ATLANTA PHOENIX HOCKEY CLUB
MISSION STATEMENT & PHILOSPHY
Program Mission
Our mission is to provide the opportunity for the players to be the best they can be. An environment where our players will have fun, develop skills to the best of their abilities and enjoy the spirit of hockey competition and camaraderie. The IceForum Hockey Association (IHA) is the premier ice hockey program in the state of Georgia. We are committed to the pursuit of excellence in both athletics and academics. With a highly skilled coaching staff under the direction of Brian Cole and Derek Nesbitt, this program is designed to advance and develop players to their maximum ability. Our program continues to take on a new approach from the USA Hockey ADM concept and look towards the future to create teams in all levels at the Tier II level.
Season Overview/ Games
Every season the IHA Atlanta Phoenix program officially rosters all teams with USA Hockey. Our intent is to schedule games against the best teams available at each level. Our coaches at the house level are working to develop players for our Phoenix Travel teams. Coaches at the Phoenix Travel teams are working on developing players physically and mentally to help them reach the AAA level. We are taking this approach in order to best develop our players and to prepare them for the possibility of playing at a higher level and beyond. This will be accomplished through our association with the Jr Predators AAA program. It is our intention to meet the stated goals of the program. Our focus will be on quality games rather than quantity. Our goal will be to play 40 – 60 quality games.
The Phoenix Travel teams will play in SYTHL (Southern Youth Travel Hockey League) against teams in SAHA affiliate and filling in the rest with the A/AA competition. Travel for the Phoenix SYTHL teams will be mostly driving distance in the SE district.
Team Play/ Practices
The 2021/2022 Atlanta Phoenix travel teams will learn and employ a total team approach to the game of hockey on and off the ice. Our systems require every member of the team to know their responsibilities and be able to perform their responsibilities in any given situation. We will practice just like we want it played – hard, fast and smart. Our 10U through 18U teams practice 3 times a week. Two times a week will be Skills Clinics by USAH ADM concept, where we concentrate on specific skill development, and one touch a week full ice practice to go over and learn team concept and work on team breakouts, zone entry, neutral zone regroup and etc. Our teams will do off ice sessions before or after practice, two times a week. Players will be highly recommended to have a strong off ice program to follow during the summer and strongly encourage working with professional trainer during off ice strength and conditioning sessions.
All our travel teams participate in High Performance Weekends (HPW) lead by the coaching staff of each travel team. During the HPW weekends, we will introduce our players to specific skills for defense and offense. Also, we will work with the teams on the Atlanta Phoenix systems, composed of d-zone coverage, fore-check, zone entry etc. Team members will be asked to work diligently both on and off the ice in order to learn their roles and responsibilities as well as the roles and responsibilities of their teammates.
SYTHL TEAMS: We plan on Phoenix SYTHL teams at each level 10U-16U and depending on number of players at tryouts; there could be more than 1 Phoenix SYTHL team at each level. We strongly believe this will strengthen all teams in the program. Atlanta Phoenix teams will have 3 practices per week, 2 skill clinics ADM USAH style practices run by professional division coordinators and 1 full ice team practice.
Our Phoenix SYTHL teams will participate in the Southern Youth Travel Hockey League and play in the Southeast, like years past. We look forward to another successful travel hockey season!
