Volunteering (formerly DIBs)
OVERVIEW OF VOLUNTEER EXPECTATIONS
WYHA depends on its volunteers to support a quality hockey program for all our youth athletes. The time, talent and energy that each family contributes helps offset the cost of playing hockey. In addition, roles related to supporting a home-sponsored tournament help generate revenue to provide various capital improvement projects at our ice arena facilities. Revenue from successful tournaments helps fund updating time clocks, rink dividers to create small ice games for mite development, water bottle refill stations, sound system upgrade, and so on. As a major user of the ice arena facilities, WYHA does its part to ensure that our hockey players have a quality place to play. WYHA families are expected to complete Association Volunteer Hours and Team-Level Volunteer Hours. See below for information on each of these.
NEW PLATFORM FOR ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEER HOURS MANAGEMENT - CHANGES EFFECTIVE WITH CROSSBAR
In order to provide a smoother and more efficient experience for our members, effective for the 2024-2025 season, WYHA moved from Sports Engine to Crossbar for website and registration management. This will mean there is a new process for signing up for Association Level volunteer hours (formerly called DIBS).
While the platform is going to be new for all, the overall approach is not changing. See below for information on the Volunteer Hours Requirement and see the link here for information on signing up for "Shifts" in Crossbar.
ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEERING
All families (single-player and multi-player) are required to complete 8 hours of Association Volunteering per family.
- On average, approximately 4,200 hours of volunteer time will be posted
- These hours support WYHA by benefiting all players throughout our program and are part of your commitment when registering
- The season runs May 1 through April 30
- Mini-Mite families are not required to complete hours if they only have Mini-Mite players
- It is each family's responsibility to seek out opportunities to fulfill their hours
- A family may fulfill the Association Volunteer requirement by one of the following three ways described below
- The number of Association Volunteer hours are reassessed and determined annually
There are three ways to fulfill the Association Volunteer hours requirement:
- Exempt Roles: Fulfilling a season-long, exempt-from-volunteering position called an "Exempt Role" (ex. Coach, Team Manager, Treasurer, WYHA Board position, Volunteer Coordinator, Webmaster etc.).
- Claiming Volunteer Hours: Claiming volunteer opportunities that will be posted throughout the season (ex. tryout support, timekeeper, scorekeeper, tournament support, team picture support, Mite Madness support etc.). Numerous opportunities will be posted throughout the season on the Volunteer page of the website. It is your responsibility to seek out and plan for volunteer opportunities.
- Buyout during Registration: Selecting the buyout option which is only available at the time of registration.
Failure to complete the Association Volunteer hours requirement will result in a fee and inability to play the following year till the outstanding invoice is paid.
Team-Level Volunteering
In addition to Association Volunteering, there is also Team-Level Volunteering.
- Every family is expected to participate in team-specific volunteering that supports their players' team, as an active, supportive part of the team community – therefore, these do not apply to your family volunteer requirement of hours.
- Examples of supporting the team are during your child's game: running the clock, scorekeeping or working the penalty box, locker room monitor duties etc.
- The association does not monitor or manager these, your Team Manager will oversee these
ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEERING Role Descriptions
It is critical that ALL roles are at the rink, in their position and ready to do the task at the start time. Please account for arrival, parking and being fully ready to do the task at the designated start time!
| ROLE | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| Mite Madness Roles | Various support roles necessary to create a great end of season experience for our mite players (typically available early to mid-March) |
| Bench | The Bench volunteer will open and close the doors for players to get on or off the ice. This person needs to be ready and watching the game and players to keep this transition quick and moving. |
| Score Keeper | This volunteer keeps the score book, including shots on goal, goals, and penalties. The Score Keeper and Time Keeper often work together. The Score Keeper will also announce the beginning of the game and the teams. There are instructions in the rink books. It is important that if you sign-up for this position that you feel very comfortable knowing that you will be able to do this accurately. *See PDF below for tutorial. *Time Keeper/Score Keeper training will be offered, usually in the beginning of season. |
| Clock/Time Keeper | The Clock/Time Keep volunteer runs the clock. It is important that if you sign-up for this position that you feel very comfortable knowing that you will be able to do this function, especially at higher level games. |
| Penalty Box | This volunteer is responsible for letting players in and out of the penalty box. You will need to be aware of penalties being called to let players in the penalty box. You will also need to be watching the end of the penalty so the player can get back on the ice as soon as his/her penalty is complete |
| Check-in | This volunteer will be at the rink prior to scheduled tryouts and/or games to check-in players and give them jerseys (for tryouts). A Director will usually be at the rink to set up the table and give you the rosters. |
| Ticket Takers | This volunteer will stand at the doors of assigned rinks to ensure individuals have a ticket for the game (when there is an admission fee). Must be 18 years of age or older. |
| Tournament Manager | This volunteer will staff the tournament office and assist with the running of the tournament at the discretion of the Tournament Director. They may fill in with game jobs on occasion. Organization and communication/hospitality skills are a plus. |
| Runner | This volunteer will be doing a variety of items that will include, but not limited to, preparing score sheets, distribute locker-room keys, answer questions from managers and assisting the Tournament Director. The runner may be asked to fill in for a volunteer item when there is a No Show. This item may potentially be running the Penalty Box, announcing or keeping score. You will want to come prepared with warm clothing in case you are needed in the rink. If you do not know how to do one of the items asked then you will be trained prior to doing so. |
| Check-In | The Check-In volunteer will be at the rink prior to scheduled tryouts and/or games to check-in players (and for tryouts, give them jerseys/pinnies). A Director will usually be at the rink to set up the table and give you the rosters. Your assistance getting the table organized and ready is appreciated. |
| Pinnie Collection | The Pinnie Collection volunteer is responsible for collecting tryout pinnies from every athlete at the conclusion of tryouts. The Director of Hockey Operations will provide collection bins and instructions on when and where to gather the pinnies. |
| Player Chaperone | The Player Chaperone volunteer will serve as a locker room monitor for a tryout session. Locker Room Monitors under US Safe Sport policies are responsible for ensuring the safety and well-being of athletes in locker room settings. Their key duties include: Monitoring Behavior: Observing interactions among athletes to prevent any inappropriate behavior or misconduct. Enforcing Rules: Ensuring that athletes adhere to the organizations rules and codes of conduct. Reporting Issues: Promptly reporting any concerns or incidents of misconduct to the appropriate authorities. Per USA Hockey/Safe Sport this role needs to have a background check and Safe Sport Certification completed before doing the role. Player Chaperone roles require completion of SafeSport and a Background Check and are credited with an incremental 30 minutes of value to account for the time needed to complete the SafeSport training. |
Helpful Guides
Score Board Instructions
This video shows how to enter team names on Rink A and C. Rink B and Central do not show team names.
Time Clock Instuctions
This two-part video details the things you need to do during a game, including setting up to start, main clock, shots on goal and what to do at end of period.
The following video details how to handling penalties.
Association-level VOLUNTEER HOURS CANCELLATION POLICY & NO SHOW POLICY
- WYHA requires any family to cancel a volunteer shift that they cannot work at least 48 hours prior to the start of the shift
- If a family cannot complete a volunteer shift and it is less than 48 hours prior to the event, the family must find a replacement and notify the volunteer coordinator (contact information at bottom of page)
- If a family does not cancel their shift OR find a replacement and that results in an unclaimed shift, the family will be given a "No Show". The "No Show" policy is: if you do not show up then you will either need to make up double the time or be charged $100.00 an hour for each hour that was missed.
- If WYHA cancels your shift at least 48 hours prior to the start of the shift the family will need to find additional opportunities to complete their requirement
- If WYHA cancels your shift after the 48 hour requirement, the family will be credited with 1 volunteer hour.
ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEER HOURS FAQs
Q: I completed my volunteer assignment and have not received credit yet. What do I do?
A: This could be for a couple of reasons. 1.) You did not sign your name next to the item on the volunteer sheet. 2.) The Volunteer coordinator has not yet marked the items completed – please be patient as this could take up to approximately two weeks to complete.
Q: When I went to sign my name next to the item I claimed there was someone else’s name listed.
A: What you need to do, after ensuring that you have the correct position, is cross out that person’s name and write your name and phone number in its place. This does happen when the sheets are printed out and then someone cancels (up to 2 days notice) and then you claim the item. It is helpful if you send communication to the Volunteer Coordinator with details as to what day and time you fulfilled the position.
Q: I ended up working longer than scheduled because the game ran into overtime.
A: Note this clearly next to your time on the volunteer sign-in sheet AND send an email to the contact noted below. We will manually add credit for anything over 15 minutes.
Q: I signed up for a shift for tomorrow and I cannot work it. Should I just not show up?
A: You will need to find a replacement for the position you claimed. Once you find someone then have your replacement cross out your name on the sign-in sheet and write their name and phone number next to it. If you do not show up then you will either need to make up double the time or be charged $100.00 an hour for each hour that was missed. It is suggested to work with your team manager and/or team families to find a replacement.
Q: I know that volunteer hours can sometimes go fast so I claimed a bunch of hours under my name and would now like to give them to my friends. Is this ok?
A: We do not allow families to claim multiple items and then give them to other families. We ask that you please only claim items that you will be fulfilling.
Q: I signed up to help out during tryouts and then I got a call that the tryout was cancelled. Do I still get credit?
A: We give families time to cancel items they have claimed, with no penalty, if there is over 48 hours notice. We also give WYHA 48 hours to cancel. If you cancel with 48 hour notice then we do not charge that family. If we cancel with 48 hour notice then you do not get credit. We try to be fair both ways! If we cancel with less than the 48 hour time frame then you will get credit for that item.
Q: I ended up helping out at the end of the season and had a total of 6 extra hours over my required amount. Can I use these hours for next year?
A: We do not carry hours over from season to season. We do however appreciate all the extra hours that many individuals do end up going over and beyond each year to make our volunteer run association run successfully.