Preseason Feedback Form

    Feedback will be accepted through August 31.

    Which Association(s) were you with last season and/or do you expect to be involved with next season?

    NoneOtherAuburnCamillusCenter StateClintonCortlandECFultonGenevaIthacaLysanderNew HartfordOswegoRomeSalmon RiverSkaneatelesSouthern TierValleyWatertownWhitestown

    Which team(s) were you involved with last season?

    None-----------10U TEAMS-----------Auburn 10UCamillus 1 10UCamillus 2 10UCamillus 3 10UCenter State 10UClinton 1 10UClinton 2 10UCortland 10UEC 1 10UEC 2 10UGeneva 10UIthaca 1 10UIthaca 2 10ULysander 1 10ULysander 2 10ULysander 3 10UNew Hartford 1 10UNew Hartford 2 10UOswego 1 10UOswego 2 10URome 1 10URome 2 10USalmon River 10USkaneateles 1 10USkaneateles 2 10USouthern Tier 10UValley 1 10UValley 2 10UValley 3 10UWatertown 1 10UWatertown 2 10U-----------12U TEAMS-----------Auburn 12UCamillus 12UCenter State 12UClinton 12UEC 1 12U (Dropped Out)EC 2 12U (Stayed In)Fulton 1 12UFulton 2 12UGeneva 12UIthaca 12ULysander 1 12ULysander 2 12URome 12USalmon River 12USouthern Tier 12UValley 12UWatertown 1 12U (Dropped Out)Watertown 2 12UWatertown 3 12UWhitestown 12U

    Which age group(s) will you be involved with next season in Snowbelt?

    None10U12U14U18U

    What role(s) did/will you represent for your association's teams for either last season or next?

    Preseason Process

    Teams are allowed to self-assess and select one of nine skill groups. Teams then play a minimum of 4 preseason games and are re-grouped based on their performance. Teams then play a minimum of 4 additional games and are placed into divisions of approximately 4-5 teams based on all preseason performance against an RPI rating system. Teams then play a regular season of home & home games against only their division opponents. In all, teams played a minimum of 8 preseason games and 6-8 regular season games last season. (One division played 5 regular season games because the 12U Avalanche division ended up keeping six teams.) Last season, we intended to use an automatic scheduling system to take some of the pressure off of the quick scheduling turnaround times, however the system we wanted to use was unable to accommodate Snowbelt's scheduling format. Consequently, we needed to revert back to manual scheduling.

    Common Feedback

    • Liked previewing teams before division placement.

    • Divisions were more competitive.

    • Enjoyed having more, smaller divisions compared with three Red/White/Blue.

    • Reveals teams that inaccurately rated themselves.

    • Fixed the issue of being stuck in the wrong division for an entire season.

    • Lower-skilled teams saw more competitive teams and less blowouts.

    • Helps with placements due to team rosters changing significantly between each season.

    • Preseason results should be posted for other teams to see.

    • Would like preseason divisions to be carried over to JAM.

    • Consider a preseason tournament to get a bunch of games in a single weekend.

    • Scheduling ahead was difficult due to the quick turnaround between the preseason phases.

    • Teams weren't challenged with having to face stronger competition.

    • Families prefer to know their entire schedule at the beginning of the season.

    • Prefer a shorter preseason to give the regular season more games.

    • Association/coach/manager scheduled non-league games or took the team's ice, so scheduling games was challenging.

    Items to Consider

    • RPI ratings require a minimum of eight (8) preseason games per team to make the ratings useful.

    • Starting the season earlier is likely not possible because some associations don't have their teams set until mid-October.

    • The preseason was set for two phases to allow improperly-placed teams a chance to be scheduled against better competition.

    • The Thanksgiving weekend usually extends the preseason because not many teams play that weekend.

    • Constructive and creative feedback is encouraged! If you have an idea, share it below!

    What is your overall opinion of the preseason process?

    What are your thoughts on how we could improve the preseason process?

    Any other constructive comments can be placed here.

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