Welcome to LYHA

LYHA STRIKES AGREEMENT WITH NORTH STARS

This letter is a follow up to our newsletter back in March, which we published at the rink, to inform our families, that the sitting board of directors was exploring possibilities of merging with one of several different organizations. Many factors and circumstances affected our decision to seek all our options. In an increasingly tight economy, a small organization like LYHA finds it harder and harder to keep our membership numbers large enough to pay for the rising costs of our ice times….combined with the fact that the RISC had informed us that they would NOT RENEW our ice contract beyond the 2009 season. It was not advisable for us to contract new ice without knowing our exact enrollment for next season and beyond. The board met and decided to explore several options. We agreed that our primary goal was to ensure that ALL the children currently associated and registered with LYHA, will have a comparable league and team to play on for the upcoming season. We explored the possibility of securing our own ice in other rinks. There were plans to build a two surface rink in North Attleboro, and it looked like that could be a viable option to continue as we were, but in another location, and we would have also been able to lower our tuitions, as the ice costs there were somewhat less than we currently pay RISC. However, those plans have fallen apart, and it does not look likely that rink building will happen any time soon, if ever. We tried to get ice at some other rink locations, but we could not secure enough contiguous hours to make it practical to run our programs. We would have had to ask families to run between rinks in some situations, and with gas the way it is, no one can afford that! Another factor we had to consider was the likelihood of the RIAHA voting body to enact a new rule for the “Travel” teams. The rule, if adopted, would force any organization who can only field a single team at any age level to enter that team as an “A” level team, regardless of the children’s collective team ability. We see this as an extremely unfair limitation on small organizations like LYHA, and would have prevented us from fielding competitive travel teams. Additionally, it could potentially have put some children whose ability level could in reality be at the C level playing way over their heads at the A level, and not having a positive experience from it and even possibly getting injured. However, the general consensus among the voting body was to carry and pass this new rule. Those travel players would then have had to search the other organizations and try to find a place to “fit in”. We saw this as an unfair situation to put our children and families in.
So merging with other organizations seemed more likely the best option for us to pursue.

We approached several organizations with the idea and offer to merge with LYHA. They were Burrilville, Woonsocket, Providence and Pawtucket. The Burrilville Broncos showed no interest in the idea. The Providence Jr. Bears discussed it at their board meeting and decided they could not absorb our ice costs. The Pawtucket Pirates also cited our ice costs as a barrier, and also their requirement not to disturb their House League, which a merger with Lincoln would have caused. The Woonsocket North Stars organization was the only local organization who expressed any real interest and ability to continue the talks. A three person committee was formed by both organizations to work on the details that the proposed merger would entail. They met several times and come to consensus on the details of what such a merger would have to be to enable both organizations to benefit and KEEP OUR KIDS PLAYING HOCKEY!!!

Last week, the LYHA board voted by a 6-3; 2/3 majority vote to accept the merger offer that the North Stars Organization has offered to LYHA. This still needs to be approved by the RIAHA voting body, but we have no reason to believe it will be disallowed. The voting went as follows:

Joe Rzemien,President YEA
Charlie Stimpson, Vice President YEA
Tom Anderson, Treasurer YEA
Cheryl Simanski, Secretary YEA
Mike Bonin, Minor House Director NAY
Bill Vescera, Learn to Skate Director NAY
Ken Wood, Major House Director NAY
Paul LaPlante, Travel Director YEA
Amy Degnan, Fundraising Director YEA

The Woonsocket Board had a silent vote, with the results 10-2 in favor of the merge.

Travel players who do not wish to play under the new merged organization will need to submit a release request before July 31. Any outstanding balances owed to LYHA will need to be paid in full before the release is granted.

Tryouts for travel teams will be held in late July and early August. Players who played travel in Lincoln will be extended the “loyalty clause” that Woonsocket grants its players during the selection of teams. The Woonsocket North Stars will be mailing out registration packets to all LYHA families in the next two weeks.

LYHA will have 3 voting seats on the new Board of Directors. Charlie Stimpson, Paul LaPlante, and Bill Vescera will be taking those seats, and I will be assisting Bill in the new Learn to Skate program.

On behalf of the sitting Board of Directors of LYHA, I wish to extend many thanks to all our families for your support over the years. This was a very difficult decision, but seemed to be our best option. We look forward to the new merger and many more years of watching our kids grow and develop as the best hockey players they can be!

Joe Rzemien
President
LYHA

 

LYHA Cross Ice Summer League!

Saturday Mornings May 3rd to August (8:10am)
Open Practice "Pond Hockey" (Sat 7am)
Very affordable at $75* for 5 Months of ice (April to August)
*Goalies Half Price!
All skating abilities welcome emphasis on having fun and skill development. Squirt age and under (under 10 years old) All ice times at RISC Rink(Rt.146). Registration fliers handed out at the rink or just show up 30 minutes before the start of the game. Anyone still interested in joining please just show up at the rink Sat morning.

This Saturday schedule at RISC July 19th!

7am-Pond Hockey (shoot around)!

8:10am-Cross Ice League!