Newark, Del. — Officials with the Jr. Blue Hens hockey club have announced a revamped mission statement and a restructuring of their organization, effective with the 2019-20 season, at their monthly board meeting on Wednesday night (Jan. 30) at Fred Rust Arena.
“The Jr. Blue Hens youth hockey organization is very excited about the direction we are taking for the future,” said board member and DVHL representative Frank Catterton. “Our purpose is to provide a safe, family-friendly youth hockey experience for our member families. We realize everyone has different needs and goals they want to achieve from their hockey experience, and our mission is to help create an environment in Delaware which will allow them to choose their path.”
While currently fielding class A teams at the 18U and 16U divisions in the Delaware Valley Hockey League, along with class A and B teams at the 14U level, the Jr. Blue Hens seek to expand their program to offer six “competitive” (AA or A National) and five “developmental” (A American or B National) teams, so as to afford youth hockey players opportunities to excel and achieve their desired goals regardless of skill level.
In line with their restructuring, the Jr. Blue Hens, who are based at the Fred Rust and Gold Arenas on the University of Delaware campus, are expanding their staff to include a Director of Hockey Development and paid non-parent coaches for upper-level competitive teams to bolster an already strong volunteer corps.
“Player and coach development will focus not only on hockey skill but also on some of the old-school values — like discipline, teamwork, building a strong work ethic, and leadership — that may be lost to those growing up in the electronic age,” Catterton continued. “We believe our highly-valued affiliation with the University, and the support they provide us, puts us in a unique position to help us realize our goals.”
To learn more about the Jr. Blue Hens, visit their website.
To read their Strategy Summary, visit this link.
