The WMAHA Junior Grizzlies is a parent-run, volunteer-based, non-profit organization.  The Board of Directors makes every effort to fulfill the mission of the Junior Grizzlies:   “to provide a safe and challenging environment that promotes skill enhancement, teamwork, and sportsmanship for competitive youth hockey.”  Accordingly, each year the Board asks parents for feedback via survey.  This year, we used an electronic survey and achieved a very impressive 75% response rate.  To ensure the confidentiality and candor of all survey respondents, we summarize results here, without reference to any single coach, team or player.

Players and parents expect different things from their experience: to improve player skills, to encounter reasonable fees, and to experience a manageable amount of practice and travel.  But in the end, it is expected that each player have an enjoyable year of hockey.  And overwhelmingly, they did.    And as much as the players might have complained about skating skills sessions, players and parents commented that the payoff was well worth the investment.   Each team averaged 2-4 sessions per month with “Oly” Olsen and everyone praised GDI’s Mark Sample’s focused training with our goalies.   The late evening skills sessions for the goalies were a challenge for a few families.  We will try to address this in the upcoming year.

Parents appreciated the consistent practice times and locations throughout the season and the lack of Sunday practices.  This contributed to a positive balance between the demands of competitive hockey and their family lives outside of hockey.  They also noted that that having the ice time paid up front through the month of March offered security and confidence in the organization. 

 Last year, parents of Jr. Grizzly players told the Board that they did not want to continue to travel to Phoenix as part of the Sonoran League.  The Board was responsive to this request, and instead shifted from league to tournament play this year.  Because of the high costs of travel, all efforts were made to keep tournaments within driving distances.  On this year’s survey, parents reported satisfaction with the amount of travel and with tournament rather than league participation.  Our Bantams struggled to find games this year, likely because of the fewer numbers of teams at this age group and level.   All teams except the Midgets traveled to Colorado Springs and based on our survey of parents, we will most likely return next February.  The Jr. Grizzlies had 11 families with more than one child playing hockey this year, and we hope to add another “whole organization” tournament next year.

Thanks to all of the parents who participated in this survey.  This sort of feedback and communication allows the organization to be responsive to the needs of its participants.  Please check our website frequently for information pertaining to next year.