SHA Board to make Geographic Subdivision Boundaries around Regina and Saskatoon for Female Hockey

Memorandum

To: SHA Membership

From: Kelly McClintock, General Manager

Re: SHA Board Decision to make Geographic Subdivision Boundaries around Regina and Saskatoon for Female Hockey

June 22nd, 2017 - I am sure many of you have heard through the various media outlets and social media the SHA Board of Directors Decision to make Regina and Saskatoon Geographic Subdivision boundaries for Female hockey, like what exists for Male hockey, beginning in the 2018/19 season.

The reasons for the decision are as follows;

- The primary reason is to encourage MHA’s around the two cities of Regina and Saskatoon to offer Female Programming for those Female players who want to play Female Hockey and to promote Female hockey in order to attract additional players to the game.

- The SHA’s mandate is to sustain the viability of hockey in our province that includes both maintaining what we have and growing the game for new participants. The way we do this is by building capacity in minor hockey associations.

- The closest MHA’s that offer Female programming around the two cities are as follows;

• Regina

• Moose Jaw

• Balcarres (Pee Wee only)

• Weyburn

• Saskatoon

• Hague (Pee Wee only)

• Dinsmore (Novice, Atom, Midget)

• Rosetown (Pee Wee)

• Battlefords (Midget)

• Lanigan (Bantam)

- It eliminates the two cities from having to accommodate females from outside their cities and forces them to recruit and retain more girls within their local community to play the game

- The rules for both male and female hockey registrations around the two large cities are now the same

- Females at the Midget AAA level are still able to play anywhere in the province on any of the eight teams that they are successful in making and that includes Regina and Saskatoon

- Many of our members have indicated that if the Provincial body doesn’t make decisions like this then MHA’s will be reluctant to do so on their own and the same “culture” that currently exists will continue.

- During the 2016/17 season the following is some information on the females registered in the two cities from outside the two cities;

• Saskatoon

• 68 in total (note that this number includes all girls with addresses outside the Saskatoon however some may live within the boundaries of the geographic subdivision for Saskatoon within our Regulations)

• ½ Novice Team

• ½ Atom Team

• 1 Team in Pee Wee

• 1 ½ Teams in Bantam

• 1 Team in Midget

• Regina

• 51 in total

• 4 - Novice

• 5 - Atom

• 13 - Pee Wee

• 18 - Bantam

• 9 - Midget

• 2 - Bantam/Midget Rec

• In terms of potential growth of the Female game the following numbers are of females who were registered in co-ed programs around the two cities last season;

• Around Regina such as; PSMHA; Lumsden; Southey; Cupar; Quad Town; Milestone; Rouleau; Pense; Avonlea; Indian Head;

• IP 52

• Novice 31

• Atom 38

• Pee Wee 30

• Around Saskatoon from the following communities such as; Clavet; Dundurn; Hanley; Warman; Martensville; Delise; Dalmeny; Langham; Waldheim; Hepburn; Aberdeen; Kenaston; Hague

• IP 55

• Novice 51

• Atom 58

• Pee Wee 24

The SHA Board of Directors has mandated the change for the 2018/19 season and strongly encourage those MHA’s around the two cities to work together to develop plans to offer Female Programming and assist in growing the opportunities for young female to enjoy the game!