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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, October 23, 2014 | 44 Sports Easing Initiation Jon Kuiperij Sports Editor sports@oakvillebeaver.com "Connected to your Community" Minor Oaks Hockey Association making changes at grassroots level to address decline in registration by Jon Kuiperij Beaver Sports Editor The Minor Oaks Hockey Association is making it easier for first-time hockey parents to get their kids into the game. The association is currently piloting a revised initiation (ages 5-6) program that is not unlike Hockey Canada's Grow the Game, a global initiative that aims to attract one million new players to the sport by 2022. Highlights of the program include two nine-week seasons per year, discounted equipment packages, professional instructors and weeknight practices. "It's very similar to what (Grow the Game) did in smaller centres," said Mark Moro, a director with the MOHA who was a driving force behind the changes to the initiation program. "We had to modify it because we (the MOHA) are so big. The financial burden (from subsidizing costs) become bigger." Moro, one of the MOHA's house league schedulers for the past several years, was motivated to revise the initiation program after noticing declining registration at the younger age levels. Oakville has grown, but MOHA has not Decreased participation in hockey is certainly not limited to the MOHA. According to an article by Ken Campbell that appeared last year in The Hockey News, 90 per cent of children in Canada (and 85 per cent of boys) between the ages of 4-18 don't play organized hockey. But what particularly alarmed Moro was that, despite the fact Oakville's population has reportedly increased by approximately 8 per cent since 2009 and has a higher percentage rate of children than the Canadian average (28.1 versus 24.4), MOHA has seen a 7.5 per cent decrease in registration during that same time span -- including a five per cent drop-off in 2012. An informal survey conducted by the MOHA concluded the local association was facing some of the same barriers Five-year-old Max Feberwee waits on the bench after playing his first-ever shift of hockey Sunday at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex. The Minor Oaks Hockey Association is piloting changes to its initiation program this year, hoping to attract more five- and six-year-olds to the game. | photo by Justin Greaves -- Special to the Beaver Hockey Canada identified in its own survey: hockey was perceived as being too time-consuming, too expensive and not enough fun. Less commitment required By offering two nine-week seasons rather than a four-month campaign, Moro believes, the MOHA has allowed families to `try' the sport of hockey instead of making a lengthy commitment. Full-equipment packages (including skates and stick) can be purchased for $99, thanks to significant subsidies by the association and its supplier, Corbett's Source for Sports. Each team now has one weeknight skills and development session per week, led every other week by a professional instructor. The practices are supplemented every Sunday with a training session that reinforces the drills and lessons learned earlier in the week, followed by a scrimmage. "Feedback we were getting from families who were never involved in hockey was that they didn't want to tie up every single weekend of the winter because their five- or six-yearold had to show up for hockey practice," Moro said. "We've kept the Sunday because we needed to have one weekend day... but now families can have Friday night and all day Saturday to go skiing or go away for the weekends... I think that has had a good effect on people trying it for the first time." The early returns have been positive. Moro said registration in the initiation program increased by approximately 40 per cent this fall, and he is targeting another increase of 33 per cent for 2015-16. Moro estimated 70 per cent of families who attended a recent equipment fitting day had not previously been exposed to hockey at all. "What we've also found (in studies) was that kids who started playing hockey stayed in it. If we could just boost registration at the early ages, it would pay off down the road," he said. The fall season of the initiation program began last weekend, but registration is currently open for the winter season that begins Jan. 4. For more information, visit bit.ly/1t2XwqI. THE GYM NAUTILUS Est. 1982 Convenient, clean, and friendly. We're Oakville's best kept secret! High quality weight training and Nautilus cardio equipment. Experienced and mature personal trainers. Carpeted, air conditioned with ample natural light from large windows. Come see why members call us the cleanest gym in town. Free indoor parking. 11 Lakeshore Road West, Oakville, ON www.thegymnautilus.com Hornets extend undefeated start to 11 games The Oakville Hornets are still unbeaten, and it appears they may remain that way for a while. Oakville posted three road victories over the past week to improve to 10-0-1 this Provincial Women's Hockey League season. The Hornets rode a four-goal, five-point effort from league-leading scorer Madison Field to a 6-3 win over the Etobicoke Dolphins Thursday in Toronto, then followed that up with a 3-2 victory over the Bluewater Hawks Saturday and a 4-2 triumph over the Southwest Lightning Sunday. Over their next 10 games, the Hornets are scheduled to face just two teams above the .500 mark -- the 4-3-1 London Jr. Devilettes and the 4-3-2 Cambridge Rivulettes. Cassidy MacPherson and Emma Maltais also scored for the Hornets Thursday. Amy Curlew, Meaghan Hector and Maltais tallied Saturday. Christina Putigna scored a pair and Lauren Patterson and Curlew provided singles in Sunday's win. Daniela Paniccia earned the goaltending victories Thursday and Sunday, with Nikki Cece -- who announced her commitment to the University of Wisconsin Saturday -- recording the win over Bluewater. The Hornets' next league action is Friday, Oct. 31, when they host Burlington. 905-844-1610