COACHES

All coaches and assistant coaches that coach within the MHA are certified by the guidelines set forth by USA Hockey and MAHA and agree to abide by the USA Hockey Ethics Handbook. All required certifications must be completed by the required dates for the current season to be eligible.  

The Head Coach is ultimately in charge of their team. This means that they assume responsibility for all team personnel, credentials and conduct, financial dealings and other aspects of the team within the scope of the By-laws and regulations set forth by MHA, MAHA and USA Hockey. 

MHA Head Coaches are responsible for conducting themselves as a positive role model for those players selected or drafted to their team.   As a role model and positive influence, they accept responsibility for not only their own behavior and conduct but also the conduct of their assistant coaches, managers, players, and parents, guardians, etc.

Head Coaches are volunteer positions. They are not compensated or receive any other remuneration or fringe benefit from MHA for serving in this position.

NON ROSTERED PLAYERS/COACHES ON THE ICE OR BENCH

The only people allowed on the ice during practice or on the bench during games are those players rostered to the team and that team’s rostered coaches. Having others on the ice or the bench invalidates the USA Hockey insurance and puts the head coach at risk for disciplinary action and potential lawsuit should an un-rostered individual be injured. The USA Insurance coverage will not cover you or anyone on the ice, including an injured party, if there are un-rostered players or coaches participating.

The rule applies to player siblings, coaches other children, friends, and even those rostered on other KVHA teams. Older siblings, 13 and older, can take the student coaching class and be rostered as a student coach.

This is not optional, and coaches will be suspended immediately pending a hearing if it un-rostered participants are found to be on the ice. This is not a MHA rule, but a USA Hockey / MAHA rule and it will be strictly enforced.

INJURED PLAYERS ON THE BENCH

If a player is injured, they may sit on the bench but they must wear a helmet if they are sitting with the players. They may sit inside the scorebox without a helmet.

HELMETS are MANDATORY!

All coaches on the ice are required to wear a helmet. It is the head coaches responsibility to make sure this is followed. If your team has someone come to your practice to work with your team and they are on the ice, they must have a helmet. NO EXCEPTIONS. Failure to follow this policy puts the head coach at risk for disciplinary action, including suspension.

Any coach or trainer on team ice that has been purchased through MHA must wear a helmet. If your team sold your ice to a coach or trainer and that coach/trainer is running a program outside of your regular team, do what you would like when it comes to wearing a helmet or not. Please report to us that you sold the ice noting the date, rink and time. This way if someone reports a KV team/coach for not wearing a helmet and this was not on KVHA ice, we can support you.

MOUTHGUARD and NECKGUARD are MANDATORY for PLAYERS!

Safety for the players and goalies is of the utmost importance. It is the responsibility of each parent to ensure that his/her players have the required equipment prior to all practices and games. It is the responsibility of the coaches and parents/guardians to encourage their players to wear the required equipment correctly during all ice times.

It is a required rule of USA HOCKEU that every player and goalie, in every division, is required to wear a neck guard (or a throat/neck shield for goalies), a mouth guard and ear guards in their helmets during all practices, all training sessions, and all games.

Neck guards and mouth guards are to be worn properly during all ice time. 

1. The neck guard must be commercially manufactured and unaltered.
2. The neck guard may be either separate or part of an undergarment with a neck guard extension.
3. Coaches are responsible for all players being equipped properly.
4. The penalty for a player that does not have a legal neck guard will be a team warning, the offending player sent from the ice (excluding goalies). Subsequent violations of this rule by any player shall result in a misconduct penalty