Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

 

Q. What is the minimum age at which participants can play?

Q. My child has never skated before, is this a problem?
    A. As most individuals have never had the opportunity to play hockey, we are fully aware that the majority of our players will be learning from no experience.  The official answer is no, this will not be a problem.  Our volunteers and coaches will take the time to teach all players the basics of skating and they will progress at their own individual level.

Q. What sort of equipment is required?
    A. Full equipment is required of all participants to play for safety reasons.  Should you have access to equipment or wish to purchase equipment then you are already ahead of some of our players.  We generally rely on donations of used hockey equipment to outfit teams and this usually saves a lot of initial expense.  Equipment that is donated to the Giants organization remains our property and is returned to the team so that we can continue to outfit players as they grow.  Below is a listing of equipment for boys & girls that are required to participate. 

 

Equipment Listing

              BOYS                               GIRLS

Clothing to be worn under gear	Clothing to be worn under gear
Athletic support cup (or Combo Shorts)	Athletic Jill strap (or Combo Shorts)
Garterbelt (or Combo Shorts)	Garterbelt (or Combo Shorts)
Hockey Socks	Hockey Socks
Shin Pads	Shin Pads
Hockey Pants	Hockey Pants
Skates	Skates
Skate Laces	Skate Laces
Shoulder Pads	Shoulder Pads
Elbow Pads	Elbow Pads
Gloves	Gloves
Neck Guard (BNQ Approved)	Neck Guard (BNQ Approved)
Helmet with Faceguard (CSA Approved)	Helmet with Faceguard (CSA Approved)
Jersey	Jersey
Stick	Stick
Hockey Bag	Hockey Bag
Hockey Tape	Hockey Tape
Mouthguard	Mouthguard

 

Q.  What will be the annual fee to participate?
  A. The fee for participation in the Guelph Giants program has been finalized by the Board of Directors.  These programs generally rely on community support via sponsorships to make ends meet financially.  Having acknowledged this, the cost per player this year will be $200 per player.  This fee largely goes towards ice time and insurance costs.  Given today's costs for minor hockey in house league and rep levels, we feel that this cost is fair and also furthers the commitment from each participant's family.
 
Q.  How do you keep the skill level fair when there will be different ages?
  A. This question is often asked when parents and guardians are first learning of the program.  Traditionally, all players will excel at their own pace which will result in different levels of skill.  For some participants the reality is that their first season may result in their ability to stand unaided on their own while some may pick up skating rather quickly.  The main answer to this question is that the players will be assisted to their individual needs and requirements.  Our coaches and volunteers will teach the basics of skating to everyone at their pace.  Parents and coaches are continually amazed at how far these kids and adults can progress over the years from when they started out!!

Q.  What do the practices and games look like?
  A. Weekly practices are conducted with individual and team drills being the basis for most of the allotted ice time.  Grasping the core fundamentals of skating, passing, and shooting are what the Giants coaching staff will be dedicated to.  There is also a large emphasis on having fun which means other ice activities and scrimmages do take place.  Games will eventually be played within other teams that belong to SHI.  These will occur when the coaching staff feels that the team can keep up with visiting programs.  Games do not look like traditional minor hockey score is rarely kept, there are no offsides, icings, or penalties.  There are 5 players on the ice for each team and this format is how our annual SHI tournament is run as well.

Q. What is the annual SHI Tournament all about?
  A. The annual SHI tournament is a truly fantastic experience for players, parents and coaches.  Each season, one SHI team ‘bids’ to host the annual season tournament.  The 2006 tournament was hosted overseas in England, U.K.!  The tournament has an opening ceremonies event (Hazel McCallion was the key note speaker for our last Canadian tournament in Mississauga) and each team plays four games over two days.  There is no official tournament winner at these events as the focus is on sportsmanship, fair play, and socializing with friends from around the world.  During the tournament there traditionally has also been a US-Canada coach’s game which has always been an interesting piece of competition in past years.  Following the hockey, the tournament finishes with a banquet where words of thanks are extended to those who made the event possible.  The event is truly fantastic and provides an atmosphere like no other!

 

Please feel free to contact us should you have any other questions that were not answered here so we may include it in our listing

Thanks,

Guelph Giants Executive