Happy Summer Jr. Rampage Families!

Welcome to the August edition of the San Antonio Youth Hockey Association newsletter! The temperature is hot, and so is our excitement for the upcoming hockey season. This newsletter is packed with essential updates, upcoming events, and inspiring stories from our community. Whether you're a seasoned player, a passionate parent, or a new member of our hockey family, there's something here for everyone. Be sure to read through all the information to stay informed and let's make this season unforgettable!

Current Board of Directors

• Chris Hill
• Carter Keairns
• Lindsey LeBlanc
• Shawn Thepuatrakul

Current Board Officers

• President - Lindsey LeBlanc
• Vice President - Chris Hill
• Secretary - Shawn Thepuatrakul
• Treasurer - Jesse Feragen
• Commissioner - Carter Keairns
• Assistant Commissioner - Chris Hill

As some of you may know, two of our recently elected board members have kids who are playing hockey up in Austin this season. Given that, plus other time constraints in their personal lives, they have opted to resign from the Board effective immediately. While their Board positions will remain unfilled at this time, please be aware of recent Officer position updates.

The Board would like to extend our sincerest thanks to all Head Coaches, Assistant Coaches, Team Managers, and Locker Room Monitors who are stepping up to the plate this year for our organization. As an all-volunteer association, we do not have teams without you, and we know you'll make it a great season for our kids. 

Our next General Membership Meeting will be on Tuesday, August 27th at 7:15PM upstairs at Northwoods. We will save time for Q&A, and we hope you can join us. In an effort of continued transparency, board meeting minutes and monthly financials will again be found on the website here. 

• Leveling Tournament: Mark your calendars for August 30th, and be on the lookout for tournament schedules to be released in mid-August. Thank you for sending feedback through your Team Managers about the new Stay-to-Play requirements. While we want to make it clear that we heard and have passed along your comments up the proverbial chain, please know that this tournament, along with its stipulations, is required for us to play in the DSTHL at all. One additional note: all Dallas Stars tournaments will be 4-night minimums this year. 
• Neck Guards: No players are allowed on the ice at any Jr. Rampage event (practices, games, tournaments, skills clinics, etc) without an approved neck guard, per USA Hockey policy.
• Equipment Swap: We have a storage unit in need of some love, and plenty of players growing out of their own equipment. Help us bring back the annual Equipment Swap! Sign up to volunteer here.
• Team Practices are Underway: Check SportsEngine for your team's schedule, and use it to send your RSVP to your coaches! You will notice rotating weekend ice practices on your schedule as it becomes available and is assigned to your team.
• Locker Room Reminders:
  • All locker room monitors require SafeSport training and a background screen.
  • No player is allowed to enter a locker room unless an approved monitor or coach is present.
  • No parent is allowed to enter a locker room unless they are listed as an approved monitor on their roster.

We have several players new to our community! If you'd like to release your contact information to the Coast2Coast organization in order to stay informed about their program offerings, please sign up here! Your information will be forwarded to them.

Payment Options. Based on membership feedback, we have offered installment plans again for the 2024-25 season and two-thirds of our organization has taken advantage of it. In addition, approximately 20% of you opted for the new "offline payment" option. Knowing that our kids have chosen one of the most expensive sports around, we hope this payment variety makes it easy for our families to keep investing in their player's love for the game. 

Fundraising. We are currently in search of a fundraising leader, as well as supporting volunteers that can work as a team to raise money for the organization. Sign up here. We appreciate your understanding of this year's $100 increase in annual fees due to the rising cost of ice. If we all work together, we can absorb the rest of it with fundraising.

Dinner Fundraisers. Thanks to everyone who came out to Parry's for pizza night! A portion of proceeds from the evening come right back into the organization. Thanks goes to Cody Keairns for setting it up! Stay tuned for a similar dinner night with Raising Canes in Stone Oak on September 16th; huge thanks to LeAnn Riveron for getting that one going!