On Fri, May 13, 2011 at 4:59 PM, Hockey Feminin Lac St Louis
The 2010-2011 season started with new challenges , different from the year before. A new league at AA with new management and a new operating focus was taking shape, three arenas in the Lac St Louis region were undergoing renovations to meet the new standards set out by the Quebec government , that meant that three partners would not be able to support hockey feminin's ice needs and alternatives would need to be found. Fortunately, the Centre Multisport de Châteauguay opened for business in time for us to have our season's games hosted at that facility, but with that facility came the challenges of the Mercier Bridge and all it had to offer for the folks commuting to the the Centre Multisport de Châteauguay from the other side of the river.
One of the areas that we wanted to attend to this season, as it became apparent that we were not doing a great job in this area, was communication. For some reason, miscommunication is the operating method in hockey arenas as far as hockey feminin was concerned and this year we wanted to attack that challenge head on. And, our approach of developing a regular newsletter dissemination to the members seemed to create a clear line of communication, informing the members of the tryout times, the developments in girl's hockey, the successes , the approaches to securing greater membership at the lower levels and garnering feedback on sensitive issues.
The tryout process started with the prospect of making two Peewee AA teams, two Bantam AA teams and three Midget AA teams. However, as the peewee AA team formation process took shape, we lost players back to boys hockey and we needed to re-constitute the process to yield just one peewee team. This, of course, resulted in disappointed girls and families and is a point that we need to address before the next tryout process so that it is not repeated. One of the other "AA" organizations, Richelieu, has passed a regulation (commencing this season) that will see girls that cannot make the boys "AA level" teams, the girls must report to girls hockey if they wish to play hockey. They believe that girls should play with girls.
We are going to have to examine alternatives that eliminate the disruption of the team formation process while girls are able to elect to choose which alternative they wish to pursue, boys or girls. It is distinctly possible that Richelieu is pursuing the right solution to that problem, however, we will review it from a Lac St Louis' perspective and find a solution to this challenge.
When the tryout process was completed, we had a Peewee AA team, two Bantam AA teams and three Midget AA teams. Our peewee AA team won two tournaments, finished fourth in league play and was eliminated in the third game of the Dodge Cup. When the peewees won their first tournament they defeated the powerful Estrie team, which was 26-0-1 and we were the team that tied Estrie (early in the season) to provide the sole blemish in their season. We were fortunate to have four dedicated coaches and a manager that allowed the girls to understand the love of the game, developed the girls' skill sets and teach them aspects of the game that a "AA" program should be teaching. we congratulate Claude, Yvon, Danny , Bryan and manager Kim for the excellent work they did with our girls this season and we are happy to have them back for the 2011-2012 season.
Our two Bantam AA teams experienced different fates. The Bantam AA Elites were coached by Sue St Louis, a veteran assistant coach who had just returned to minor hockey from coaching at the CEGEP level. Sue assembled a staff of former university and cegep level players and embarked upon teaching the girls a program that was similar in nature to that she had used at the CEGEP level. The coaches elected to provide team leaders with the responsibility of being leaders, preparing them for lays ahead, being the conduit by which the coaches communicated messages to the team. And, the coaches elected to hold players accountable to team rules, as they would face at the next level. Not all these approaches worked but still, the staff was able to finish 3rd in their division and had a nice run in the playoffs where they tested the Selects before being eliminated.
Sue also lead the Sudouest entry in the Jeux du Quebec at the end of February. Sue's leadership and coaching was able to led the team to a bronze medal, a significant accomplishment considering the meager ice resources that the Sud Ouest team had to prepare for the tournament.
The Selects were coached by Bruno Dumais, a veteran double letter coach. Along with Bruno was John Calderone and Patrick Handfield. The team started slowly but as the program kicked in, the team started to accumulate wins and finished first in their conference. Building on that success, the Selects went on to win the league playoffs. At the dodge cup, the team was on the short end of too many one goal games and were eliminated in the third game of the dodge cup. All in all a successful run in the win, loss column and from the look of things, the girls were well prepared for their next level.
Bruno's assistant, John Calderone, was appointed head coach for the Lac St Louis entry into the Jeux Du Quebec and with the seeding of the tournament based on the previous tournament's results, the Lac st Louis team faced a stronger opponent thatn maybe they would have had the previous team's performance had been stronger, and as a result, the Lac St Louis team finished fifth.
Both Jeux Du Quebec teams reported what a tremendous experience the Jeux Du Quebec was and, of course, the girls were exposed to a tournament style that they may be faced with if they go on to play at the Team Quebec or Team Canada level.
We thank the two coaching staff's (Selects and Elites) for their time and commitment to our girls and are pleased with the work that they have done. We understand that Sue is looking to coach in an older age category, and may return to CEGEP, while Bruno has expressed an interest in returning to the Selects.
Our Midget AA program had three teams this year. The Midget AA Selects were our after school program. The Elites were our evening program and the Kodiaks, the first year of the program, also followed the guidelines of an after school program but was firmly based with a student body at Kuper Academy.
Robert Lanno led the Selects to a third place finish in their conference and were eliminated in the conference semi final by the Kodiaks. Overall, the Selects were able to compete and develop nicely through the year and often flirted with being an upper echelon team. we will see a number of the Selects suit up at the CEGEP level next season, as the Selects had a larger contingent of second year players. This is an indication of the level of preparedness that the Selects coaching staff provided this group of girls.
The Elites were coached by Don Planche, a veteran double letter coach, assisted by Alex Robertson and Dean Allison. Don's side had many first year players but also a blend of veterans. The team faced a series of challenges as the season progressed and one of the major challenges was that the injury bug hit them hard and while the team had some strong components, they were never together for very long and not long enough to gel. That led to more losses than the team had expected and another challenge was managing the moral and spirit of the girls as they faced the challenges.
As much adversity that the Elites faced, the Kodiaks met with success. The Kodiaks, coached by Bruce Hannough and assistants Britney Privee, Carmine Starnino and Rodney Taylor, finished first in their conference, tied for first overall with the Estrie Rapides, they won the playoffs, winning the final in shoot out and then, won gold in the dodge cup, which earned them the right to go to St Albert, Alberta to represent Quebec at the Esso Cup. The Kodiaks finished fourth in the nation!
To follow the Kodiaks experience at the Esso Cup, please click on this link:
http://lacstlouisgirlshockey.blogspot.com/2011/05/this-is-story-of-19-kuper-sisters-that.html
And, now what can we expect for the 2011-2012 season. First off, there are a selection of changes in the schools assigned to the Selects program. Please review the list below:
John Rennie
College Ste. Anne
Queen of Angels
Westwood High school
Royal West Academy
Westmount H.S.
Khanawake Survival School
Ecole des Sources (S.E.)
PCHS
Kuper Academy (until Midget)*
Lauren Hill Academy
Lakeside Academy (Lachine)
St. Thomas
BHS
Howard S. Bllings
If your daughter does not attend any of the schools listed above, and is a second year peewee, bantam or midget player in her first two years, then your daughter is eligible for the Elites program.
Note. The exception to this is the Midget aged players who attend Kuper, they are eligible for the Kodiaks program.
At the time of preparing this report, we are in discussions that could led to a second school based after noon program, but exclusively at the Midget AA level . Ecole Louis - Phillippe Pare, across the street from the the Centre Multisport de Châteauguay, has been in discussions with John Rennie High School and Howard S. Billings High School to help provide anglophone students to a sport etude program based out of the the Centre Multisport de Châteauguay. This would require a revision, at the Midget AA level, of the schools that are designated for the Selects program as it would be the Selects program that would be assigned , should these negotiations come to fruition.
As you know, we support the movement of programs towards schools and in the afternoons as it permits the students to complete their hockey requirements early in the day and frees their evenings for homework. And, it also lessens the burden of finding ice in the evening that is fair and equitable for girls to reasonably attend from all corners of the region. On balance, we also recognize that the sport etudes or after school program is not for everyone. As such, we continue to support an evening program that allows families who, elect not to support the afternoon model, the opportunity to pursue "AA" hockey.
In conclusion, I take this opportunity to recognize the work, support and dedication of the all the members of the hockey feminin commission , VP Hockey Feminin Ed Dodds, Treasurer Claude Chouchani and the permanent staff at the region, Simon Joly and Sylvian McSween. The success of the program requires strong leadership and that is provided by J.P. Fortier, and the Lac St Louis Board of Directors who continue to have the vision of growing the girls game and Lac St Louis' place in the girls game. To all, thank you for giving our girls access to the greatest game on earth!
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