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Frequently Asked Questions

i'm new to this, what do i need to know?

What skills/experience are necessary to play in the league?

There are no specific skills sets required to play in any age division. While the ability to skate is obviously helpful, most age groups consist of players who have never skated before to players who have skated for multiple years.
 
During the regular seasons (spring and fall), a skating clinic open to all age groups is typically offered one day per week outside of normal team practice schedules. These clinics spend time focusing on fundamentals of skating and help skaters at ALL levels learn techniques to improve their ability.

Are there any skating classes offered by the league to teach how to skate?

During the regular seasons (spring and fall), a skating clinic open to all age groups is typically offered one day per week outside of normal team practice schedules. These clinics spend time focusing on fundamentals of skating and help skaters at ALL levels learn techniques to improve their ability.

My son/daughter has played ice hockey but never played inline hockey, how are they similar?

If you've played ice hockey before, the transition to inline hockey will be pretty straightforward. You will find that a lot of the skating techniques on ice will also apply to inline skating (with some exceptions).
 
The rules/penalties are also very similar however inline hockey is played 4 v 4 + goalies (Termite division does not use goalies and is typically played 3 v 3).

what are practices and games like?

Practice content varies depending on the coach but will typically occur 2 days per week and last 1 hour per practice. Emphasis is typically placed on "touches" (how frequently players have the opportunity to touch the puck). For that reason, most practices are done on a half-rink which increases the number of touches players get. You will often find small area games like Sharks and Minnows to scrimmages occur during practice
 
Games outside the Termite Division are played 4 v 4 + goalies on full rink with regulation sized goals (6' x 4'). The Termite Division is typically played 3 v 3 with no goalies and played on half-rink using smaller goals (3' x 2'). No checking in any age group is allowed; penalties are strictly enforced. You may occasionally see players bump into one another and the league understands this may occur; it's pretty easy to differentiate between an intentional check and an accidental encounter between players.

tell me more about the inline hockey seasons

when do youth seasons happen?

In a given year Hendersonville Inline Hockey Association operates both a Spring and Fall season. Typically there is not a summer season offered.
The Spring season usually begins in March with registration opening in February. The end of season tournament usually happens prior to Memorial Day.

The Fall season usually begins in August with registration opening in July. The end of season tournament usually happens prior to the end of October.

is there a summer league?

If you've ever tried doing anything mildly active when it seems the temperature and humidity are having a race to see who can reach 100 first, then you would know how miserable it can be. Due to the heat, we don't normally offer a summer league; however on occasion we have offered a summer camp. If you are interested in a summer camp/clinic, please head over to the Contact Us page and let us know.

what are practice schedules like

Practice schedules vary but are normally held 2 days per week Monday through Friday and last 1 hour per practice. Start times vary from 5 PM to 8PM with the younger age groups starting earlier (5PM or 6PM) and older age groups starting later in the evening (7PM or 8PM).

what do practices consist of?

Practice content varies depending on the coach. Emphasis is typically placed on "touches" (how frequently players have the opportunity to touch the puck). For that reason, most practices are done on a half-rink which increases the number of touches players get.
 
During the regular seasons (spring and fall), and in addition to normally scheduled team practices, the league also offers skating clinics open to all age groups (attendance is not mandatory). These clincs are offered one day per week and are normally scheduled outside of normal team practice schedules. Coaches will spend time teaching fundamentals of skating to help skaters at ALL levels learn techniques to improve their ability.

when are games scheduled?

Games are played on Saturdays with one additional game sometimes played during the week in order to fit a 10 game season into an 7-9 week schedule. In rare circumstances, your team may have one double header scheduled on a weekend.  Make up games are oftentimes scheduled for a Sunday afternoon.
Games last one hour and most players are requested to arrive 10-20 minutes prior to a game starting.
Game delays and cancellations due to weather should be communicated to you by your coach.

what are games like?

Games outside the Termite Division are played 4 v 4 + goalies on full rink with regulation sized goals (6' x 4'). The Termite Division is typically played 3 v 3 with no goalies and played on half-rink using smaller goals (3' x 2').
 
No checking in any age group is allowed; penalties are strictly enforced. You may occasionally see players bump into one another and the league understands this may occur; it's pretty easy to differentiate between an intentional check and an accidental encounter between players.

is there any checking allowed?

No checking in any age group is allowed and penalties are strictly enforced. You may occasionally see players bump into one another and the league understands this may occur; it's pretty easy to differentiate between an intentional check and an accidental encounter between players.

GEAR & EQUIPMENT

what gear is required?

Please see our Required Equipment page.

where should i go to get gear?

Play It Again Sports in Hendersonville is a great place to start. Their staff is knowledgeable and will gladly help you find proper sizing.
In addition there are numerous internet-based hockey stores providing gear, equipment, training/developmental aides and proper sizing guidelines/charts from multiple manufacturers. If you can't find what you need in a brick and mortar shop try from the following: Hockeygiant, Hockeymonkey, InlineWarehouse and others.

do goalies need to provide their own gear?

HIHA has a full line of goalie equipment in various sizes for players wishing to play goalie to use. This equipment is provided as a loaner and is free of charge to those players playing goalie. However, each team is restricted to one set of goalie equipment for use only during the season.
At the beginning of the season, players wishing to play goalie will be fitted and the equipment will be signed out to a specific family/player. It is that family/player's responsibility to return the equipment at the conclusion of the season to avoid being charged for the equipment.

age divisions

My daughter/son is X years old, what age group will they be in?

Age divisions start at 4 years old and run through 18 years old.
 
For specific information on determining which age division your player will be in please see the Age Groupings page.

are there any adult age divisions?

Currently HIHA does not offer any adult leagues. If you have an interest in joining an adult league, please stop by the Contact Us page.

Sign ups & registration

How do I sign up my daughter/son?

Signups/registration usually opens in February for the Spring season and July for the Fall season. Check the Registration page our website or Facebook page for the most up-to-date information.

how much does it cost?

Registration costs $145 per player. Each player will receive a team jersey to keep.  First and second place teams will be awarded a trophy/medal after the end of season tournament.
Some teams request each player to also provide a roller hockey puck to use during practice; please ask your coach if you have additional questions.

can i get a discount on registration?

HIHA generally provides an Early Bird Discount for those registering the first week or two after registration opens, after which time the price returns to the normal $145.
A discount is also offered to those who volunteer and participate as a full time head coach.  If you are interested in coaching, please be sure to indicate as much when you register your player.

player evaluations

when are player evaluations

Player evaluations usually occur around the time the registration period closes and prior to the player draft.

who needs to attend player evaluations?

Termite division does not need to attend player evaluations.
 
All other players in all other age divisions should attend the evaluation to better enable the coaches to draft competitive teams.

what happens at evaluations and why is it necessary to attend?

Historically evaluations consisted of an age group or two skating around the rink while coaches tried to evaluate them individually.

 

The intent is for the league and coaches to evaluate players based on skating, passing, stick-handling and shooting ability (among other things) in order to more evenly distribute talent among each of the teams within a given age division.  When players are absent, it is difficult to gauge where players are relative to other within the same age division.