Frontenac Minor Hockey emphasizes fun and family

Jeff Green | Aug 02, 2014

One of the misconceptions about kids' hockey that the volunteer board of the Frontenac Minor Hockey Association (FMHA) is trying to overcome is that getting kids into hockey is an expensive proposition.

It costs $100 to sign up children in the Learn to Skate program; $300 for the Tyke league; and even for teenaged youth the $500 annual cost is not that high considering that the season runs for six months and includes practices and games each week.

Cheryl Hallam, a hockey parent and communications co-ordinator for Frontenac Minor Hockey, moved to South Frontenac with her husband and two children three years ago. “We were paying $875 for our six-year-old son in Calgary,” she said. “It is more affordable here.”

The Flyers hold a used equipment sale in September, which helps defray the cost of new equipment for young players just starting out in the game.

“It is very important for the future of our league to bring young children to the game. We emphasize learning the game and having fun for boys and girls,” she said. “It's kind of a neat little gem of a house league that we have over here. The kids get to play in rinks around the region and at the Frontenac Arena, and there is a lot of camaraderie among the parents.”

Al Pixley is the current FMHA President, having taken on the role last year. He has been involved in hockey in Piccadilly at the Frontenac Arena, as a player and a coach, pretty much all of his life.

He says the current executive has the goal of “trying to create as many fun experiences for the kids as possible.”

He said that the Learn to Skate program provides a good opportunity for children who are not ready or not sure about playing in a league to get out and learn to skate with their parents. It runs for 10 weeks starting in October. "The more we can get kids skating the better it is for us, and for them.”

Children of any age, even those with no hockey experience, can play Frontenac hockey. The players attend clinics in September and then are evaluated. The teams are then made up, with an emphasis on making teams that will be competitive with each other.

The Flyers play with other rural teams that rim Kingston, including Gananoque, Deseronto, Tamworth and Amhersview, and the Flyers are fortunate to have had multiple teams in each division in recent years, a tradition that the team's executive is keen to keep going.

They are working hard to register children from North, South, and Central Frontenac. Online registration is available at Frontenachockey.ca along with details about the team and multiple ways to contact team officials, who are happy to answer any questions about how the league works.

They can also help parents navigate through a new initiative from Hockey Canada this year, Respect in Sport, a mandatory online session that at least one parent must take before their children can register this year.

“Respect in Sport fits with the goal of making sure hockey is fun and healthy for the players, coaches and parents. It is an imposition on families to take the course, but it is not long or difficult to take. It is just Hockey Canada's way of reinforcing the values that make hockey a Canadian tradition that endures,” said Cheryl Hallam.

For further information, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..