Who are the Rogue Valley Reign?
Primarily, our Rogue Valley Reign are “B level” recreational travel hockey teams composed of players with intermediate to advanced skills, ages 6-18 years old. Players should have already mastered first-year basic skills (skating, stickhandling, shooting, and goaltending) to successfully participate in team practices and games. Teams are organized by the local non-profit, Rogue Valley Hockey Association. Currently, we offer the most comprehensive hockey experience in Southern Oregon for youth players with our season starting in September and continuing through March. Teams practice on a weekly basis, travel throughout Oregon to participate in exchange games against other associations, and even travel out of state for a few weekends of tournament competition.
What if my player is new to hockey?
Our Medford rink offers both “learn to skate” and “learn to play” programs to begin learning the basic skills to play the game of hockey. Our rink also coordinates an in-house hockey program for families that only wish to play locally in Medford. Information about these additional programs can be found on our rink website, http://www.therrrink.com/
What is the cost of travel hockey?
Player fees vary each season depending on the number of players per team, tournaments, and events. Annual team expenses are divided evenly among team families. Main expenses include the cost of ice time, tournament entries, game referees, and team events. Average season fees have been $600-$800 for the younger players (12U and below) and $800-$1000 for older players. However, this does not include additional personal expenses, such as equipment and travel costs. Collections of player fees are spread out over three payments, due at the end of September, November, and January to help finance season fees for our families.
What can I expect my player to learn by participating in youth travel hockey?
Each of our coaches and volunteer staff is trained annually in USA Hockey’s American Development Model (ADM) to guide successful athletic development specific to each participant. The ADM is a framework to help all individuals realize their athletic potential and utilize sport as a path toward an active and healthy lifestyle. The ADM is based upon key tenets taken from research and best practices in youth sports, human development, coaching, and the sports science that promote sustained physical activity, health & safety, and age-appropriate development. It is important to note that the ADM is not exclusively a pathway for elite performance but for all individuals to participate for the purposes of activity, health, fitness, and performance.
On-ice sessions focus upon increasing the number of repetitions. One of the best ways to create more skill repetition, puck touches, and physical activity during practice sessions is to break players into smaller groups and utilize the ice surface more efficiently through station-based drills and playing cross-ice games.
Age Levels
Below are the age level teams that are available in the Reign Association
8U
The “FUNdamentals stage” of ice skating and puck handling are emphasized when working to develop our youngest players during scheduled monthly practices, cross-ice games against visiting teams, limited local travel for team games, and participating in a fun statewide jamboree.
10U & 12U
With an emphasis on “learning to train”, skills such as listening, following instructions, and setting personal goals are important developmental targets for this age group. Participants will learn through attending weekly skills-based practices, playing trade-ice games against other Oregon hockey associations, and traveling to competitive tournaments.
14U
With more focus and determination, this “training to train” age group should experience increased and faster development of hockey sense and situational awareness. Nutrition, hydration, self-directed fitness, and recovery help participants take charge of their personal development. Weekly practices, off-ice training, multiple state games, regional tournaments, and a final state championship tournament provide a healthy approach to skill development both on and off the ice.
18U
“Training to compete” is the last developmental age group within our program. Collegiate and junior level hockey provides future benchmarks for this final stage of youth player development in hockey. Practices are rigorous with physical training and an understanding of team systems vital to player success. A full schedule of weekly practices, continued off-ice training and statewide games provide a fast track to learning in a fast-paced, challenging environment for your athlete. Regional tournaments, Oregon player select camp, and a state playoff championship tournament expose players to our highest age level of hockey development.
