Welcome to the Waterloo Wolves U18BB program for the 2025-2026 season.
Each Head Coach will develop their own program however the general framework will be the same for both teams. We recognize that at this age level players have many competing time commitments – school, jobs and other sports. For this reason, the program for each team will include:
- One regular practice per week (instead of the typical two per week). Additional practices may be added for example, at the beginning of the season, with gaps in the game scheduling, leading up to playoffs and/or possibly tournaments.
- Two or three tournaments (instead of four or sometimes five that have been scheduled in previous years).
- Additional team building events and/or volunteering in the community will be at the discretion of each Head Coach but will be limited and in consultation with the parent group.
Players selected for each team should make reasonable efforts to fulfil their commitment to the team throughout the season.
Selection of Teams
The goal of the selection process will be to create two balanced teams that can compete for an Alliance championship.
For spring tryouts, we recognize that players may be trying out for other organizations. Player offers will be coordinated through the HCR/Spordle portal, so a player must be registered for the Waterloo BB tryouts to receive an offer from a Waterloo BB team.
Offers to join a BB team may be extended to players throughout the tryout process rather than just at the end. Offers can start after the first evaluation (Tuesday, May 6th for Waterloo U18BB). Upon being sent an offer through the HCR/Spordle portal, a player will have 24 hours to accept the offer in the system. The Gold and White teams will coordinate the extension of offers to draft two equal teams throughout the tryouts rather than a single draft at the end.
Tryout evaluators will be provided by the coaching staff of each team and may include outside evaluators. Players will be selected based on skill, hockey sense, work ethic, listening skills, and attitude/behaviour on and off the ice as demonstrated during tryouts and based on prior knowledge of the player (including feedback from previous coaches).
Any player releases will be done through the team websites.
Note that with spring U18 tryouts occurring before the finalization of several local Junior teams, there may be additional player movement across the Waterloo U18 AAA, AA and BB teams. This might result in additional offers being extended at the beginning of the fall.
Player and Parent Expectations
Please respect the following guidelines during tryouts:
- Players should always come to the rink on time, with all their equipment, ready to work hard and have fun.
- Players must be ready 10 minutes before the scheduled tryout to receive any instructions from the coaching staff.
- All players will listen to the coaches and on-ice personnel.
- Any form of harassment or discrimination from players or parents will not be tolerated.
- Parents will contact either Head Coach with an explanation as soon as possible if a player will be absent or late for a tryout.
In addition, we ask that parents please respect the following:
- We are committed to sharing information together throughout this tryout process. Comments to one Head Coach, will be communicated to the other Head Coach.
- We will not discuss ice time, player/line combinations, team strategies or other on ice decisions with you during tryouts or during the season. Players are always welcome to bring concerns directly to the Head Coach as they are now old enough to do so – we are approachable, willing to listen and come up with fair solutions. Once the teams are selected, a Parent Representative will be selected to hear parent concerns.
- Be honest with your player and with yourself. Don’t treat being released as failure; support your player’s effort.
- Remember that we all make mistakes.
- Rumours hurt everyone. Don’t start them, don’t spread them and if you can, stop them.