North Coast Raiders Hockey Club

Juniors

Welcome

Welcome to all Junior players to information about our Junior grades.

Training Commencement and Times

Training Commencement and Times to be advised on Team App and by your coach or manager.

Season Dates

Please refer to Hockey WA websites for details of the current season.  Generally commencing in April/May and finishing in August/September.

Mouthguards

Mouthguard fittings by Shane McCamish at Custom Mouthguards (club sponsor) will be available on Meet the Coaches night.  Mouthguards will be delivered to the club for collection or distribution by the Junior Director at a date soon after. If you would like to get a mouthguard earlier or miss out on a fitting, please contact Shane on 0411022896 or visit his business at 1/30 Erindale Road, Balcatta. You can claim one mouthguard per year on your private health insurance. If you are with a Private Health Fund then the mouthguard cost may be covered.

Clearance forms

If you have been registered with another hockey club in the last two years (even if you didn’t play last year), prior to coming to North Coast Raiders, you must be a financial member of the club you are leaving in order to be able to transfer. You will be unable to play for Raiders if you haven’t paid your fees at your old club, as enforced by Hockey WA.

Junior Umpire Development Program

Boys and girls in the J9/10 and J11/12 year group are expected to participate throughout the season in the Club’s junior umpire development program. This will involve that group in umpiring North Coast Raiders teams in Nines, J5/6 and J7/8 grade games on Saturday mornings (with an umpire mentor).
Keen second and third year junior umpires are encouraged to notify the Umpire Coordinator to assist umpiring the J9/10 and J11/12 age groups as required.
HockeyWA offer talented umpires an advanced Junior Umpire program. Junior umpires for this program will be identified by the Raiders Junior Umpire Coordinator and nominated for the program.

Selection Process

The selection of J5/6 A Grade, J7/8 to J11/12 junior teams will be based on the following:

  1. Performance in previous years teams (coach consultation, regional and representative selection)
  2. Performance at preseason training
  3. Performance at preseason practice games and skill assessment sessions.

Non-attendance at selection trials and assessment sessions may impact on a player’s team selection in the higher grades.

Teams will be selected prior to the first game and will generally remain in place. There may be an opportunity for players to rotate between grades in their year group based on performance. This is at the discretion of the coach in consultation with the player and the player’s parents.

The selection of nines and 5/6 junior teams will be loosely based on friendship and school groupings. Where a year group has an A or A reserve grading, it is ideal the best players are selected in order to maintain the grade and provide the best pathway to those players that wish to pursue high level hockey. Team selection will be made by the coach and his or her selectors. Parents who do not agree with the selection process regarding their child are encouraged to discuss this with the coach.

More information is available in the NCR Junior Information document regarding friendship groups. North Coast Raiders prides itself on catering for all levels of hockey and everyone is welcome at the club from social to elite players.

Equipment for Junior Hockey

All players require a hockey stick, shin pads and mouthguard. These are essential to ensure player safety. A uniform is required for game days, but not for training (just wear comfortable sportswear – t-shirt, shorts/skirt and long socks). Please also remember a drink bottle for training and games, and also sunscreen, particularly at the start of the season when the weather is still very hot.

Equipment can be purchased from our club sponsor Hockey International at 8 Brady St, Mount Hawthorn WA 6016. Uniform playing tops, yellow and black socks can be purchased at the club office on Thursday nights between 5:30pm and 7:30pm. Some shorts and skorts can be purchased at the club with limited junior sizes. Where team socks clash, it will be necessary to wear black socks. Teams will be advised of this. Each team will be provided with a supply of balls, bibs and cones for training during the season.

Goalies will be provided with a goalie kit unless they have their own. Goalies receive a reduction in their fees.

Insurance

All hockey activities are covered by Hockey WA Sportscover insurance, please visit the Insurance Information page on the Hockey WA website https://www.hockeywa.org.au/infohub/insurance/.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY INJURY MUST BE REPORTED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT TO THE MANAGER AS IT MUST BE RECORDED ON THE GAME MATCH CARD TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A CLAIM. ALL OTHER INCIDENTS MUST BE REPORTED TO A CLUB OFFICIAL.

Junior Grades

Junior Hockey grades are based on school year. So J5/6 grade is for players in Years 5 and 6 at school (and some Year 4 students), J7/8 is for Years 7 and 8 and so on. Therefore, players spend two years in each grade. If your child is in a school year that doesn’t match their age (for example they have been accelerated a year, or delayed starting school), then they can play either in their school year, or in the year that would match their chronological age.

  • 5/6 and 7/8 games are played on Saturday mornings, with J5/6 games typically starting between 8.00 – 9.30am.
  • 7/8 games starting between 9.00 – 10.30 am. Games take approximately one hour, with players required to be at the ground about half an hour before the starting time.
  • 9/10 games are played on Sunday mornings, usually starting between 8.30 -10.30am, and take about 70 minutes.
  • 11/12 games are played on Friday nights (5.30 – 8.30pm starting times).

Game Venues

Junior home grass games are played at North Coast Raiders grounds at Charles Riley Reserve North Beach, Away games will generally be played at the opposing teams home ground or at a venue advised by HockeyWA. Venue locations and a map can be found by clicking on the venue icon on the HockeyWA fixtures page. Managers will provide a list of ground locations.

Training

Training days are predominately on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday afternoon.  This is subject to turf and coaches availability.  Team training commitments are:

  • 5/6 – once a week on grass, at Charles Riley Reserve.
  • 7/8 – once a week on turf and once a week on grass (at coaches discretion).
  • 7/8 – once a week on turf and once a week on grass (at coaches discretion).
  • 9/10 – once a week on turf and once a week on grass (at coaches discretion).
  • 11/12 – once a week on turf.

Any issues can be discussed with your team coach. Grass training is at our home ground, Charles Riley Reserve, Charles Riley Rd, North Beach. Turf training is at Joondalup turf. Training during school holidays will be at the discretion of the coach in consultation with parents and will depend on available numbers.

Kidsport Fee Assistance

If you have a Health Care Card or Pension Concession Card, you can apply to your local council for a Kidsport voucher, which will cover up to $150 worth of fees per child aged 5-18. Please note:

a)  All eligible children will be able to access two KidSport vouchers with the second becoming available from 1st July.

b) Refer to the WA Sports And Recreation Department link: https://www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/funding/sport-and-recreation-funding/kidsport.

Who do I contact if I have any questions?

If you have any other questions, please e-mail the Junior Director at Juniors@northcoastraiders.club.