Submitted By: Mike Reist

What will the plan be going forward with periodic updates in regards to the budget throughout the season?

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

According to AMHA bylaws, the association financial statements must be presented at the AGM.  Otherwise, members may request to see financial statements at anytime by notifying the President.

Submitted By: Korin Lemay

Who is the treasurer for AMHA? There is no treasurer position posted. Do we have an elected or appointed Treasurer that is different from the EC and paid office staff that works with the bookkeeper?

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

AMHA doesn't have a separate Treasurer position allocated.  As per the association bylaws, only Executive Committee or staff members are able to access the bank account.  Designating a Treasurer who can't access a bank account is counterintuitive.  Adding a Treasurer role to the Executive Committee involves a bylaw change, and may be considered in the Organizational Structure Review being done by our membership. Consequently, the Vice President Administration acts as the Treasurer.  Additionally, AMHA has a paid accountant who keeps the books current.  And finally, AMHA hires an independent firm to audit our financial statements on an annual basis.

Submitted By: Ashley Schuyler

This season U9 particularly had a rotating schedule, one that I had never experienced before (with players from U7 to U11 in previous seasons). Not sure if it was used on all age groups this past season. But for reference we would have practice Mondays for 3 weeks, Tuesdays for 4 weeks, Wednesday for 2 weeks and so on. I found this made it hard for myself and other parents who work to make it on time for our ice times as it was not a constant day. Years in the past the whole season would be on the same day of the week. Moving forward will the schedule be the same as last year or will we go back to how the schedule used to be set?

Answered by: Brent E (VP - City League)

All schedules are being reviewed to best maximizing and provide a better more consistent schedule pattern for all ages.

Submitted By: Ashley Schuyler

This past season had a huge struggle with ice sessions being changed. This caused our team to have to scramble for ice for exhibition games and for our team to lose ice when we had an outside professional attending one of our practices. We were then told in early December the schedule would stop being changed and our team noticed 3 more changes to ice times. Will this coming season be the same struggle as last year with constant changes to the schedule? If not, how will you be improving it?

Answered by: Brent E (VP - City League)

With new office staff learning the role it created challenges, we have learned a lot this last season and should be better for next year.

Submitted By: Ashley Schuyler

Why is the female development coordinator an appointed position? I am aware that multiple people submitted to have this position last year. I believe it should be a voted position as there was zero development from the female development coordinator for anything under U11. Also when asked about any development for our second year U9 girls on the female team we were shut down immediately by the coordinator. To expand the sport of girls hockey you need to start by having a girls try it day every year, not just once! You need to encourage the younger players to play with the older girls as they love having them as mentors. Can this position please be voted on so that we can get the best person/parent in to help develop our young players and give them the best opportunities going forward?

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

The Development Coordinator roles are appointed rather than elected due to a combination of historical, practical, and organizational reasons. Historically, these positions have seen very low interest when put up for election, with few—if any—volunteers coming forward. This limited pool of candidates makes it challenging to ensure that the most qualified individual is chosen through a vote alone.

Moreover, when elections are held during the Annual General Meeting (AGM), decisions are typically made based on a brief two-minute speech. These speeches offer minimal insight into a candidate’s qualifications, experience, or suitability for the role. There is no formal vetting or verification process during the AGM, which means that voters are essentially making decisions with very limited, unverified information.

Another important factor is that most AGM attendees are not familiar with the behind-the-scenes work that the Operations Team, including the Development Coordinators, carry out. These roles often require specialized knowledge, consistency, and a deep understanding of internal systems—attributes that are difficult to convey or assess during a short public forum.

Finally, the Development Coordinators play a pivotal role in shaping the experience of a large number of players. Their decisions can affect the development, progression, and overall quality of player programs across the organization. Given the scale and potential impact of this role, it is critical to ensure that the individual selected is not only competent but also aligned with the organization’s strategic goals. An appointment process allows for a more thorough review of candidates' backgrounds, skills, and fit within the broader team—something an open election simply cannot guarantee. 

Submitted By: Ashley Schuyler

A couple years ago, it was asked if parents could reach out to their coordinator to find out where their player landed. This question was answered by our previous president Kelsey Brockway, that a parent could find out about where their individual child placed. Then why this year were polices rewritten making it so you are no longer allowed to find out! Why can a parent not know where their child lands? What is the point of paying for outside evaluators when you prevent parents from even viewing or knowing where their individual child placed or why they placed where they did.

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

At no point in the last 6 years have parents been given the specific player results from Evaluations. The Evaluation process ranks your player amongst peers who skated with him/her. There is no "report card" of information which your player can use to improve, nor compare to others for placement determination. Outside evaluators have an unbiased neutrality which prevents predisposition of placement. They still only provide ranking of players within groups, not detailed explanations.

Submitted By: Helena Killinger

I would like to put forward a motion to revise the policies so all Board Members, not just the Executive Committee cannot for Presidency.

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

Any motion to change the bylaws requires a Special General Meeting, or amendment, notification & voting at an AGM. A motion such as this will be taken under consideration by the newly formed Organizational Structure Review Committee, which will see amendments to the Bylaws with due process.

Submitted By: Julie Gutowski

How will the coaches be chosen for the 2025/26 season? And when will they be notified?

Why does RHL subsidise CAHL? Should CAHL not pay for their own ice time and RHL pay for theirs? How is it fair that CAHL has almost double the ice time but is only about $200 more?

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

Except AEHC Coaches, Coaches are chosen immediately prior to team creation from a list of those who have volunteered to do so. Selection may be based on several criteria such as credentials, history, availability, feedback, etc. Being current with credentials helps elevate a coach's appeal. This is why current coaches were sent a notice of any expiring credentials in April, so they have time to get current by September.

Submitted By: Jenn 

Has AMHA made contingency plans should the Ron renovations not be completed on time?

Answered by: Pat S (Interim President / VP - HP)

Thanks for your question, Jenn, we are obviously hoping for the best, but planning for the worst. We have acquired ice times for early morning practices that will be distributed through various teams to make up the practice times and ensure everyone gets what they are allocated. We have also looked into neighbouring communities to acquire ice as well. It's difficult to book ice when we don't know exactly what we need, but we are constantly in contact with the city with updates on the progress of the renovations.

Submitted By: Derek Kremer

Has AMHA considered reducing the amount of teams in CAHL at the U11 ages and above to help create opportunities for rotating full ice practices (specifically from 4 teams to 3 at U11) and at the U13 and above when AMHA puts together Tier 5 travel teams they very much resemble RHL caliber of hockey. The RHL league does a fantastic job and I believe the reduced travel time and cost will help keep kids playing youth hockey longer which is the ultimate goal.

Answered by: Glenn O (VP - CAHL)

 We have discussed this, but this would mean less kids would get the opportunity to play hockey. We already have a wait list and if we cut a team out of CAHL that would mean more kids would be on the waitlist. We are open to suggestions; we already use Max Ice so at least the teams get half an hour of full ice at U13 and higher.

Submitted By: Derek Kremer

In order to help deter families at U9 from leaving to HSL/PHL, etc. AMHA should revamp the U9 program to ensure players remain in the association. My suggestion would be have 3 groups at U9 (*Pilot/Development, Blue and Red). The Pilot/Development would be the top 30 ranked kids and these two teams would practice/compete against each other the whole year as a group. The coaches would work together as a unit to ensure optimal development occurs and there would be support from coaches from the higher streams (U11AA, U13AA, etc.) on practice plan optimization, skill and skating development, etc. The two teams would still be able to play other teams during tournaments and would have plenty of opportunity for team bonding throughout the season. The remaining two groups would be 4 teams Blue and 4 Teams red with coaching support and development from the Coaching Committee members.

Answered by: Brent E (VP - City League)

Last year we had a similar structure with a U9 red, purple and blue division. Losing athletes to super leagues can be problematic but we are finding that this age levels still fills up even with the loss of athletes. Our goal is to provide competitive access to the sport for all levels and could look at this idea more in-depth next year.

Submitted By: Christie Cameron

I would like each active EC member to provide their individual input on this matter. With ice time being a limited and valuable resource, the Airdrie Minor Hockey Association must establish a clear direction for the future. This decision centers around two possible priorities: focusing on maximizing participation, with more kids playing hockey, or prioritizing player development, allowing fewer kids to play more hockey.

Maximizing participation would involve strategies such as shared practices, larger team rosters, and initiatives to ensure more Airdrie kids have the opportunity to engage in the sport. Prioritizing development, on the other hand, would mean limiting the number of teams and smaller roster sizes, ultimately concentrating on skills growth for fewer players—likely those at a higher level of play.

What is your individual priority, and where do you see the future focus of the organization?

Answered by: Pat S (Interim President / VP - HP)

I believe that allowing as many players as possible to participate in minor hockey should always be a top priority. That said, with the current ice shortage, there are only so many ways to allocate the available ice time.

I agree that sharing ice at the younger age levels is a great way to develop players. Working in smaller areas encourages more skill development and puck touches. However, as players get older, shared ice becomes more of a hindrance than a benefit. At that stage, they need full ice to work on systems and team concepts. I’ve seen firsthand how our teams have fallen behind in development due to the limitations of shared ice.

Max Ice is a good solution in some cases, but it’s not always the best one.

In response to the idea of increasing roster sizes, the challenge is that we often don’t have 20 players at each level who are capable of competing. Typically, 15 skaters and 2 goalies is the ideal balance to keep teams competitive. While Hockey Alberta allows for 20-player rosters, my primary concern is player safety. Placing players on teams where they can’t compete or keep up can lead to increased risk of injury and can negatively impact their development. My top priority is to maximize participation while ensuring player safety, supporting skill development, and making the most efficient use of available ice time. Achieving this requires sustained and proactive advocacy with City Council to emphasize the critical need for additional ice surfaces in our community.

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

I believe the Airdrie Minor Hockey Association’s Mission Statement provides strong guidance on this issue: "Our Mission is to provide fair opportunity for positive experiences through a safe and fun environment, with strong, progressive and quality programs for all members of the hockey community." As a board member, I’m committed to honoring that mission by ensuring that we continue to offer opportunities for all youth to participate in hockey, regardless of their skill level or long-term goals.

While elite player development is an important part of any hockey association, the numbers speak for themselves. In the past year, 13.4% of AMHA were “Elite” level teams, meaning the vast majority—over 86%—belonged to Developmental, Grassroots, or Competitive streams. History shows that these members are more likely to stay with AMHA long term, and that loyalty is strongly tied to our efforts to provide equitable access to resources, especially ice time. This fairness must remain a core value moving forward.

That said, I recognize that player development is also essential to the health and reputation of our association. We can and should support those with higher aspirations through strong programming—but not at the expense of broad participation. The two goals aren’t mutually exclusive, and the key challenge is finding the right balance.

Ultimately, the conversation always comes back to ice time. More ice means more opportunity—for both participation and development. Unfortunately, recreational infrastructure in Airdrie has not kept pace with population growth. Instead of competing internally for limited ice, our collective energy as a board would be better spent advocating at City Hall for greater investment in youth recreation. Supporting all players means expanding the capacity to meet their needs.

Answered by: Glenn O (VP - CAHL)

I believe in having as many kids play hockey as possible. We are currently struggling with an ice shortage in Airdrie, even when the Ron Ebbeson renovation is completed. We are already sharing ice at the younger ages and use Max Ice for the CAHL kids in U13 and higher. Sharing ice may not be the best solution for development, but it maximizes the amount of kids we can have playing hockey. As far as increasing roster sizes goes, we already have increased the roster sizes at the AAA and AA levels to 20 players and most of the CAHL teams with body contact have rosters of 19. Some of the non body contact CAHL teams have rosters of 17 in an effort to develop the players and prepare them for the next step in their hockey journey, whatever that may be. We also have to keep in mind the safety of the players, having kids play at a level they are not at just for the sake of having a larger roster size puts those kids at significant risk of being injured. As parents who currently have players in the association as well as parents who intend on enrolling their children in the association in the future and parents whose children are no longer playing in the association, we all need to advocate with the Airdrie City Council to place a priority on adding more ice surfaces to the city. In my opinion, adding more ice surfaces within the City of Airdrie can be accomplished two ways. 1) The city builds them and runs them. 2) The city allows private enterprises to build them and run them. Either way, us as parents need to advocate for more ice to City Council. My individual priority is to have as many kids playing hockey as possible, regardless of their skill level. The associations short term focus should be on finding solutions to the ice shortage problem; whether that is working with City Council to build more ice surfaces, using morning ice, using daytime ice (we know the school schedules so there is no reason why we couldn't explore scheduling practices on PL days). I'm sure there are other ideas out there as well, we have to be openminded to come up with solutions to our ice shortage problem.

Submitted By: Frankie Freckleton

Question - Why does the executive not mirror or represent the skillset within the organization? Also, only 5 votes? Yikes - we need more voting positions for balance and accountability.

Comment - Meaning, City players are predominant yet have 1 or 2 votes on committee. In my opinion this results in an unfair cash and resource advantage to ""tiered"" players."

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

The association is committed to representing the views of all members and have recently struck an Organizational Structure Review Committee to provide recommendations on the structure/representation within the association. Further details of the recommendation will be forthcoming when available.

Submitted By: Frankie Freckleton

Questions - Why does AMHA continue to use rankings instead of evaluations? Why do they turn down professional help? Why does the executive and the coordinator move players after the 10 evaluators come to a consensus, this is clan descent and causes issues?

Comments - With rankings it is impossible to compare skating groups. The reason being is that the players are ranked within their group with no criteria. So you're comparing apples to pineapples - spreadsheeting or not. With no criteria for evaluation, you might as well pick the players from a random list save the ice times and start practice early. To be honest, with the coaches evaluating and me evaluating my own kid (never should happen) it is pretty much decided in the stands for City and tiered as to who gets what and who wants what. Volunteerism isn't riding your mules to exhaustion and I don't think coaches should be evaluating, let alone their own kids and kids’ friends. I have evaluated 50% of my years as a coach. It has gotten worse each year. It's time to pay Hockey Alberta as independent evaluators. If my fees go up so what. You have a limited volunteer pool each year, on top of the fact you have no set evaluation criteria or scoring system.

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

It is cost prohibitive to provide evaluations and specific feedback to each player. During Evaluations 2024, excluding the elite stream, 1289 players were viewed and ranked over a 3-week period. This highly stressful and busy time operates on the premise that like-skilled players should play amongst each other. Amongst like-skilled groups, those who excel are given an opportunity to play against a stronger skilled group, and those who perform poorly change groups to play with less skilled players. The expectation is NOT to provide a detailed examination of every player's skillset, but to ensure that players are grouped amongst peers. Hence the ranking system is sufficient.

For the purposes of RHL evaluations (the only ones with parent evaluators), there is only one cutline being generated. The teams are coach drafted afterwards, and players/coaches can make matching requests. To pay for external evaluators and then allow coaches to draft players of choice is not a sound economic decision.

Submitted By: Frankie Freckleton

Who is getting the weekday 6:30am practices next year?

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

Morning practices will need to be utilized IF Ron Ebbesen Arena does not open as expected on October 17, 2025. There is insufficient practice ice time after school to accommodate 80 teams. If Ron Ebbesen Arena opens as scheduled, no teams will need 6:30am practices within their regular schedule. If Ron Ebbesen Arena does not open as scheduled, all teams may rotate through morning practices.

Submitted By: Frankie Freckleton

Comment - When I started 10 years ago City kids had 2 practices (weeknight and weekend) and 1 game a week. Now it's down to 1:1. Yet the "tiered" kids get 2:2. I have ran the math and they don't pay enough to get double, I do acknowledge they do pay a little more. City vs Tiered??

Question - When are you going to fix the ice imbalance and meet your own fair play policy?

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

RHL does NOT subsidize CAHL. Each team pays for what they utilize. At younger ages (U11 especially) RHL teams receive almost the same ice time as CAHL teams (2 practices per week). This means their respective registration fees are very similar. An important additional factor which influences fees between CAHL and RHL is that CAHL covers the cost of evaluations in tryout fees (additional to registration), while RHL doesn't have tryout fees. Therefore, RHL teams have to cover the expense of tryouts as part of registration, while CAHL does not.

Submitted By: Leah Benkie

Will AMHA will be doing NBC Travel teams for U15 & U18?

Answered by: Brent E (VP - City League)

Yes, we will be trialing a team in U15 NBC CAHl div next year. We will review and look at the season to see if this is something we want to expand on for the following season.

Submitted By: Hayley

I would like to know why this email about the AGM was only sent out the day before the deadline. This is usually sent out a lot earlier in previous years. What was the cause for the delay?

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

The AGM notification was sent out to all members on Tuesday, April 22nd, as well as being posted to our website at that time. The notification Monday, May 5th was a reminder notice. Please check your junk mail folder or your RAMP account settings to ensure delivery of association emails. If you have previously opted out of emails from AMHA, you will not receive messages, including ones about meetings.

Submitted By: Hayley

Are there any plans from AMHA to move away from RHL and into CAHL? There seems to be an overwhelming response to do so. What was the results of the survey monkey that was sent out a few months ago?

Answered by: Brent E (VP - City League)

Yes, we will be trailing a team in U15 NBC CAHl div next year. We will review and look at the season to see if this is something we want to expand on for the following season. We found that the majority of families like RHL but that they also want more competitive atmosphere for the top RHL athletes.

Submitted By: Betina

In regards to the goalie mentorship program

1) a lot of families missed the emails and signups for this - can we be asked a couple of times? Both for mentors and teams looking for mentors to work with their goalies
2) can there be an incentive to get involved- such as a fee reduction for goalies if they complete a certain number of hours with the teams they mentor?
3) can there be a "how to mentor session" created so that the youth wanting to step up have an idea of what is expected
4) can there be a similar mentorship program be created for players looking to give back and get into coaching?

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

These are all good points which can be directed to our new Goalie Coordinator, when elected at the AGM.

Submitted By: Sarah Barton

Understanding that there will be a committee formed to assist with an Org Structure review and also a Bylaw review, can you share more what the Executive Committee would like to see accomplished with this as a future direction for AMHA?

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

Direction to the Organizational Structure Review Committee will be the first priority of the new Executive Committee.

Submitted By: Sarah Barton

According to the AMHA Bylaws, Section 2 D. "Members have the right and responsibility to attend meetings"

a) Can you please outline what meetings are open to members?
b) Is there a published schedule of meetings that members can attend? Understanding that during confidential or "in-camera" portions of the meeting members will not be able to be present.
c) Are meeting minutes only available via request? Can these be available on a members section of the website for review by members after meetings are held?
d) Is there a Log of Motions available to review prior to the AGM?

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

The full bylaw 2(d) reads "Members have the right and responsibility to attend meetings, vote at the AGM or any special meeting of the membership and to behave in accordance with the AMHA Bylaws and Policies set out by the Executive Committee." This bylaw outlines the expectations for behaviour of membership and participation in the decision-making process. Additionally, section 9 Meetings details the expectations for association business transaction. It is 3 pages long. Only General Meetings are open to the full membership. As per section 9.2(d) "Any Member may submit, in writing, items for inclusion on the agenda of an Executive Committee’s meeting. These Members shall be entitled to attend that portion of the meeting devoted to those agenda items but will have no vote.", members may attend meetings of the Executive when they have business pertaining to agenda materials. Meeting minutes are not currently published to the website and motions are included in the meeting minutes.

Submitted By: Sarah Barton

Currently, are there any Executive Committee Board of Directors training or professional development that is undertaken? If not, will AMHA consider utilizing this training to ensure Board and Executive are well prepared for the roles they are taking on? The Alberta Government provides online training https://www.alberta.ca/non-profit-learning-centre.

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

AMHA welcomes all opportunities to better ourselves and our volunteers. This resource may be incorporated in the future.

Submitted By: Sarah Barton

Are there any change management processes for all roles if there is a change in volunteer Operations, Board or Executive Committee?

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

Roles within the Board have a Roles and Responsibilities document, outlining the expectations of each position.

Submitted By: Kelly Arseneault

Will there be a link to join the meeting remotely like last year?

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

This year’s AGM is in-person only. Creating a hybrid AGM presents greater challenges when voting. To ensure the accuracy of the voting process, only in-person attendees will be counted.

Submitted By: Lindsey Goddard (Submitting on behalf of a group of parents)

AEHL and AFHL have announced 3 new teams to be added in Cochrane over the next 2 seasons. This will have a large impact on the U13 AA Female, and U15 AAA and U17 AAA male programs run out of Airdrie that will not be felt in a similar way by their competitors. Can you please address how AMHA / AEHC and Global Sports plan to support this change? What efforts are being planned to ensure that for the remaining AMHA draw zone athletes AMHA is able to put together competitive teams? Is there any intention to extend high performance programming (example: coach mentorship, off ice training, video review, etc. provided by Global Sports) into tier 1 and 2 CAHL / RMFHL teams to try to fast-track the upskilling of our athletes to remain competitive? What other development initiatives are in the works to support the growth and competitiveness of our teams? How does AMHA / AEHC plan to bridge the gap between high performance programming and CAHL/RMFHL programming? How is AMHA / AEHC benchmarking development? Do the addition of these teams cause concern from an athlete retention standpoint? If so, what is AMHA / AEHC offering that makes its programming attractive over other options?

Answered by: Jack L (AEHC Chair)

This is a lengthy answer because it speaks to the strategy that we're employing to develop the best Elite program in Southern Alberta but in summary:

Submitted By: Jeanine Schill

Having served as an Executive on a few Boards, I appreciate the commitment and sacrifice. The greatest and sometimes inescapable downfall of parent run Boards is the seepage of personal agendas, real or imagined. Optics has been the enemy of AMHA. I don't know how exactly you fix it but transparency is a start. This Board and all it's levels of leadership needs a refresh - last year, was not it. AMHA needs a Director of Hockey Operations who is independent and who will marry the intentions of the Board with the vision of Village/Global to the benefit of ALL athletes. We need to get away from power by popularity. We need real hockey operation expertise. We all know what our past experience was with our prior Director of Hockey Ops, however that was a personal failure not a professional one and if people reflect honestly, from a hockey standpoint, AMHA benefited immensely from that role. Refusing to revisit this based on moral misdemeanors, is to the detriment of our membership and our athletes.

Thank you for opening up to what I am sure may be a tsunami of opinions. I look forward to supporting any way I can. I believe in this Association - we have never left. We can't have another year like the last 2. We need to fix our inside by going outside.

With the money being invested in Village/Global Sports, would the association be willing to re-visit a Director of Hockey Operations role to support all streams?

Answered by: Pat S (Interim President / VP - HP)

The simple answer to your question is yes! I was part of the association when the last Director of hockey operations was in place, however I had no dealings with him. I will always advocate for change, as long as that change benefits the association. As a member of the current EC, my philosophy is we work for the membership not the other way around. If the membership wants an executive director and the costs associated with that position, as long as it makes sense for the association and will benefit everyone, then I will support that. Keep in mind there will still always be an executive committee that will oversee the director of hockey operations, and make sure they are doing the job they have been hired to do.

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

Submitted By: Lindsey Goddard (on behalf of a group of Goalie Parents)

AMHA has been fortunate to have a large number of young players eager to take on the role of goaltender. However, the limited ice availability has made it challenging to provide individualized and highly effective goalie training through AMHA. Given this constraint, would it be possible to offer goaltenders on CAHL and RMFHL teams a discount to support external goalie training of their choosing? This could help free up additional time at Explosive Edge for those who wish to continue training there.

One approach could be a reimbursement system where goalies receive a refund—up to a specified amount—upon submission of receipts for external goalie training, a model successfully utilized by other associations. If this is not feasible, can the Board work with goaltender parents to improve transparency regarding Explosive Edge programming? Specifically, can the following details be shared with parents:
1. The cost per goaltender for training provided at Explosive Edge.
2. A week-by-week training syllabus outlining the season’s sessions.
3. The biographies of coaches hired by Explosive Edge for goalie training.

Additionally, what steps can be taken to better integrate Explosive Edge training with the teams these goalies play on? Can there be greater collaboration between Explosive Edge, team coaches, and their regular team practices to ensure continuity in training? Could AMHA consider implementing a hybrid goalie development model, where part of the training is centralized (e.g. Explosive Edge), and part is coach-coordinated with goalie-specific drills and support during team practices? This might help goalies better apply what they’re learning in sessions to real-game situations.

It would also be helpful to goalie parents to have a more clear outline of how AMHA measures the effectiveness or outcomes of the current goalie development program, specifically, are there benchmarks or feedback loops in place to track goalie progression year over year? This could help ensure the training being offered is actually meeting development goals.

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

As anyone with a goalie will attest, goalies are expensive and each one is unique! It's no different when it comes to development. Explosive Edge offers a cost-effective platform of training for groups of goalies. It costs each team just over $1000 for the year, for 2 goalies to attend the AMHA specific goalie development program. This cost is distributed amongst all players on the team and built into registration. If those goalies choose not to attend, AMHA still has those expenses, as we're committed to utilizing Explosive Edge in a partnership agreement. If other goalies (not allocated training) were to take those spots, the $1000 is NOT built into their registration. Each team covers the expected costs FOR THAT TEAM. This year, due to space constraints and the expected number of teams, all U11 CAHL/RMFHL/RHL goalies will receive Explosive Edge training. All U13 CAHL/RMFHL/RHL goalies will receive Explosive Edge training. All U15 RMFHL/RHL goalies will receive Explosive Edge training.

Regarding a training syllabus or bios on coaches, those are great suggestions that can be directed to the new Goalie Development Coordinator to develop in conjunction with Explosive Edge. Assessment of goals and tracking/feedback is the purview of the Goalie Development Committee.

Any previous attempt to make a one-size fits all approach, which adds to the cost of everyone's registration, has been unsuccessful (remember Ross McLean?). Therefore, teams wanting additional goalie support are encouraged to develop a model that works best for the team dynamic and budget.

Submitted By: Jeanine Schill

I would like each Presidential candidate to answer what their specific plans are with regards to rebuilding the trust and integrity in the Board and its operations with the membership.

What are the steps that the Board will take to regain the confidence of the association? The last couple years have been dramatic and have caused reputational damage.

What steps will be taken to improve the transparency of the Board? For example, planned projects, better communication, membership inclusion for all meetings, posting of minutes, etc.

When will a fullsome comparison be conducted to evaluate our association management and structure to our peers - ie are we optimizing opportunities so that our fees are inline with our peers and our programs are competitive.

Answered by: Pat S (Interim President / VP - HP)

We just need to communicate better, I think with every organization that either succeeds or fails, you can almost always trace those successes or failures to communication. We need to stop working in silos and work more collaboratively, and empower people placed in other positions within the organizations to do their job, and trust them to make the decisions what they were elected or appointed to do.

If we want to rebuild trust, it starts with being open and bringing everyone to the table. I would make sure our decisions and plans are shared clearly, so no one feels left in the dark. I’d create real ways for members to speak up — and more importantly, to see that their voices make a difference. And I’d form committees made up of our own members, so they’re not just watching from the sidelines but helping lead the way. When people feel heard, included, and part of the process, that’s when trust grows.

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

Submitted By: Jeanine Schill

What action plans are in place to ensure the developmental KPIs of our programs are being met? What are they as well? I speak of AAA and AA Global/Village programs. I am assuming there are some as all I have heard that contractually Global needs to hold so many PowerPoint pathway sessions to satisfy the contract.

Answered by: Jack L (AEHC Chair)

Submitted By: Jeanine Schill

How does the association plan to navigate the rewriting the bylaws and org structure with the current Executive upheaval.

Answered by: Nicole G (VP - Admin)

The Executive Committee has struck an Organizational Structure Review Committee, made up of non-board members, to research and develop a recommendation on the best governance structure for AMHA. Pending that outcome, a substantial redraft of the bylaws would be required to accommodate changes. Changes to the bylaws follow specific guidelines, outlined in the current bylaws, including notification and review periods prior to a vote, which is open to the full membership. The expectation is that any Special General Meeting, called to restructure the association and amend bylaws, would occur not prior to mid-season, with changes coming into affect upon the termination of the 2025-26 season.