Parent Guide

Welcome to the Crossbar Page Builder. For instructions on how to use the page, click the button below.

On the Ice - Games

• For games, only players and team officials that are listed on a team’s roster are allowed on the player bench (per USA Hockey rule 107b.) 

On the Ice - All Events

• Both parents and players must wear proper protective equipment at all times - including pads, helmets, mouth guards and neck guards.

Locker Room

• Players may not enter the locker rooms unattended and must be supervised by either a parent or coach at all times.
• No food and drink is allowed in the locker room except for hockey water bottles.

24-Hour Rule

Hockey can be an emotional experience. The excitement and energy generated during games can often spill off the ice and create strong reactions in coaches and parents. As parents, we will not always agree with a coach's decision. However, it is important to recognize that the coach's role is to make decisions for the team first and a player second. Also, we need to understand that most players are not aware of any problem until we, as parents, bring it to their attention. For parents, it is important to separate their child’s hockey development from game time emotions. For this reason, we adopted the “24-Hour Rule” which includes the following:

• Coaches will not discuss a game, or situation in a game, until at least 24 hours after the game was completed. 
• Parents/guardians are not allowed to confront a coach, team, player, PHA board member, or league official to discuss any “negative” game or practice situation(s) with the coaches and PHA Board until at least 24 hours have passed from the completion of the game or practice.
• Violation of the 24-hour rule policy will result in Parent being suspended for 7 calendar days.

If parents respect the 24-hour rule, their concerns are more likely to be fully addressed in a reasonable discussion. More importantly, a child's enjoyment of a game won’t be marred by an ill-timed confrontation. The intent of this rule is to move an emotional and confrontational discussion away from the presence of the players, and to allow the parties to "cool off", compose themselves, and put the incident or situation that occurred in the game in perspective before meeting to discuss it.

Parent Screening

• All coaches, program administrators, board members, team managers, hired skating/hockey instructors, and any other members of PHA that have routine access to our players must be screened.  CHC has adopted a policy of screening returning coaches, administrators, etc. every other year. 
• 
  
• USA Hockey and CHC have a mandatory screening policy to help protect the youth that participate in our sport. In short, “It is the policy of USA Hockey that it will not authorize or sanction in its programs that it directly controls any volunteer or employee who has routine access to children (anyone under the age of majority) who refuses to consent to be screened by USA Hockey before he/she is allowed to have routine access to children in USA Hockey’s programs. Further, it is the policy of USA Hockey that it will require the affiliates to adopt this policy as a condition of its affiliation with USA Hockey.”  

Parent/Player Conduct

All members of the PHA must adhere to the following policies. Any violations of such polices will be subject to immediate review, and further actions may be taken if necessary:

• USA Hockey Player Code of Conduct - to be signed by every new player
• USA Hockey Zero Tolerance Policy - acknowledgement and compliance with policy is required for both parent and player as a part of our registration process

Anti-Bullying Policy

PHA has adopted its own anti-bullying policy. We consider that policy to be a range of behavior from verbal teasing to physical aggression, and that no amount of bullying is acceptable. 

Not all joking or horseplay is bullying, but when the intent or effect is to cause distress, repetition of such behavior is bullying and will not be tolerated. Physical bullying can include pushing, hitting, or kicking a person or interfering with their property. Verbal bullying is the use of words or gestures to hurt or humiliate another person, including name-calling, insults and teasing.

It is the responsibility of everyone to stop bullying. If you are being bullied, or know of someone being bullied, you must tell your coach or a member of the PHA Board as soon as possible.

If a person involved is a member of the PHA (including players, coaches, managers, parents and volunteers) has taken part in bullying behavior, a warning will be given. If the behavior continues, that person may be suspended or excluded from the rink for up to three full games. Any further incidents will be referred to the PHA Board for further action. These followup actions can include further warnings, discussions with parents, further suspensions or exclusions, ineligibility for tournaments and playoffs, and removal from the team.

Attendance Policy

Hockey is a team sport and attendance at all practices, games, and tournaments is part of the commitment that your child, and your family, is making to their teammates and coaches. A typical week at Putnam includes at least two hours of practice and two games, with travel times of up to 90 minutes from Putnam. Putnam understands that 100% attendance over the course of the season at all events may not be possible. The expectation is that players will make every effort to honor their commitment to their team. In all cases where an event will be missed, the reason for missing should be conveyed to the coach as soon as practical and preferably at least 24 hours before the event.

Players who accept a position on a Putnam travel team agree to attend two out of town tournaments and an end of season state tournament. Putnam practices in the weeks immediately preceding state tournaments are mandatory.  

Missed games and practices may result in a loss of playing time, to be decided at the coach’s discretion, based on the legitimacy of the absence. Legitimate absences include, but are not limited to illness, injury and participation in mandatory school and religious activities. Repeated absences may result in a loss of playing time and reduction in a player’s prospects for selection in future years.

While on Trinity Pawling School Grounds

• Smoking is not allowed on school property.
• There is no parking on either the drive or the sidewalk leading up to the rink entrance. This is a No Parking Zone that needs to be kept clear for emergencies.
• There is no parking behind the Zamboni garage area past the gate.
• All spectators must adhere to USA Hockey’s Zero Tolerance Policy. On-ice officials will stop the game when any spectators displaying inappropriate and disruptive behavior interfere with other spectators or participants of the game. The on-ice officials will identify violators to the coaches for the purpose of removing them for the spectator’s viewing area of game area. Once removed, play will resume. Lost time will not be replaced and violators may be subject to further disciplinary action by the local governing body. Examples of inappropriate behavior include:
• Using obscene or vulgar language in a boisterous manner to any one at any time.
• Taunting players, coaches, officials or other spectators by means of baiting, ridiculing, threatening player violence, or actual player violence.
• Throwing any object in the spectator’s viewing area, players’ benches, penalty box or on-ice surface that in any manner creates a safety hazard.
• Any violators will be escorted from the facility and not allowed to return until the next day.
• All individuals including coaches, managers and players must wear approved headgear while on the ice.
• Coaches should refrain from putting out nets or blue dividers while the Zamboni is still on the ice. THIS IS NOT SAFE and the water also needs a chance to freeze to prevent ridges that cause tripping hazards. 
• The doors to the ice should remain closed and players seated on the benches until the operator has completed his job and the Zamboni has returned to the garage.

PHA Inclement Weather Policy

Our home rinks reserve the right to close due to bad weather. PHA will take all precautions to ensure the safety of our family’s and those traveling to us. If the rink remains open, generally practices and games will be held. 

Ultimately, it is the decision of each family to determine if the weather is too bad even if an advisory is not in place. Decisions to drive in inclement weather are the responsibility of the parent/guardian. 

PHA will not penalize a player in any way for missing a game or practice due to bad weather. We encourage all of its members to be safe when deciding to drive to a game in inclement weather.

PHA will play regularly scheduled games and practices unless: 

1. The rink hosting our game or practice closes. 
2. The State declares a "State of Emergency" and/or issues a Travel Warning, which closes the roads to public travel.  
3. Any unforeseen condition occurs that could jeopardize ones safety. This decision will be made at the discretion of the PHA board.   

Decisions made to cancel will be broadcasted through the PHA email and PHA social media outlets.

To remove this section, simply double-click the trash icon to the right.