Berkshire Bruins Handbook

Please take the time to review the current Handbook

BERKSHIRE BRUINS ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY

The Berkshire Bruins Youth Hockey Association has adopted a zero tolerance policy for players, parents, coaches and spectators for any unsportsmanlike behavior.  Each individual must maintain emotional control, and not engage in abusive, loud, profane, threatening or confrontational language or conduct. Any such behavior will not be tolerated. Participation in Berkshire Bruins games, practices and related activities will require players, parents, coaches and spectators to accept and abide by this policy.

Should any player, parent, coach or spectator fail to adhere to the responsibilities stated herein, the Berkshire Bruins reserves the right to hold such individual accountable, and to take one or more of the following actions:  coach’s warning, disciplinary hearing before the Berkshire Bruins Disciplinary Committee, suspension from Berkshire Bruins activities, or expulsion.

REGISTRATION

All players must complete three separate registrations online:

1. Get your required annual USA Hockey Membership: USA Hockey Registration
2. Get your required annual Club Membership at the Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires: Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires Programs
3. Order uniform. See “Uniforms” section below.

FEES

Payment is made to the Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires.

1. Payment in full via credit card, cash, or check.
2. Weekly, Bi-Weekly & Monthly Payment Plans are available at time of registration when you put a credit card on file. You may also choose to pay in full at the time of your registration. 
3.  ** The later you register the larger your payments. Payment dates are fixed. **

Skater fees ‘26-27*

Learn to Skate: $100

House League: $150

Mites 6U: $250

Mites 8U: $450

Squirts: $800

Peewees: $800

Bantams: $800

Goalies are not charged a skater fee.

*prices are subject to change at the start of each season

UNIFORMS 

Each player will need to order a home and away jersey and game socks.  An email will be sent to registered families with ordering instructions. Each player will need to submit three (3) jersey numbers to avoid duplication.  Second-year players in each division are allowed to keep their number unless they opt to select a new one.  Numbers are allocated on a first come, first serve basis and may not be duplicated unless in the same family with 2 years apart. 

LEAGUE 

The Bruins play in the Northern New York State Hockey League (NNYSHL). https://www.nnyshl.com/

CLOSURES AND CANCELLATIONS

In the event the Boys & Girls Club closes, due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, a text and email notification will go out from the Boys & Girls Club. If the Club is closed, the rink is closed; all sessions, practices, and/or games are cancelled.

SCHEDULE

Your team’s manager will schedule all games for your regular season, and/or seeding round.  The schedules with practices are updated on your team’s SportsEngine page and on the Bruin’s website. 

TOURNAMENTS

The Bruins Travel registration fee covers one away tournament fee and one home tournament.  Participation in other tournaments will be split amongst the players to cover the cost. Your team manager is responsible for securing a room block for each away tournament.  Your team manager and/or coach will handle all contact with the tournament director.  

KITTREDGE TOURNAMENT

This is our home tournament for 8U-Bantams and is held the 1st weekend in December.  Families are expected to volunteer in a variety of roles during the tournament.

TRAVEL TEAMS

Mite, Squirt, Peewee, and Bantam division each have at least one travel team.  It is the policy of the Bruins for players to play within the appropriate USA Hockey-defined age classification. In recent years our program has been able to take all interested travel players without making cuts, and we’ve been able to field diverse yet competitive rosters in every division. In the event that we have more than 20 players registered in any one division, the Executive Committee will work to create a solution that aligns with the Mission and Vision of the program. 

COACHES

All coaches from Learn to Skate through Bantams must complete the required USA Hockey Coaching Education Program before the start of the season.     https://www.usahockey.com/coachingcertification

Coaches will be required to complete a CORI through the Boys & Girls Club before allowed to go on ice.  Additional training may be required by the Boys & Girls Club.  The Coach Liaison will let you know. 

LOCKER ROOM MONITORS

BBYH adhere to USA Hockey’s SafeSport Program as a means to help protect its participants from physical abuse, sexual abuse and other types of misconduct, including emotional abuse, bullying, threats, harassment and hazing. To help prevent abuse or misconduct from occurring in our locker rooms, BBYH has adopted the following locker room policy. This policy is designed to maintain personal privacy as well as to reduce the risk of misconduct in locker rooms.

At the Boys & Girls Club, there are 4 locker rooms available for our program’s use. Locker room 4 is dedicated for girls that want to get dressed in a separate space.  BBYH has limited use of locker rooms (e.g., generally 30- 45 minutes before and after practices and games). This allows for direct and regular monitoring of locker room areas. While constant monitoring inside of locker rooms might be the most effective way to prevent problems, we understand that this would likely make some players uncomfortable and may even place our staff at risk for unwarranted suspicion.

BBHY coaches, BBHY monitors and BGC staff conduct a sweep of the locker rooms before players arrive.  If coaches are not inside the locker rooms, either a coach or locker room monitor (each of which has been screened) will be posted directly outside of the locker rooms during periods of use, and leave the doors open only when adequate privacy is still possible, so that only participants (coaches, monitors and players), approved team personnel and family members are permitted in the locker room. Team personnel will also secure the locker room appropriately during times when the team is on the ice.

PARENTS/CAREGIVERS IN LOCKER ROOMS

Except for players at the LTS, mite and squirt levels, we discourage parents from entering locker rooms unless it is truly necessary. If a player needs assistance with his or her uniform or gear, if the player is or may be injured, or a player’s disability warrants assistance, then we ask that parents let the coach know beforehand that he or she will be helping the player.

Naturally, with players at the LTS, mite and squirt levels, it is necessary for parents to assist the players getting dressed. We encourage parents to teach their players as young as possible how to get dressed so that players will learn as early as possible how to get dressed independently. In circumstances where parents are permitted in the locker room, coaches are permitted to ask that the parents leave for a short time before the game and for a short time after the game so that the coaches may address the players.

CELL PHONES AND OTHER MOBILE RECORDING DEVICES

Cell phones and other mobile devices with recording capabilities, including voice recording, still cameras and video cameras, are not permitted to be used in the locker rooms. If phones or other mobile devices must be used, they should be taken outside of the locker room.  Consistent violation of this policy may require coaches or B&GC staff to collect phones from players prior to entering the locker room.

PROHIBITED CONDUCT AND REPORTING

BBYH prohibits all types of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, bullying, threats, harassment and hazing, all as described in the USA Hockey SafeSport Handbook.  Participants or volunteers in BBYH may be subject to disciplinary action for violation of these locker room policies or for engaging in any misconduct or abuse or that violates the USA Hockey SafeSport Policies. Reports of any actual or suspected violations may be directed to USA Hockey at SafeSport@usahockey.org or at 1-800-888-4656.

FAMILIES SERVING AS OFF-ICE OFFICIALS 

Each travel team family is required to be a timekeeper or scorekeeper for at least one home game, as well as additional duties during our home Kittredge Tournament.  The team manager will schedule families accordingly. Timekeepers, scorekeepers and penalty box supervisors are considered off- ice officials. Your behavior and conduct are reflective of your team and this organization.  

Rules regarding off-ice officials:  

1. The manager and coaches in charge of a team for a Bruins game (including tournament games) shall be regarded as responsible for their team’s player, goalkeeper and coach eligibility, and for the conduct of their team officials, players and parents during that game and while at the place where the game is being played. 
2. Each manager, head coach and assistant coaches are obligated when requested, to do whatever possible to assist game officials and others involved in controlling the spectators at that game who are traveling along with the team, or when playing at their home rink.

BOOSTER CLUB

Berkshire Bruins Booster Club was established to help raise funds to purchase equipment, offset tournament fees, provide financial assistance , offer specialized training and fun youth nights for all players.  All money raised goes directly back to the teams.  

TEAM RULES

Coaches may adopt appropriate team rules governing the conduct of team players. This may include, among other things, game dress codes, arrival times before games, procedures on notification of absences and parents' admission to the locker room before and after games. Team rules must be consistent with the substance of this and other Bruins policies and clearly communicated to players and their parent(s). 

FAIR ICE

The Berkshire Bruins support fair ice time for all players. Coaches are encouraged to use their best efforts to give ice time fairly to all players on their team. "Fair ice" does not mean "equal ice" in each game. The flow of the game, penalties, power plays and penalty killing may occasionally result in unequal playing times in a particular game. In addition, some teams may carry two lines of defense and three lines of forwards that will obviously result in different playing times between defensemen and forwards. Further, coaches may choose to use certain players during the last few minutes of a close game to give the team its best chance to win. This could result in some players finishing the game with more ice time than other players. On the other hand, coaches are encouraged to fully use all players. Use of all players in "specialty" situations (e.g. power player, penalty killing, etc.) develops Bruins players and is strongly encouraged. For these reasons, ice time may not be equal in each and every game but should be fair over the course of the season based on position.

In general, the "fair ice" policy applies to goalies. However, it is left to the coaches to decide how to rotate goalies on teams with more than one. Coaches may choose to play both goalies in one game. The coach may also choose to play goalies game-by-game. In the latter situations, coaches are not required to play goalies in alternating games. Coaches may choose to play a goalie in consecutive games so long as the games played during the course of the season roughly even out between the goalies.

USA HOCKEY CODE OF CONDUCT for BERKSHIRE BRUINS PLAYERS

• Play for fun.
• Work hard to improve your skills.
• Be a team player – get along with your teammates.
• Learn teamwork, sportsmanship and discipline.
• Be on time.
• Learn the rules and play by them. Always be a good sport.
• Respect your coach, your teammates, your parents, opponents and officials.
• Never argue with an official’s decision.

USA HOCKEY CODE OF CONDUCT for BERKSHIRE BRUINS SPECTATORS

• Display good sportsmanship. Always respect players, coaches and officials.
• Act appropriately; do not taunt or disturb other fans; enjoy the game together.
• Cheer good plays of all participants; avoid booing opponents.
• Cheer in a positive manner and encourage fair play; profanity and objectionable cheers or gestures are offensive.
• Help provide a safe and fun environment; throwing any items on the ice surface can cause injury to players and officials.
• Do not lean over or pound on the glass; the glass surrounding the ice surface is part of the playing area.
• Support the referees and coaches by trusting their judgment and integrity.
• Be responsible for your own safety – be alert to prevent accidents from flying pucks and other avoidable situations.
• Respect locker rooms as private areas for players, coaches and officials.
• Be supportive after the game – win or lose. Recognize good effort, teamwork and sportsmanship.

USA HOCKEY COACH’S CODE OF CONDUCT

• Winning is a consideration, but not the only one, nor the most important one.
• Care more about the child than winning the game. Remember, players are involved in hockey for fun and enjoyment.
• Be a positive role model to your players. Display emotional maturity and be alert to the physical safety of players.
• Be generous with your praise when it is deserved; be consistent and honest; be fair and just; do not criticize players publicly; learn to be a more effective communicator and coach; don’t yell at players.
• Adjust to personal needs and problems of players; be a good listener; never verbally or physically abuse a player or official; give all players the opportunity to improve their skills, gain confidence and develop self-esteem; teach players the basics.
• Organize practices that are fun and challenging for your players. Familiarize yourself with the rules, techniques and strategies of hockey; encourage all your players to be team players.
• Maintain an open line of communication with your players’ parents. Explain the goals and objectives of your association.
• Be concerned with the overall development of your players. Stress good health habits and clean living.
• To play the game is great, to love the game is greater