Dear Parents and Youth Hockey Players,

Bismarck Hockey Boosters is excited to share the details of our upcoming youth hockey tryout process for Squirts/10U & 12U levels. These tryouts are a crucial step in forming our youth teams, offering young athletes the chance to develop their skills, build lasting friendships, and foster a love for the game.

Below, you will find essential information about the tryout process:

Tryout Dates and Schedules:

• Squirts/10U & 12U tryouts will take place from Monday, October 7th to Saturday, October 12th.
• Detailed schedules for these levels are available on our website: Girls Tryouts and Squirt Tryouts.
• If your child is not listed or is listed at the wrong level, please inform us immediately so we can update our records accordingly. While most lists are alphabetically, there are some names that are not, so please look through the entire list if you do not see your player’s name at first.
• Neck guards are mandatory per USA Hockey regulations as of August 1st, 2024. Players who arrive without a neck guard will not be allowed to participate in tryouts.

Group Assignments:

• Players will move between groups throughout the week at the Squirt levels. For example, if your player is assigned to Group 1 for the first round of round of tryouts, they may be moved to Group 3 for the second round of tryouts and so on through the completion of Tryouts.
• Updated group assignments will be announced before each tryout session and will be organized by jersey number. We expect to release the new groups by Noon on the day of that evening's tryout session, barring any unforeseen issues. We appreciate your patience if the assignments are not available by Noon. Please make sure your player knows their jersey number.

Arrival and Check-In:

• Players should arrive no more than 30 minutes before their scheduled tryout time. There are many moving parts during tryouts, and having additional players hanging out can create challenges. Your understanding and cooperation are greatly appreciated in helping us maintain an efficient process.
• It is mandatory for players to check in each day upon arrival. If a player fails to check in or does not receive a jersey number, they will not be evaluated. The same jersey will be worn throughout the week.
• Players are encouraged not to bring cell phones. If they do bring one, it must be handed in during tryouts.

Parent/Spectator Guidelines:

• Parents and spectators are not allowed to attend the tryouts. Please drop off your skater and leave the rink.
• This policy extends to the Saturday sessions as well, unlike in previous years.

Tryout Format:

• This year's tryout format will feature some changes. During the parents' meeting, we shared that our evaluators would consist of several highly experienced individuals with strong hockey backgrounds. This enables us to rely on their expertise for valuable feedback on determining each team. We have engaged key community figures who are not part of our program, including former coaches and those currently coaching at the high school or higher levels in town. They are eager to assist us in properly aligning our teams.
• Our evaluation will consider the complete hockey player, including shooting, attitude, hockey IQ, skating ability, stick handling, and passing. All these factors will inform the Evaluators' assessments, and each player will be ranked accordingly.

Team Announcements:

• Teams will be announced no later than October 16th.

Locker Room Monitors Needed:

• We are seeking volunteers to serve as locker room monitors; otherwise, we will not be able to use locker rooms during tryouts. Monitors are required to complete Safesport training, a background check, and register with USA Hockey and Bismarck Hockey Boosters. Parents are welcome to volunteer, but they cannot observe the tryouts.
• Locker Room Monitor Sign-Up (Click Here)
• Locker Room Monitor Information (Click Here)

We are excited to see the talent and enthusiasm of our young players during these tryouts. Our goal is to create a positive and supportive environment for youth hockey development, and we look forward to welcoming both new and returning players to our program.

If you have any questions or need further information about the tryout process, please do not hesitate to reach out to hockeydirector@bismarckhockey.com or assistanthockeydirector@bismarckhockey.com.