UOIT Ridgebacks Women’s Varsity Hockey Program Information

WHAT WE CONSIDER A RIDGEBACK!

Ridgeback hockey is looking for players with athletic excellence as well as student-athlete values and integrity.  We will recruit and select our teams based on people that display the highest percentage of the characteristics identified below:

Character:

• Respect – respect for themselves, teammates, coaches, the game, staff, and the future direction and plans that allow us to achieve our vision and objectives.  Respect means taking a direct approach, setting realistic goals and sticking to them, all while supporting each other as a team.  The coaches will always be open and honest with you, and we expect the same from all of our players.
• Passion – the ability that fuels and drives our effort-ethic to persevere, to get fit, to challenge each other to work outside of our comfort zones, to play with Pride and Heart.  Passion to create and leave a legacy for future women to strive to be a part of.
• Commitment - the attitude and dedication that you bring to the program on and off the ice.
• Effort & Ethic - the attitude and expectation that you bring to the program on and off the ice.  Do you want to show that you have what it takes?
• Kinesthetic sense - body part awareness (experience related), skating ability, puck skills, flexibility and reaction time. 
• Overall fitness - anaerobic and aerobic fitness, body potential (height, strength, speed, flexibility, etc.)  Are you committed to constantly working to improve?

Hockey Skill:

• Skill competence - experience - percentage of potential realized
• Game understanding - perceived potential - read and act skills
  (reading / anticipation ability)
• Advanced skill competence (skating, puck control, team play - support
            with and without the puck; defensive team skills, player tendencies,
            creating options, defensive movement)

OUR VISION
We intend to deliver a top rated, first class Varsity hockey program as a proud member of the OUA. We will continue to build a sense of pride on campus and in the community. The sense of pride and school spirit is also emphasized with all varsity and Intramural programs thus creating an atmosphere of an active and vibrant campus.

TEAM OBJECTIVES

• To build a premier elite program that will meet needs of our student athletes through player development, competitiveness and experience.
• To compete in an elite OUA & CIS league that is the training ground and feeder system for our AAA Teams and the National Teams.

OUR TEAM PROFILE

Ridgebacks hockey is built around student-athletes with passion. Are you:

• An ambassador of the University and Community?
• Committed to Academic, Athletic and Personal Excellence?
• Respectful and supportive of self and others? 
• Responsible and Accountable?
• A player with Pride, Heart and Desire?
• Positive / Coachable / Enthusiastic?
• Disciplined and Dedicated?
• A leader and a follower?
• An independent thinker?
• A good Citizen?
• Internally motivated and able to persevere? 
• Able to accept and play a role?

Molded with students that are elite athletes. Are you:

• Committed to personal on and off-ice training?
• Committed to a healthy and well-balanced nutritional program?
• Committed to comprehensive mental training?
• Committed to academic excellence?
• Committed to social balance?

Made with students-athletes that are elite hockey players. Are you:

• Committed to becoming the best athlete and hockey player that you can be?
  
  
• A player with advanced skill competence, game experience, realized potential, hockey sense, read and react skills, (player tendencies, creativity, support options offensively and defensively) consistency and versatility.

OUR COACHING PHILOSOPHY

Our goal at UOIT will be to attract the best staff, coaches and student-athletes to our hockey program with the common focus on excellence for everyone. The vision includes our campus as being Canada’s leader in women’s hockey. All of which will enrich the overall post-secondary experience for our student-athletes

• Coaches, staff & athletes work to achieve team goals.
• Coaches and athletes role model exceptional sportsmanship, feel safe
  to take risks, promote fair play, work hard and constantly strive to
  succeed. 
• Student-athletes strive to reach academic and physical potential.
• Through empowerment we help imbed the life skills of: respect,
  responsibility, trust, honesty, integrity, commitment, cooperation,
  accountability, discipline, perseverance, competence and camaraderie.
• Student-athletes will become leaders and role models in the
  community and on campus.

OUR PROGRAM

Training and Competition
UOIT and the Ridgebacks women’s hockey program are committed to excellence in athletic competition. In an effort to provide the best possible experience for student-athletes while in Oshawa, the women's hockey team is building a program that will travel and compete in the top tournaments and events in the country as well as events outside of Canada and North America for athletic and cultural experiences alike.

Answers to the most frequently asked questions:

1. How many games do the Ridgebacks play?
The Ridgebacks play on average of 24-40 games in a season that runs from the first week in September through to mid March, with a mid season break for the month of December.  There are optional skates and additional organized dryland sessions that occur during the breaks and summer.

2. Where do the Ridgebacks play?
The UOIT Ridgebacks will be playing out of the campus ice centre.  The home of the Ridgebacks is right on campus and provides all of the players with a spot to store equipment, watch game tape, practice, train and socialize with teammates. 

3. When and how often do the Ridgebacks train and practice?
Each semester the players’ class schedules are used to set 3 to 4 per week.  This process of scheduling around the athletes’ classes works to create the least amount of conflict with academics and helps provide ample recovery time.
Athletes are provided with individual training sessions and video analysis sessions to work on particular skills and tactical aspects of the game.  These sessions vary in style, timing and length based on an athlete’s stage of development, with respect to school and hockey.
Much of the extra (in-season) conditioning and strength training is accomplished right in practice sessions, to once again cause the least amount of interference with class schedules and study time.  As athletes move through their career at UOIT they are more able to fit additional training sessions into their weekly schedule.

Spring and summer training programs are individually designed specific to each athlete to determine off season focuses while taking into account each person’s summer work commitments and schedule.

Coaching and Team Staff

Athlete Services & Benefits
All of the athletes that are involved with the Ridgeback women’s hockey team are afforded certain services, resources and equipment on an annual basis.  The existence of this list of items is based on the hard work and commitment of the athletes.  The services are in place to help ensure a well-balanced, athletic and academic experience over the four or five year career of an athlete.

Services and Support

• Laundry services for all training gear and equipment
• Varsity Athletic Therapy
• Counseling and guidance meetings for academic requirements throughout the year
• University tutoring services when needed
  
  Job Opportunities and Financial Aid
  Food perdiums and meal subsidies while traveling on road trips
  Access to work study program and financial assistance programs on campus
  Sponsorship programs for complete team clothing package
  
  Financial Aid & Bursaries
  A priority focus for the Ridgeback Hockey program over the past few years has been long term planning for the generation of funds to support an expanding athlete financial aid and bursary program.
  
  There are a number of support programs, scholarships and bursaries to help student-athletes at UOIT secure financial aid for annual school and living expenses.  Athletes associated with the Ridgeback Hockey program have access to a list of different funding resources: (*specific information is available from the coaching staff)
  
   Awards of Recognition ( Academic )
  Renewable annual scholarships ranging from $500 to $12,000
   
  High Achievement Recognition Program ( Academic )
  Various merit scholarships ranging from $18,000
  
   UOIT Presidents, Chancellors and Founders Scholarships
  Various merit scholarships ranging from $20,000-$28,000
  
  Sports Services/ UOIT- Student Work Study Program
  This program gives students access to jobs in a variety of aspects related to sport
  
  Students in the program are eligible for up to $900 per semester in salary for part time work and up to $5,250.00 in the summer program
  
  UOIT Student-Athlete Financial Aid Program
  This program has been designed to provide the best opportunities for Ridgeback hockey players to find financial assistance in paying for their education.  At the same time this program is essential in attracting top athletes to UOIT with appealing awards for their dedication to hockey over the career thus far.
  
  Continuing student-athletes obtaining the required 2.7 grade point average are eligible to apply for financial aid from an annual fund that has been approved by the institution.
  
  In accordance with CIS & OUA regulations, 3 student-athletes per year (from the Ridgebacks Women’s Hockey program) can be awarded up to $3 500 in financial aid from this program alone.  These awards are renewable in subsequent years providing the athletes maintain the required GPA of 2.7 or B average equivilant. 

WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU:

PLAYER PROFILE - Please complete this form

Personal Information

• Current team and league
• Personal statistics- birthdate, height, position, position options, shot
• Hometown

Athletic Statistics

• Your statistics for the current season (+/-; goals, assists, points,    
  penalty minutes).
• Statistics update as required, depending on availability.
• Individual and team statistics for the last two seasons (if available)

Academic Information
          High school grades, graduation or projected graduation date

• Potential program area of study and other interests
• Past and present academic accolades; honor roll, etc.

Contact Information

• Your current address, phone number and email address

Current and Past Coaches Contact Info

• Your current coach and his/her phone number and email address
• Our coaches and scouts are always interested in an opportunity to talk   
  to past coaches to find more out about you as a player and as a
  person.
• This is an important resource as it can be very difficult to track down
  your coaches who are invaluable references for you.

Current Team Schedule

• Opportunity for our coaches and scouts to catch you in action during
  the season

Athletic History and Past Honors

• Past athletic awards and achievements in your sport
• Accolades in other sports and in the community- tells a lot about your
  overall athletic ability and character
• Past and present press releases, newspaper articles and league and
  team honors could be included attachments.

Reference Letters

• A great testament to ability, character, work ethic etc.
• Letters from coaches, teachers, or employers

Downloadable Video

• Video is a great way to enhance your profile. It gives us the opportunity to see your skills from our office.
• If possible, send us a short videotape of you in action.  Your tape should include highlights from game footage as well as practice footage if available.  If you are a goaltender it will give us an opportunity to evaluate your game awareness and angle play.
  
  
• Submit via Mail:  to the UOIT Ridgebacks Women’s Varsity Hockey Attn: Head Coach UOIT Women’s Hockey, UOIT Athletics Department Oshawa, ON, L1H 7K4.
  
  
• Submit via e-mail:  to Scott.Barker@uoit.ca

Personal Interview and Campus Tour

• A member of our coaching staff may want to conduct an interview with you, and your parents. This is an ideal way for us to get to know you as an individual and an even better way for you to come to campus and see first hand what type of environment you are becoming a part of.  This is a vital component in considering you for our program.