IIHF Recruitment Program
Hockey-Day
Eindhoven,
The Netherlands
12 February 2011
Why Recruit?
 Children have a large choice of activities they can do
 This includes sports meaning that associations and
clubs need to find young people to play ice hockey
 Not so much osmosis anymore
 Put very simply:
Players don’t come to you!!
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Statistics Worldwide
 Almost 2 million registered ice hockey players; 87% of
those come from 6 nations (Canada, US, Czech
Republic, Russia, Finland and Sweden)
 There are approx. 892,000 junior players and 168,000
female players in the world
 The same 6 nations account for the 88% of junior players
and 2 nations account for 86% of female players
 Of the combined the population of the IIHF National
Associations, only 0.03% are registered hockey players
IIHF Recruitment Program
The IIHF have decided to build on the success of the
Olympic ice hockey tournaments in Vancouver by initiating
a project to recruit more players into ice hockey.
This Program will enable National Associations to be
proactive in recruiting children to play ice hockey. By
making the game more accessible to all families it will give
every girl and boy the opportunity to experience it.
Featuring:
1. A Worldwide Campaign to recruit players
2. An Educational Program to teach how to operate the
recruitment program
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1. Campaign - Ice Hockey is for Me
To generate an awareness of ice hockey as a sport
and to broaden its appeal to new audiences.
Campaign includes:
 Posters and Banners
 Leaflets
 Interactive Video
 Stickers and Pucks
 “Welcome to Ice Hockey” Parents Brochure
 Parents and Players information session
Education Program
Works with the “Ice Hockey is for Me” campaign by
offering material and information to assist the
National Association to start a recruitment program.
 Recruitment Program Manual
 Event Operations Manuals - 4
 National Associations Recruitment Seminar
 Parents and players information session
 Presentations Supporting the Program
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Recruitment
WHY?
WHO?
HOW?
BALANCE
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Why do your Players Play?
Make a List of the reasons:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
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Why Players Play
First and foremost:
To have FUN
Excellence:
Affiliation:
Sensation:
Success:
To be good. Players want to master the
skills and excel at hockey
To form friendships. Players want to be
accepted as members of the team and to
be appreciated by team-mates.
Experience; Players want to be provided
with enjoyable and exciting experiences
To receive recognition. Players like
acknowledgement for their achievements
in hockey
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Ultimately Who Decides?
Up until the age of 12 it is the parent who
decides what sport their child will play.
The Ice Hockey is for Me campaign was
designed to be attractive to children but is
intellectually directed towards the parent.
This is extremely important to remember when
it comes to recruitment of female players. The
mother is very important because they will
have the final say!!!
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Recruitment Coordinator
 A club or association needs someone to be responsibility
for the program; a Recruitment Coordinator
 They will be the person who co-ordinates all the details
between the club, National Association and parents
 The main characteristics for this person are to be
enthusiastic, and responsible for their actions.
 To assist the Recruitment Coordinator they should put
together a recruiting team of 3- 4 people members to
share the duties
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Promotion of Ice Hockey
 As a Mainstream Sport for children
 Especially Girls
 Recruit new players all the time, have try ice
hockey days all year long
 Provide better hockey awareness and
publicity within the community
 On-ice demonstrations
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Process and Events
 Word of mouth
 Produce Leaflets and Materials that Promote Ice Hockey
 Try Ice Hockey Programs for Minimal Cost
 Attend public skating sessions
 Distribute Free Skate coupons
 Jersey Days
 Display tables at Senior/Pro games, malls, Community fairs
 Players and families bring friends to try; Bring a Friend (or
two) Coupons
 Partner with Off-Season Sports
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Try
 Experience (Girls) Ice Hockey Days
 Puck shoots (anywhere) - Senior/Pro games
 Street / Floor hockey (especially @ schools
 End zone - During normal practices
- During Public skating
 Learn to Play programs
 Try Ice Hockey Programs for Minimal Cost
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Commit – Register
 Be organized and prepared!
 Keep cost to minimum
 First 2-3 first times free of charge
 Cheap rental equipment
 Beginners Camp
 Keep time slot consistent
 Choice of times per week
 Require very minimum equipment
 Many shorter seasons, instead of one long one
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Balance!!!!!
 Best Defence is a good Offense
 When does Defence begin?
 The biceps and the triceps
 Every action has an equal and opposite reaction
 Easiest way to increase your numbers is by
keeping the ones you had last season - Retention
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Retention Survey
Over the last 10 years the trend for Under 10’s:
 Numbers are down 22.1% over
 43% don’t make it to 10 years old
 54% of girls don’t make it to 10 years old
 30% only play one season
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Retain
 Make sure it’s FUN!
 Contact those that don’t re-register and find out why
 Keep cost to a minimum or include more things
 Re-enrollment discount
 Educate Parents – what are you teaching (happening)
and what’s next
 Let them play hockey
 Club 2x2 Challenge
 Recruit two more players and retain 2 more players this season
than last year
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Exprience (Girls) Ice Hockey Day
 An Event that Club organises
 Planning and commit
 NA and IIHF assit them to do
 Make it FUN!
 should be an enjoyable experience for the children (atmosphere,
colours, environment, coaches etc)
 Make it easy
 Just need skates (rental or figure skates are ok) and some gloves
 Club offers - helmet, stick, assistance and coaching
 Explain about Ice Hockey
 Fresh, sporty image helps to build attractiveness
 Advertising – make it accessable
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Operations
 Promote early and often
 Use Posters, Leaflets
 Welcome to the rink – meet the families (mothers)
 Offer a helping hand (skates, sticks)
 National Team or Senior players on the ice
 Diploma, jersey, stickers
After the Hockey Day first 2-3 times are free of charge or
organise initation Hockey Camp
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Demo - Objectives
This is a four-minute demonstration that gives the
maximum exposure for ice hockey. It is a good recruiting
tool as it hi-lights the development and future growth of
the sport
 Promote and help the growth ice hockey
 Recruitment of the next generation of players
 Explain the operations of the Learn to Play program
 Operated during the break between periods of a game
with a voice over explaining the program
 Need between15 and 30 players plus 3 Coaches
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On-ice Operations
 Coaches lead the players on
the ice and everyone goes to
their pre-arranged zone
 The players play in their zones
for two minutes
Game
Practice
Practice
Game
 The audio explanation is read out over the PA
system in the local language
 The players change zones and play in the new zone
for two minutes
 At the conclusion, the players and coaches wave to
the crowd then leave the ice
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Beginners Hockey Camp
 Duration: One week - half day’s
 When: As a follow-up after a Recruitment Ice Hockey
Day. Other effective times are during Easter and
Summer Holidays
 Ice Time: 2 hours per day
 Number of participants: Ice Hockey 30 - Skating 30
 Age group: 6 – 12 year
 Number of coaches: Ice hockey 6 - Skating 6
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On ice Organisation
Separate ice in half
Skating:



The ice is divided into zones
Depending on the skill level there
can be 3 to 4 zones
The games will be played with all
children on half ice
Ice Hockey
Skating
Ice Hockey:



There should be 3 zones
depending on the skill level
The games will be played with all
children on half ice
The matches will be played in 2
zones - End zone, blue to red line
In both ends of the ice a child can move up the skill zones as their ability
increases during the week. This must be monitored by the instructors.
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