HISTORY OF THE ROYALS
The development of local youth hockey was the principal reason for the opening of Wintersport Ice Sports Arena in 1972. In the early 1970’s, the Wintersport Youth Hockey Club made frequent visits to Canada in search of top caliber opponents and friends. One of the towns was Brockville, Ontario where Wintersport Rink management owned a controlling interest in the Junior B team, the Royals. It was in 1977, and out of respect for the Brockville Royals, that Wintersport adopted its club name, the Royals. In 1977, the rink secured membership in the Delaware Valley Hockey League (DVHL) and organized a parent group to assist in the direction of its club.
ROYALS PHILOSOPHY
"It is crucial that children exist in a world, a neighborhood, a school, and in a sports program that fosters self-esteem, builds character, and provides an opportunity to learn the importance of working together for a common goal. It must be a program where building character is as important as building hockey skills. Be assured of our personal conviction that the organization at Wintersport will reflect our commitment to develop a membership with parents, coaches, and staff who channel the growth of today's young people and prepare them to become productive citizens who make significant contributions to their community".
William F. McDowell, Sr.
Royals President 1994-1997
LEVELING OF PLAYERS
Careful attention is paid to assure that players are assigned to teams that will challenge, but not overwhelm them, and will foster their development, not hinder it. Player leveling decisions are made by the coaches of the teams under the supervision of the Coaching Director and the Board of Directors. Practices are set aside at the beginning of the spring specifically for this purpose. The Coaching Director meets with each age group’s coaches to help structure this evaluation process. All decisions are final.
LEVELING OF TEAMS
Just as important as the leveling of players is the determination of the level at which each team will participate in the DVHL. The determination of the level (AA, A, B) at which the various teams of the Wintersport Royals will compete is at the discretion of the Coaching Director and the Board of Directors with input from the coaches of the teams, and under the guidelines of the DVHL.
