Burlington-Oakville Cogeco SportsWeek
Wednesday, April 22, 2008 - Discussion

Pat, tell us about yourself and your role in the ARL or Rookie League?
I have been playing hockey for 2 years now.  Up until my first game, I had never had skates on in my life!  Now I play on three teams and I am a confirmed hockey addict!  I am really excited about the start of the ARL.  In our Rookie league, I am co-convening with Scot and deal mostly with communications.

What exactly is the ARL and what is it all about?
The ARL is a brand new league with a brand new concept in Burlington.  It is a co-ed league which in itself in something new.  Also it is geared to the beginning or slightly seasoned hockey player.  All for socializing, having some fun and getting some exercise.  

Is it just for Burlington players?
The league welcomes players from any area.  At present, we have players from Burlington, Waterdown, Oakville, Mississauga etc...

All games are at the Wave Twin Rinks – how does that work? Explain the partnership there.
The league is in partnership with Wave Hockey as they provide us with scorekeepers, refs, advertising and of course....main ingredient....the ice!  We also have some great players that have volunteered their time to be team captains. They will help Scot and I in the decision making as well as organize their teams and report to us any issues that may need our attention.  And of course, each team has a sponsor that has generously bought their team their jerseys.

What does it cost players and goalies?
The cost for the summer season is $220 per player.  We play Friday nights, first game at 7pm. We have kept the teams to 13 players and a goalie rather than the usual 15 players and goalie in the hopes of giving each player lots of ice time.  We also have a group of pool players that we can call upon if a team will be short players. 

When do you play?
We play from 7pm to 11pm every Friday

Can someone who has never played before join and would it be difficult for them to play alongside others who are more seasoned?
We have skill level from the true..never played, never skated, beginner..to the player that may have played a few years but doesn't want a competetive, fast paced game.  The more experienced players will help the true beginners.

Since you began a few months ago from scratch, you are at 8 teams now for your first season – will there be a Winter version and how many teams?
We have ice time reserved at the wave for our winter league.  Hopefully, we can expand to at least 10 teams for the winter.  The final details are still being worked out but at present players can go to our website and leave name and Email address to be contacted when winter sign up begins.  The hope for the future is we will be able to actually play co-ed hockey against teams from other cities.

What are the rules of play? Are there any special rules for the Rookie League?
With the advice of Kevin McKinnon - Head Ref at Wave Hockey, we have drafted a set of rules we think will make the game more fun for all levels of players. We feel the rules in place are fun and will protect our learners while providing a true hockey experience

You mentioned that this is NOT for profit – can you explain?
Our intention is to become a not-for-profit organization however at present we are more of a non-entity while we are getting organized. The goal is to donate any profit made to a charity each season and to involve our players in the decisions we make.

Can you tell me about the charity shown on your website?
Our first charity is CARE BEYOND BELIEF, a local foster care for children agency. Pat is currently helping them out - more information is available here.

How about your team sponsors? Who are they – are you looking for more sponsors? How do they fit in? What would a sponsor get in return for their donation?
We thank our team sponsors for getting us started. We aim to do everything we can to promote the sponsors throughout the league and through the website.

What’s the future hold?
Are you ready for this? City versus City tournaments! We would like to coordinate and manage inter-city tournaments with any city operating a similar co-ed adult league - and we welcome invitations and ideas to bring this to fruition.