General FAQs (Guelph Girls Hockey Association)

A: Guelph Girls Hockey Association welcomes skaters of all levels. The first rule of Girls Hockey is to have fun. The FUNdamentals program is designed to teach the basics of hockey which includes skating instruction to players as young as 5. The program will help with skating, stopping, turning, puck handling, shooting and passing all in a friendly and fun environment. Click here for more information about the FUNdamentals program.

A: Hockey is played by all ages and you are never too old to start playing hockey. Girls and women of all ages are joining hockey leagues to enjoy the camaraderie and team play of Canada's game. The GGHA coaches will help girls of all ages learn the basics and become contributing members of a team effort, develop self-confidence and experience a sense of personal achievement in an atmosphere of fun and fair play.

A: The season starts with evaluation skates in mid-September. The house league season starts in October and ends in late March or early April.

A: Contrary to popular belief, house league hockey does not normally require you to wake up before dawn to practice. The aim is for house league teams to have one 50 minute practice and one 50 minute game per week. As part of the Kitchener Girls Local League (KGLL), the final schedule isn't completed until late September or early October, and depends on the opposing teams and their ice availability. Practices are generally Friday nights, with games Saturday and/or Sunday.

A: The GGHA house league teams joined the Kitchener Girls Local League in 2015. This means that the HL (Local League) teams play against other local centres such as Cambridge, Fergus, Waterloo, Kitchener, Ayr, Stratford, Woolwich, Wilmot and Woodstock. Teams play 10 games in the fall (Oct-Dec), and 10 games in the winter (Jan-Mar); there are 5 away games in each half of the season. HL teams may occasionally decide to enter tournaments in other communities but that will be discussed with the team prior to commitments being made.

A: Your registration fee covers about 6 months of hockey instruction and games. Hockey equipment comes at all levels of cost and most equipment can be acquired second hand to keep costs down. Occasionally house league teams may opt to play in tournaments to enhance the hockey experience for the team, the cost per player is generally low and the coach will discuss with the team prior to making commitments.

A: By all means. Guelph Girls Hockey Association wouldn't exist without volunteers, so there is a lot of opportunity for you to become involved as a coach, team staff, board member or committee member. If you are interested in learning please contact the president of the association.

A: Although we are biased we like to think that playing girls hockey is the best winter team sport option for girls. The FUNdamentals program that we offer through the Ontario Women's Hockey Association is the same as the Hockey Canada Initiation Program offered through the Guelph Minor Hockey Association. We believe that Guelph Girls Hockey gives girls an opportunity to play Canada's game in an atmosphere that promotes women in sport and provides positive role models for girls. Guelph Girls Hockey Association has a reputation for not only fun but for quality as well. Guelph Girls has a well established rep program for girls who are looking for a more competitive level of play. This program has graduated a number of players to varsity teams. But the best reason for choosing Guelph Girls Hockey is because we know that girls just want to have fun and first rule of hockey is to have fun so that "girls rule on ice".