The Yankee Conference All Star Festival was established in 1982 in order to evaluate the Bantam and Midget age players in New England for selection to National or Regional USA Hockey Select Camps. Currently these camps have been replaced by a national tournament at the 15, 16, and 17 year old age group and U-15 and U-19 for girls. Our Yankee Conference (New England) festival is the vehicle for evaluation by which "TEAM NEW ENGLAND" is chosen. Vermont players have been selected, each year, at each age level, to play on the New England Teams in the National Tournament.

The USA Hockey National Midget teams as well as the National Junior Teams are selected from these Tournaments. Since this is an evaluation for National Team positions and all international competition is based on calendar year age classifications, the festival teams are based on calendar year age groups.

The New England Regional Development Camp has become the best summer program in the country for high level training of our region’s best players and is really the best benefit of the entire All Star process. Originally started as a bantam camp we have been able to add more age levels as funding has been found, and the appropriate staffing of college coaches have been recruited over the years. The 2002 schedule will include camps for Select 13/14, Select 15/16, and the Women’s Camp for U-15.

Important: Since the normal season is made up of June deadlines for age status and the All Star process is based on calendar year ages, the Associations must nominate the players and have an officer sign the form. The reason for this is that an Association will have players who played on the Bantam team that are Peewee age for All Star play and some one must coordinate the local evaluations to make the decisions as to what best calendar age players from each association will be nominated.

NOMINATION FORMS WILL BE HANDED OUT IN DECEMBER AND ARE TO BE RETURNED AT THE STATE MEETING IN FEBRUARY.

Tryout Process: Coaching applications will be distributed at the October meeting. Those interested in coaching a team must return their application by the November meeting. Coaching selections will be completed by the December meeting. This will afford them the opportunity to get out and see players of interest during the season. Tryouts will be held at the end of the season on or about the first weekend in March.

The Evaluation staff will be appointed by the State Coaching Director with an emphasis on diversification both by level (A vs A/B) and Association. It will the job of the Coaching Director to oversee the selection process or appoint a suitable replacement from the V.S.A.H.A. Executive Board.

Every attempt will be made to ensure that the tryouts are done in a fair and equitable manner.

The first day of the selection process will determine which 25 - 30 candidates will be invited back for the final day of tryouts.

Team selections will be completed on the second day.

Each team still consists of 17 players and 2 alternatives

Please note: The goal of the tryout is a fair evaluation of the nominated players. Due to the number of players at the Squirt and Peewee level it is increasingly difficult to properly evaluate. Associations should not send players that they feel do not have a legitimate chance of making a team.

ALL STAR NOMINATIONS

1. "A/B" Associations may nominate THREE players per team or FIVE players if a team is a finalist in the State Tournament.

2. All "A" Associates may nominate FIVE players per team or SEVEN players if a team is a tournament finalist.

3. If a team is a tournament finalist the two additional nominations must be to the same All-Star level. For example, additional nominations from a Pee Wee finalist must be to the Pee Wee All-Star team.

4. Any team which successfully petitions to play down a level at the State Tournament and becomes a finalist is NOT eligible to nominate two additional players to All-Star-tryouts.

5. Player tryout fee $15. Prepayment to the Treasurer by the Local Association is encouraged but payment will be accepted on site the first day of tryouts.

6. Players not on a High School or Prep School team must be nominated by their Local Association.

7. High School and Prep School may self-nominate.

8. Non-Vermont residents who play for a Vermont Local Association can be nominated by that Association to tryout for the Vermont SELECT 12 and SELECT 14 All-Star teams. Players for the SELECT 15 team must tryout in the State where they are a resident. Vermont residents who attend school and play outside of Vermont have the option to self-nominate for the SELECT 16 and SELECT 17 tryout process.

9. Girls's All Star team players ages 13-15, must be nominated by their local association. The tryout fee is $15 per nominee.

10. ALL tryout players (including high school players) MUST BE REGISTERED with USA Hockey. Non-USA registered players can register on-site at the tryouts. This will require payment of the USA HOCKEY REGISTRATION FEE ($22) in addition to the TRYOUT FEE ($10), SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (player) and PARENTS SIGNATURE before the player can go on ice for the tryout. This is necessary so that USA Hockey insurance is not jeopardized for everyone.

11. All tryout players must be U.S. citizens.

NOTE: Since All Star Candidates for age groups will cross between teams for the festival, these forms must be submitted by the Associations and signed by the President or officer.