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2021-2022 Mite Start Dates

Advanced Mite/8U evaluations:

  • TBD - Dry Run
  • TBD- Timed Evals

Season Start - All Levels

  • TBD

Welcome Mites!

This page is intended to provide information for mite players and their families. Please refer back to this page often for new information. To access your team page, click on the links for your team.

Families - If you know a local family with a 4+ year old boy or girl that wants to have fun playing hockey then please consider introducing them to the WYHA program.  Contact the respective Level Coordinator for more info.

Click Here for the WYHA Code of Conduct.

Mite Skill Development Directors

Cory Larose, Joe Motzko and Chris Harrington will be the 2021-2022 Mites/6U/8U Skill Directors focusing on defining the core skills at each level and ensuring practice plans are emphasizing these skills.  We’re very excited to utilize their professional hockey and Mite coaching experience to better our skaters’ development.

See their Player Development Skills Progression publication.

General Information

Sportsmanship is one of the key elements in Wayzata Youth Hockey. We expect that the players (and their parents) win or lose will be respectful and considerate of the other team (and their parents). Mite hockey is all about fun and learning and we want to make sure that all of our players are learning good lessons. Help us make this a fun year for our skaters!

Mite Hockey Registration Frequently Asked Questions

When does registration open?

Registration for mite hockey opens on August 13th. The mite season starts in mid to late October, depending on your player's age. Late registrations are allowed, but players who register late will not be guaranteed placement on a team with their friends and/or classmates.

How old does my child have to be to play hockey (2021-22 season)?

Mini Mite: Must be born before 5/31/16 to play. (boys and girls welcome).
Girls-only 6U: Must be born before 5/31/16 to play.

Does my child have to know how to skate to start hockey?

No. The WYHA Mite program is a developmental program designed to teach all kids the fundamental skills necessary to play the game of hockey, as well as the elementary concepts of the game itself. Skating is the most fundamental of these skills and a major focus of the entire Mite program.

How long does the season run?

The season runs late October or early November through the first weekend of March.

How often do they practice?

  • Mini Mites (ages 4-5): Two indoor session (45 minutes) per week on weekends (Saturday & Sunday) beginning late October and going through February. 
  • Rookie Mites and Girls 6U (ages 5-6): Two indoor practices per week on weekends (Saturday & Sunday).
  • Intermediate Mites (ages 6-7): Two indoor practices every weekend (Saturday & Sunday), plus a bi-weekly "competition" night (45 minutes) during the week.
  • Girls 8U Advanced: Three indoor sessions per week; two one-hour practices every weekend (Saturday & Sunday) plus a rotation of competition and skills sessions during the week (45 minutes, once weekly). Optional jamborees may be scheduled.
  • Advanced Mites (ages 7-9): Three indoor sessions per week; two one-hour practices every weekend (Saturday & Sunday) plus a rotation of competition and skills sessions during the week (45 minutes, once weekly). Optional jamborees may be scheduled for all levels of Advanced Mite play.

At what Mite level do I register my child?

ALL Players must register for the appropriate level according to their birth date. Players may not play up (or down) except in extremely rare circumstances. Wayzata Youth Hockey is in alignment with the governing body, Minnesota Hockey, with regards to this policy. Please refer to the WYHA Age Level Policy for further clarification.

Will my child be placed with other children from his/her school?

WYHA will make its best effort to organize all Mini Mite, Rookie/6U, and Intermediate teams around schools, neighborhoods, and "play-with" requests. Players registering after the registration deadline are not guaranteed to be placed with "play-with" requests or their schools/neighborhoods.

Teams at the Advanced Mite/8U levels are balanced by skill level following an on-ice evaluation of all players. WYHA and the Advanced Mite coaches will still make an effort to form the teams with the school in mind to increase the likelihood that the players will have friends on their team.

Do I need the players’ birth certificate in order to register?

If you registered your child with WYHA last year and submitted their birth certificate, we will have already ensured the birth certificate was officially recorded with USA Hockey. 

If you are new to the program, we are required to receive a copy of the child’s birth certificate and verify it through USA Hockey before processing the registration forms. All copies of birth certificates or passports are deleted or destroyed after final approval. 

Can I help coach my child's team?

Yes, as long as you complete the required steps to become certified as a mite coach through USA Hockey, Minnesota Hockey, and WYHA. You will be asked if you want to coach during the registration process for your player. You will also need to register as a coach and complete the certification steps before you can take the ice with your child.

Will my child have practice at the same times every week?

No. WYHA has access to four different sheets of ice at two locations, spread across many different teams at many different age levels. Because of the complexity of scheduling mite practices for 30+ mite teams alongside practices, games, and tournaments for dozens more teams at older playing levels, the schedule varies by week, and it is not always possible to set the schedule more than a few weeks in advance. Thank you in advance for your patience as our scheduler works to provide as much advance notice as possible for practice times.

What is the refund policy if my child doesn’t like it?

Refunds are available through Dec 1st (and not processed until this time). The fee will be prorated for ice time skated and $50 administration fees. All refunds must be requested in writing to the Registrar at registrar@wayzatahockey.org.

Equipment requirements

  • Certified Helmet -recommended Navy
  • Shin pads
  • Elbow pads
  • Mouth guard
  • Skates
  • Stick
  • Cup or pelvic protector (w/ Velcro shorts to hold up the hockey socks)
  • Breezers /Hockey pants - recommended navy blue
  • Shoulder pads
  • Gloves
  • Hockey socks and jerseys will be provided at the first practice
  • Neck guard 

Do I need to live in the Wayzata School District?

YES. Minnesota Hockey requires us to ensure that all players are currently enrolled in a public/private school within the Wayzata School District OR live within the district boundaries. ALL registrations will be checked against district boundaries before being processed.

Open Enrollment and Private School (K-12) enrollment within District #284 attendance area will require school verification to be submitted (and waiver completed) to the WYHA Registrar before registrations will be accepted.

Why are the fees higher for Advanced Mite levels?

The amount of ice time is increased at each Mite level. Advanced mite levels also participate in several skills clinics throughout the year as part of the program. The costs of the skills clinics are built into the registration fees.

What is the multi-skater discount?

Families who register ALL skaters (3 or more) in the program AT THE SAME TIME will receive a multiplayer discount. Three skaters = $100; Four or more skaters = $125. (‘Mini-mite’ and ‘Jr. Gold/HS Tryout’ categories do not qualify towards the multiplayer discount.)

Scholarships

Limited scholarship funds are available for families needing special financial consideration. The WYHA Executive board will approve all scholarships. Please note that a family’s participation in the school’s reduced/free lunch program is the prime criteria for scholarship consideration.Contact registrar@wayzatahockey.org for a Scholarship Form or further information.

Payment plans are not available. Initial registration fees for all players in the family are due at the time of registration.

Can I add my team's schedule to my Google Calendar?

Yes, just follow these steps:

  1. Click the iCal link on your teams WYHA calendar page
  2. Right-click the wayzatahockey link then select Copy
  3. Close the pop-up window
  4. Open Google Calendar
  5. Click the Other calendars drop down (right button)
  6. Select Add by URL
  7. Right-click in the pop-up URL text box then select Paste
  8. Click Add Calendar

Advanced Mite Evaluations

In order to ensure that all players are able to participate with other players of their same skill level, Advanced Mite players (generally 2nd and 3rd-graders) participate in an evaluation session prior to the start of the season.

The evaluation consists of four timed drills consisting of the types of skills most players of this age have learned (or started to learn). Each player will have an opportunity to practice the drills during a preseason practice session prior to being timed on evaluation day. Players run through each drill twice, with their fastest time counting towards their total. Players are then placed on teams with other players of similar skill, based on the structure below:

BLUE (4 balanced teams - 2nd/3rd grade mix): The top 60 (approximately) player times from the evaluation drills.
GOLD (8 balanced teams - 2nd/3rd grade mix): Players with the next-best times (130-150) players in total) from the evaluation drills.

*First-time or inexperienced players have the option of being placed automatically at the GOLD level without going through evaluations. Contact the Advanced Mite coordinator to discuss this option if interested.

EVALUATION DRILLS