THE DELAWARE NIGHTHAWKS PEE WEE B LIMITED TRAVEL TEAM!!!

Overview: The Delaware Nighthawks is an independent, limited travel Pee Wee B, coached by an experienced staff. The Nighthawks are in their third season at the home site of The Skating Club of Wilmington (SCW), Delaware.

The Nighthawks’ season begins on September 12, and runs through the end of February. The schedule includes approximately 25 games and 20 practices plus tournaments.

The Club fee is $750, which is paid in two equal installments in October and December to the SCW. The team registration fee is an additional $200, which is due with registration, and is non-refundable. Registration is due by September 12. Space is limited (really, it is), so please register as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Age Group/Level of Play: The Wilmington Nighthawks are a PeeWee B, Independent Team. This means that players of Birth Year (BY) 1999 or younger can play on the team, depending on skill level. The "B" part means that we will play at the minimum skill level in the PeeWee age group. The "Independent" part means that we will not be playing in a specific division or league, but will play various teams in the local area at similar skill levels. The PeeWee level is now a non-checking level.

The Nighthawks will not be fielding any other teams this year so if you have someone else interested in a lower level, please refer to the Ice Breakers program at the Skating Club of Wilmington which starts in January.

Our number one priority is for your child to improve on their hockey skills while having fun playing the game in a supportive and safe environment.  

Schedule for Practices & Games: All practices and home games will be at The Skating Club of Wilmington. Practices will be moving to Monday Nights 6:00-7:10 starting September 12 and running through February.  Remember, you should plan to have your child at the rink to change at least 20 minutes prior to practice & at least 30 minutes prior to game ice start time. Home games will generally be Saturday mornings @ 8:45 and/or Sunday Evenings @ 5:30. We are working with other teams in the area to determine the away schedule. The plan is to play at least 25-30 games this season and we will be releasing a schedule soon. In addition, we will try to participate in a couple of tournaments during the season. Our first home game will be on Sunday, October 9 @ 5:30.

Travel will be limited by playing teams that play at rinks that are typically between 30-60 minutes from SCW. This would include programs at Ice Line, Ice Works, Chester County, The Pond, U of D, etc. 

Costs: This year, the Nighthawks are requiring a non-refundable $200 Registration Fee that is due by September 12. Please make this check out to Nighthawks Hockey and mail this payment to: Nighthawks Hockey, P.O. Box 5355, Wilmington, DE 19808. This fee will cover team jerseys, socks, home referee costs & EOY party.  The league fee is an additional $750, this fee will be payable to the Skating Club of Wilmington in 2 payments ($375 each) due October 1st and December 1st. This can be paid at SCW by check, credit card or cash, online payments will soon be available. Optional costs during the season will include tournaments, team pictures & other promotional items (jackets, magnets, etc.)

 Coaching Staff: All coaches will be USA Hockey Certified and have a wealth of experience in the sport. The Head Coach this season is Al Gallo. Coach Gallo has been the assistant coach for the Nighthawks for the last two seasons, head coach in the World League at The Pond for the last 3 years, and has been playing hockey for more than 25 years. The other coaches assisting this year in varying capacities are Jimmy May, Pat Groves, Vail Gualtieri and Richard Roux. All coaches are volunteers.

 USA Hockey: Every player and coach must be registered for the upcoming season before September 12. This can be done online at www.usahockey.com. Please email your registration # to Coach Jimmy May - jrmay@widener.edu. You can also bring the completed printout to the 1st practice.

 Playing time Philosophy:

Some children play sports too often and are driven too hard at an early age. Despite the good intentions of parents and programs that play 50 or more games per season, some kids get burnt out. For some, it's no longer fun and they quit. The philosophy of this program will be to provide fun first and balance the fun with an effort to learn the game and be competitive. In doing so, this will not be a program that plays 50 games per season. We will typically practice once per week and play one or two games on the weekend. At this age it is important that your child stay eager to play and is exposed to other sports too. If the players have the desire, there will be opportunity to move into a more demanding schedule as they get older. The SCW program will produce good competitive players that have been taught the proper skills and sportsmanship.

Required Equipment and USA Hockey Registration

Full Equipment is required: skates, stick, approved helmet & cage, shin guards, gloves, elbow pads, shoulder pads, cup, pants, socks and jersey.

Players must be registered with USA Hockey (not included as part of registration fee).

Questions?

Please email Coach Gallo at avgallo15@verizon.net, or call him at 302-598-7507.

                                                                                                                                     
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