ELK RIVER, Minn. – On Tuesday evening, a soft snowfall covered the hillside and tree branches around Handke Stadium’s ice surface, creating a classic Norman Rockwell image for Hockey Day Minnesota.
DeMars holds up an ancient, crudely carved handmade hockey stick. He estimates it may be 100 years old and potentially the most senior hockey stick in Elk River.
Fun & Safe
At Fun and Fair Play, we aim to create an enjoyable, safe, and equitable environment that maximizes participation while simultaneously developing player skills and sportsmanship. All players are placed into groups of similar skill so they have an equal chance at experiencing success at levels appropriate to their age or ability. Rough or unfriendly play will not be tolerated.
All players must arrive prepared for their on-ice sessions with helmets, shin guards, and hockey pads (no exceptions). Players should bring their socks and jerseys. If a player doesn’t get one on day one and is not excused by an ERYHA Board Member, they will not be eligible to participate further until tryout’s completion has returned their jersey.
ERYHA utilizes Skill Progression Learning as its coaching technique. This method teaches the fundamentals of skating and puck control step-by-step, giving each skater time to master one skill before moving on to another one. As a result, skaters advance quickly while becoming more adventurous on the ice.
ERYHA offers a separate girls’ league, which begins play in late September/early October. This program employs similar skill-based development practices used by Mites teams but in a less intense environment.
Development
Elk River Youth Hockey’s Learn-to-Skate program pairs children of similar skills together for summer, fall, and winter sessions; Mite Jamboree in late September/Early October exposes Mites to practice and gameplay on par with boys teams (U8A/U8B) while simultaneously offering Girl U8A/B teams. In addition, ERYHA also offers Individual and Team Sponsorship options that offset costs associated with playing hockey for families who otherwise couldn’t afford it; all payments go directly to our Treasurer, who then disperses them accordingly to respective teams.
Socialization
Our program offers numerous opportunities for interaction between players and parents alike. Through hockey games, ice cream socials, or our annual Family Fun Day, participants will make new friendships along the way.
At 7:30 pm today, we will host adult open hockey at the Furniture and Things Community Event Center. Helmets are required, and all protective gear is strongly encouraged; session fees start at $9 per session. Hope to see you all there!
Tove Lichty opened the meeting by thanking each individual who contributed – Nicole Rasmussen, Past President; Julie Fish, Secretary; Neil Gagnon, Treasurer; Dirk Barrett (Director – Taste of ERx2); Molly Hanson (Director Youth); Heather Kliewer (Membership and Grants); Theresa Slominski (President-Elect). Tove offered tokens of her appreciation as she thanked each one individually for their service.
As part of our youth hockey programs, we provide numerous sponsorship opportunities. If you would like to sponsor either an individual player or the whole team, please visit our Sponsorship page or reach out directly. For any inquiries or additional details, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the ERYHA Board; in addition, all families are expected to volunteer at least 10 hours annually, and those failing to do so will be charged $600 via the ERYHA invoice system.
Life Skills
Hockey is an exhilarating, entertaining sport that provides children with plenty of opportunities to learn life skills and build lasting friendships. At its core, hockey teaches children that nothing in life comes easy – you must work hard for what you want! Furthermore, hockey gives kids an invaluable opportunity to meet people they will keep for life!
Elk River Arena in Elk River, Minnesota, houses two sheets of ice, which serve youth hockey programs for boys and girls as well as community events. Additionally, Elk River High School’s team plays there regularly and boasts many current and former NHL players among its ranks.
Elk River Hockey Club provides a house league for boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 9 that begins in late September/early October, featuring structured skill-based development practices in small group settings and training practices that build core hockey fundamentals. Our program seeks to lay a strong foundation that children can build upon to become future hockey players.
The Mite program provides children with an enjoyable and safe beginning to their hockey journey in a positive, fun, and safe environment where they will learn basic skating and puck-handling skills through game-based instruction. The purpose of the Mite program is to prepare kids for future success by building upon what was learned through Learn-to-Skate or Mite programs.
