2004
• Midget Blue Team (2002)-2005
• Midget Blue Team (2005)-2005
• Midget Blue Team (2006)-2006
• Michael Brooks-2006

The Clai Carr Sportsmanship Award presented to the Tri-City Eagles from the 1996-1997 Pee Wee Blue team:

• Michael Weyerman-1997
• Girls Team-1998
• Team Managers-1999
• Adam Levine- 2000
• Midget Blue Team- 2001
• Each Eagle Team-2002
• Midget Gold Team- 2003
• Bantam Team-2004
• Alex Peters-2005
• Bantam Teams-2006

Administration

Clai Carr is the General Manager and is responsible for the direction of the organization. Tom Hendrix, co-founder of the Eagles, ensures the coaching staff performs at the highest level possible.

In addition to day to day operations, certain functions will be tasked to operational committees. Members for such committees will be drawn from administrative staff, Advisory Board members, coaches, and parents. All parents are expected to contribute at least four (4) hours in one of the committees. Typical committee activities include fund raising, travel logistics, off-ice official management, special events, video taping of games, public relations, and so forth.

Board of Advisors

The Board of Advisors consists of individuals with unique and specific backgrounds. The attempt to draw from a diverse set of individuals is intentional; this approach will enable the Eagles to benefit from a group with a rich set of skills and a wide base of knowledge. Although there will be obvious overlap in the capabilities of each member on the Board of Advisors, each is expected to make a unique and important contribution to the Tri-City Eagles. Current members include:

Board Member	Background
Mr. Jay D. Gensler	President, Maryland Scholastic High School Hockey League
John P. Healy, Esquire	Attorney, parent of two former players who now coach
Mr. John Miceli	Level 4 referee
Ms. Suzanne A. Schmidt, Ph.D	Human Resources Consultant
Mr. Steve Malley	Coach, Parent, and College Guidance Advisor
Mr. Michael Maher, Jr.	Past Eagle player. Division III hockey player
Mr. Charles King	Parent of former Eagles player, youth coach
Mr. Michael Swift	Parent of former player, previously active in Boy Scouts of America
Mr. Sandy Daignault	Hockey broadcaster, entrepreneur
Mr. Ken Levine	Parent of past Tri-City Eagle players (boy and girl).
Mr. John Coleman	President, PVA-HA, parent
Mr. Doug Parks	Commissioner of CBHL and father of two children one (Ryan) of which played two years with TCE

Principles

• Establish Commitment, Discipline, Teamwork, Focus, Support, Joy and High Ethical Standards as key organizational values.

• Clearly articulate and enforce club by-laws, policies, and objectives, and ensure that they are communicated to club officials, coaches, players, and parents.

• Work within the CBHL to share ideas and experiences, to assist other member clubs who wish to establish similar competitive programs, and to improve the quality of the upper age level programs.

• Receive input from an Advisory Board that consists of club officials, representatives from the CBHL, and qualified outside individuals who advise on the operation of the club.

• Open tryouts to all interested Squirt, Pee Wee, Bantam and Midget aged players, as well as anyone with a developmental disability (Washington Ice Dogs).

• Create real opportunities for each player to develop the full potential of his or her hockey skills and to progress to the next level in the sport.

• Set the cost for the program for each player at a level competitive with or below current club rates for CBHL travel teams, and partially offset organizational costs through outside sponsorship.

• Compete with a schedule that consists of CBHL AA or A level league games, selected AAA tournaments, and selected AAA exhibitions.

• Provide off-ice activities for players such as team outings, dry land exercise sessions, classroom position play sessions, fund raising activities, and mandatory outside community or club service.

• Choose coaches for their hockey knowledge, ability to communicate, teach, organize, and plan, and commitment to our program.

• Attempt to ensure that head coaches do not have children who play on the teams, work to improve their skills, and adhere to a rigid code of conduct.

• Assist coaches in player selection by establishing an unbiased panel; ensure that neither parents nor the administrative staff have a say in final team selections.

• Build on the successes of our previous seasons and learn from our shortcomings.

• Use feedback from our participant players and parents to improve our program.

• Develop positive relationships with college, prep school, and Junior programs. Maintain contact with our alumni to increase our ability to assist our "family" in furthering their skating experience.

• Utilize potential of all members of the Tri-City family to become one of the best youth organizations in North America.

• Expand our partnership with Hassleholm Hockey, Sweden and with Hammarö Hockey, Sweden.
  

Orientation/Team Building

An off-ice one-day team building exercise will be held for the Bantams and Midgets. The Pee Wees will have a sleepover/team building time during October at The Gardens Ice House.

Additionally, in September, there will be a presentation by USA Hockey referees, a professional sports nutritionist, about depression, head injuries, goal setting techniques, to all players and parents.

School Guidance

Mr. Steve Malley, a post high school scholastic guidance counselor has been retained to assist bantam and midget-aged players. The goal of this Eagles' service is to provide each player and his/her parents with advice on how to best advance his/her hockey career. The first orientation session will occur in late September.

Practices

The practice session program is segmented into two parts: 1) Skill Development; and 2) Team Training and Position Play. Commencing in October, teams will have one combined Skill Development Session per week. Each team will also have one individual Team Training and Position Play session per week, and monthly goalie sessions are offered for our goaltenders. During September, we provide three powerskating sessions, which are followed by more individual skills sessions during the season. For squirts and pee wees, the powerskating sessions will continue until mid-November.

Goalie Program (all levels)

Mr. Sals Adams is our lead goalie coach. Mr. Adams was a varsity goalie at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont and has three children who play hockey. His eldest boy is now at Colorado College where he will try out for the varsity this fall. The program will begin late this summer and will include separate sessions just for goalies plus sessions with goalies during their team's regular practices. Mr. Adams will watch games and provide advice to the goalies and to their head coaches during the season. Goalies will also receive an annual subscription to Goalie World.

Fitness Program (Pee Wee through Midgets)

For pee wees through midgets we have arranged with the Wellness For Life fitness center a program that will occur each practice (either before or after). This program will be 30 minute sessions designed to both increase strength and endurance as well as help foot speed. The squirts will also have an off-ice routine led by their coaches. The program is designed to give direction to all of our players both in the fitness center but also on their own.

Games

Home games will be played at The Gardens Ice House on the weekends. Each team will play the following schedule of games (the club will provide 15 home games per team).

Team	League	Exhibitions (Includes Tournaments)	Maximum
Midget	16-20	20-25	40-45
Bantam	16-20	20-25	40-45
Pee Wee	16-20	20	40
Squirt	16-20	15	35

Community Service

Community service sessions will be organized for October, November, and December. Each player will be expected to make at least two of the three sessions. A certificate giving each player credit for his/her community service is provided at the end of the year.

Holiday Party

Our Annual Old Boys Game will be late afternoon of December 21. A party for all members of Tri-City Eagles will complete the evening.

Recognition Picnic

In early April, we will conclude the season with our annual end-of-season recognition picnic, where each player receives several mementos of the season.

Codes of Conduct

Each player, parent, and coach is required to sign a code of conduct regarding their conduct as an Eagles representative. The required conduct pertains only to those times while at an Eagles event.

Collegiate Development Camp (Bantams and Midgets) July 9-13

The bantams and midgets blue and gold players are expected to attend the Collegiate Development Camp July 9 - 13. The staff is outstanding. We are limiting the size of each group to 36 skaters and 4 goalies (two groups only). Each player will register at registration and the $400 camp fee will cost each TCE player only $100. But the registration must take place at the time of TCE registration . This is a great opportunity to learn new skills and interface with top-level prep school and college coaches. Besides the 3 hours of on-ice work each day, there are fitness and leadership and off-ice skills training. Each day starts at 8:45 a.m. and ends at 4:45 p.m. A terrific opportunity for $100.