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Fire On Ice coming to MIA
Madison Ice Arena is set to host the 2012 Fire On Ice Hockey Tournament on May 4th - 6th. This fundraising event benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Local Firefighters 311 Charities and Madison Ice Inc. hockey programs for youth & adults with disabilities.
The tournament features teams from throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois, as well as the Wisconsin Warriors Sled Hockey team and the Wisconsin Timberwolves Special Hockey team.
See you there!
Happy Spring, Polar Cap Families!
My name is Jeff Barfield, and many of you know me as the “equipment guy” from this past season. I am both pleased and proud to now introduce myself to you as the incoming President of the West Madison Youth Hockey Association!
If anyone would have said to me even 4 years ago that I would be involved in hockey – never mind leading a hockey association - I would have told them that they were crazy. Like many other families, my wife Michelle and I were daunted by the prospect of having a child who played hockey. Tales of long hours and the high costs involved dampened our interest (to put it mildly). Although our oldest son, Matthew, now a 2nd year Squirt, showed a persistent and all-consuming interest in playing, we held him off as long as we could. When we could finally take the begging no more, we made him a deal. Let’s take some skating lessons and go from there. Our first surprise was that the Polar Caps offered equipment rental at an extremely reasonable cost. The second was how much we enjoyed that experience. Even though Matthew started later than most, and was twice the size of most of the other kids in Cross Ice, he still had a fantastic time. What started out as a mid-summer Saturday visit to the Polar Cap storage shed to meet with Bob Pretto and collect an astounding amount of gear, has become a true family affair. We now have a second son playing (Brandon,7), and Michelle and I are as hooked as they are! Not only are the boys having fun and making friends, we have been lucky enough to meet many wonderful people whom we now call friends.
As our outgoing President, Amy Mosher-Garvey mentioned in her email, this club is highly respected within the state and is held as a model for other clubs to follow. I am looking forward to continuing down this path, helping us grow and develop not only excellent skaters and a great program, but exceptional kids. My job will be made easier by our outstanding new board and the ability to bounce ideas off of two past Presidents who continue to serve - Marc Joyal and Amy Mosher-Garvey. Amy has graciously agreed to stay on the board for an additional season to help the transition go smoothly.
We have lots of fresh blood on our newly elected Board, as well as some experienced and knowledgeable returning faces. Having had our first meeting on April 24th, I can safely say that all are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for the 2012-2013 season.
The upcoming season will include a special Kick-Off Weekend, our first-ever Try Hockey Boot Camp for new skaters, a Squirt or Pee Wee tournament, an updated website, and the strong possibility that the Polar Caps will be calling the concession stand our own. These opportunities will continue to help our club grow financially and to keep our skater fees as low as possible.
None of this is possible without parent involvement, and I encourage you to help out and volunteer as much as you can throughout the season. The club is only as strong as the skaters and parents involved, and we welcome your suggestions and feedback as to how we can grow and provide the best experience possible for the whole family.
The club will be sending out important information throughout the next several months, but I encourage anyone with comments or suggestions to please email me anytime at president@westmadisonpolarcaps.com.
Have a great summer.
Polar Caps Elect New Executive Board
Elections to the Polar Caps Executive Board were held at the club's annual meeting on April 10th. The club is pleased to announce that Jeff Barfield was elected Club President. Amy Mosher-Garvey will remain active on the board in the role of Interim Past President.
Several current Board members will return, and 6 new members were elected.
The complete Polar Caps Executive Board is listed at: westmadisonpolarcaps.com/page/show/187400-executive-board-members
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING
ANNUAL MEETING
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
6:00-8:30PM
Vitense Golfland
Please join us for the West Madison Polar Caps Annual Board Meeting. Appetizers and beverages provided. The tentative agenda is:
- Call to Order
- Roll Call
- Welcome from the president
- Board Member Reports
- Elections
- Adjournment
One vote per family. Please join us, share your voice, and get involved in the future of the club.
Amy Mosher-Garvey, President
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EXECUTIVE BOARD POSITIONS
Hello Polar Caps. We will be having our annual meeting in early April. At this meeting we will take some time to go over this past hockey season and answer any questions our members have. We encourage everyone to attend as this is a great time to meet all the board members and share your thoughts or concerns with us. This is also the time we fill any board positions that will be opening this year. Below are the positions that will likely be open to new board members.
*Tournament Director *VP of In House Coaching
*Cross Ice ALD *U10/14 ALD
*Fundraising Director *Webmaster
*Equipment Manager *Recruiting
*Secretary
We will be posting the details of each job description by this weekend. You can also go under the documents tab right now and find a brief description under the Polar Caps By Laws Document. Please consider running if you have any experience or interest in any of these areas and especially if you have a skater at any of these levels. We ask that you email our President Amy Garvey by March 7th to have your name included on the ballot. Please specify which position you are interested in running for. Remember every skater and family represent the face of the Polar Caps and you all are the reason we are one of the largest and most successful youth hockey programs in Wisconsin. You can help the future success of this program by bringing your knowledge and dedication to the Board of the club. Thanks again and hope to see you all at the Annual Meeting. -West Madison Polar Caps Executive Board.
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This year the winner from the B1 team was Kyle Jungers and the winner from the B2 team was Zach Duda.
WE WANT YOU!
Hey Polar Cap Families. We are moving quickly through another great year of youth hockey. We have welcomed many new skaters to the club and others are again preparing for a successful finish at state tournaments. As our hockey season ends our board would love to hear how things are going. Our annual meeting is just two months away. This would be a great opportunity to share any comments or suggestions as to how we can continue being one of the largest and most successful youth hockey programs in Wisconsin. Now all of you are the face and voice of our club. Please consider bringing your experience, strengths and ideas to the board and club by running for the opening board positions. If you would like more details please visit the Documents tab above and open the West Madison Polar Caps Bylaws document. There you will find the descriptions of each board position. Feel free to contact any of us with any questions you may have. Have a great finish to the season and we hope to hear from all of you soon.
Update on Responsible Sports
The West Madison Polar Caps did an amazing job in the run for the Responsible Sports Community Grant. I was watching the site yesterday as our numbers sored. Thanks to the support of our Polar Cap Families, we ended the night with 607 fans, to put us firmly in the lead. Over the next several weeks, the Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports Team checks all the entrants to make sure that every "i" is dotted and every "t" is crossed. Rest assured as soon as I know something you will too.
Thanks again to all of our parents and fans who participated!
Go Caps
PUCKS AND PATRIOTS
POLARCAPS HONOR THEIR MILITARY PERSONNEL
If you've read your November issue of USA Hockey Magazine, you have seen the wonderful spread they did on military personnel and their connections to the hockey world. In honor of Veteran's Day November 11th we thought we would honor some of our own men and women in uniform. Have a soldier to include? Send me a photo or brief blurb and we will gladly add them to the page!
A sincere thank you on behalf of all the Polarcaps to all of the military personnel who serve our country. Your efforts are appreciated!
Amy Mosher-Garvey
President, Polarcaps
Lt Col Glen Messner
Pictured: Lt. Col. Glen Messner with cross-icer Charlie Frey, Glen's daughter Anna and a friend CeCe
Lieutenant Colonel Glen Messner is an F-16 Pilot for the WI Air National Guard, and currently flies with the 115th Fighter Squadron at Truax Field, Madison, Wisconsin. Glen and his wife, Joni, are the proud parents of Mick Messner (former Polarcap and current Capitol) along with 3 girls: Molly, Kate & Anna Sally. They reside in Madison.
Colonel Erik Peterson
Col. Erik Peterson
Colonel Erik Peterson is an F-16 Pilot for the WI Air National Guard, and currently the Operations Group Commander for the 115th Fighter Squadron at Truax Field, Madison, Wisconsin. Colonel Peterson is a combat veteran of multiple deployments to Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Peterson has 21 years of serving active duty and National Guard combined. For the last ten years he has been a proud member of the Air National Guard and community of Madison, Wisconsin. Erik Peterson is the father of eight children, 4 boys and 4 girls. All four boys are actively involved in the West Madison Polar Cap program. Konur, Bantam; Erik and Hakon, RWB; and, Thor X-Ice.
Marc Joyal
Marc Joyal stands in front of a tent in Udairi while deployed
Marc Joyal has over 22 years of military experience including 18 years in the Wisconsin National Guard. His last post was as a Headquarters Company First Sergeant, 1SG (E8). During his career he was deployed during Operation Iraqui Freedom and received a Bronze star in 2003. Marc is also an active volunteer and was involved in the Polarcaps fro over 17 years He is also a past president of the club. Marc also started the Midvale Heights Community Baseball League in 1994. Marc's latest endeavors include coaching our Squirt C team and running Crossovers Pro Shop at the rink.
Thanks for coming out to skate with the Polar Caps
On Saturday November 5th we hosted a Try Hockey for Free Day at our rink. Many area children came out to skate with our club and shoot a few pucks around. Everyone had a great time working with the kids and we saw many smiles on the ice. We hope you enjoyed the experience and we look forward to seeing you all soon. Please visit the Executive Board link to find any contact information you may need. We are always happy to answer any questions. Thanks again and Go Polar Caps Youth Hockey!
Club Happenings
Great Wreaths
The Rose Wreath company once again is offering to share profits with us and offer a fundraising sale that's an easy sell. Grab a brochure and order form next to the concession stand at MIA.
fresh edges, fresh gear, freshening service!
Crossovers Pro Shop would like to welcome all Polar Caps players and families to the 2011 hockey season. The Joyal family has opened Crossovers Pro Shop, and we are looking forward to meeting your hockey equipment and service needs. We offer new and used equipment, professional skate sharpening and equipment sanitizing/deodorizing.
We use a state of the art Blademaster Skate Sharpener found in many NHL locker rooms to help you fine tune your skates to bring out your best effort on the ice. And we’d love to introduce you to the “Fresh Gear Cyclone” ozone equipment sanitizing and deodorizing machine. Does your equipment have that familiar hockey “funk?” The Cyclone kills bacteria in your equipment that causes that foul smell. Give it a try; you’ll be glad you did.
Be sure to take advantage of our “home ice advantage” discount skate sharpening card (pay for 10 and get 3 free), and also get $10 off the regular price of full service equipment sanitizing/deodorizing (regular $29.95).
Stop in, browse around and let us know what you think. If there is something you’d like to see in the shop just let us know and we’ll do our best to get it.
We look forward to serving you. See you at the rink!
Marc Joyal, Owner
Crossovers Pro Shop, LLC
crossoversproshop.com
608.442.0009
Life after Bantams
After all the time and energy we invest throughout the youth hockey experience it seems that life after Bantams can get a little cumbersome. In Wisconsin we push those of our skaters who are able to do so to play high school, leaving many skaters in a position that if they don't make high school there isn't a clear path for continuing to play. This is especially difficult when your skater's high school does not offer JV level hockey. The jump to Varsity as a freshman is difficult.
For several years now we have tried to create a JV-like experience for our Polarcap skaters that find themselves not ready for high school but too old for Bantams. Once again this year, however, we find ourselves unable to field a team given our numbers at this level. Memorial high school has already indicated that their numbers are so low that they will likely take all candidates that wish to play. We have also lost a number of second year Bantams to the Capitals, leaving our numbers even lower and pulling freshman skaters who could have played on the HS Development team (our name for JV) to other venues. Such is the world of hockey.
While I firmly believe that our strong recruiting after this year's freshman class will change the landscape of hockey in future years, we aren't there yet. The best possible option for our club in the given circumstances is to leave all of our Bantams at the Bantam level and combine our Midget-aged skaters with Southwest's Midget program as we did last year. I think the families who partiicpated in hockey with Mike OBrien with Southwest last year would have many positive things to say about the experience their kids had.
Mike and I have been in contact and he informs me that his team will take the ice for the first time on 10/11/11 at 7:40pm at ENIA. All interested Midgets should attend and skate. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU WILL NEED TO HAVE YOUR SKATER REGISTERED WITH USA HOCKEY BEFORE TAKING THE ICE. You can feel free to register with the Polarcaps through our website--any monies paid to us can be transferred directly to SW if you choose to skate there. If your skater is trying out for high school hockey you have the option of making a partial payment until you know if your skater is given a spot on the HS team.
You do not need a release to play with Southwest if you are midget-age. We will not be fielding a team at this clasification and therefore you may go where you choose. Mike has told me that they will also be accepting some skaters from Stoughton and so we will not be applying for a co-op. The SW team will be classified as a HS2 team as they were last year.
Midgets are welcome to attend Polarcap preseason ice with the Bantams until October 11th.
If you have questions please don't hesitate to contact me.
Welcome to the home of the West Madison Polar Caps!
All families need to click here to Create an Account on the NGIN platform or find the link in the top left hand corner of this page.
All email addresses you wish to use need to be added to each player's profile, so you get updates for each team.
Please keep checking News, Executive Board Meeting Minutes and calendar for events and happenings in the club.
