Welcome to the Sun Prairie Youth Hockey Association, Inc.(SPYHA). We’re glad you decided to get involved in the world’s most exciting sport. I’m sure you will find hockey to be a great addition to your son or daughter’s athletic career.

Although our organization is similar to other sport organizations, we find that hockey can be confusing to those not familiar with it. With that in mind, we’ve put together a short orientation that should provide the information you need to better understand our organization. 

SPYHA is a not for profit, 501(c)(3) corporation, established in 1977. Our mission is to provide a well balanced recreational and competitive hockey program by creating opportunities for all, aiding in the enrichment of the lives of the players and the realization of individual and team achievements of worth accomplished through one's own efforts. These achievements are to be attained through the guidance of our youth hockey coaches, parents and Board of Directors.

The objectives of SPYHA are:

• To make hockey available to all youth in Sun Prairie desiring to play.
• To provide an enjoyable introduction and experience in ice hockey and encourage every player to continue to play hockey.
• To assist each player in developing self-control, self-discipline and sportsmanship through teamwork.
• To develop total fitness for efficient and effective performance.
• To develop an understanding of the theory of play, a thorough knowledge of the rules of the game, mastery of skills and mental alertness to enable the recreational hockey player to perform successfully at the player’s level of learning.
• To provide each youth hockey player with a program in which qualified individuals coach them.
• To provide ample opportunity for youth hockey players to develop to the limits of their potential, regardless of their abilities.

The SPYHA is governed by the association bylaws regarding Membership, Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Officers, Other Provisions and Amendments. Officers and Directors are elected at the Association’s Annual Meeting which is held in the spring of each year. We would welcome your participation. Please see a current Board member or officer for more information. The SPYHA Board of Director’s meets once each month. The meetings are open to all members. Please see website for dates and times.

The Executive Committee is made up of the President, President-Elect, Immediate Past-President, Treasurer and Secretary. The Executive Committee shall have and exercise, when the Board is not in session, all of the powers of the Board, except as limited by statute, the SPYHA Bylaws or by actions and policies of the Board of Directors.

President:

The principal duties of the President shall be to represent the SPYHA, Inc. personally and through delegates, and have general supervision of the affairs of the corporation including the enforcement of all policies of SPYHA, Inc. The President shall serve as chairperson of the Executive Committee and all annual or special meetings.

President Elect:

The principal duties of the President Elect shall be to serve on the Executive Committee; to prepare and to become the President in the succeeding year; to perform the duties of the President in his or her absence, including but not limited to presiding over special and regular meetings; and to perform any other duties as deemed necessary by SPYHA policies or the Board of Directors.

Treasurer:

The principal duties of the Treasurer shall be to keep account of all monies, credit and property, of any and every nature of the corporation, which shall come into his hands and keep an accurate account of monies received and disbursed and keep vouchers for money disbursed, and to render such accounts, statements, and property on hand and generally all matters pertaining to his office as shall be required by the Board of Directors, and shall be present to the membership at the annual meeting an annualized profit and loss statement and a balance sheet. The Board of Directors may hire an independent certified public accountant to review the annual reports prior to the meeting. The general and principal books of accounts shall be the responsibility of the Treasurer, and a record of their location or locations shall be maintained by the Treasurer and at all time made available for inspection by any member, his agent, or his attorney, for any proper purpose at any reasonable time.

Secretary:

The principal duties of the Secretary shall be to countersign all conveyances, assignments and contracts executed by the corporation, and to keep a record of the proceedings of the members, the Board of Directors, and the Executive Committee, and to safely and systematically keep all books, papers, records, and documents belonging to the corporation, or pertaining to the business thereof. The Secretary shall handle all correspondence pertaining to the corporation’s business as so directed by the Board of Directors. Other minutes and records shall be the responsibility of the secretary, and a record of their location or locations shall be maintained by the Secretary and at all times made available for inspection by any member or his agent or attorney for any proper purpose at any reasonable time.

SPYHA is a member of the Wisconsin Amateur Hockey Association (WAHA) and a member of USA Hockey which governs all amateur hockey in the US including the Olympic team. WAHA is the local affiliate of USA Hockey and governs hockey in Wisconsin and conducts all state tournaments.

SPYHA provides a variety of programs from initiation to competitive travel teams. Children interested in learning to play hockey should first have basic skating skills.  SPYHA's introduction to hockey begins with our ADM program.  We also sponsor travel teams at the Squirt (9 &10), Pee Wee (11 & 12), Bantam (13 & 14), Midget U16 (15 & 16), and High School 2 (Grades 9-12).

Most players begin hockey at age 5 or 6. We do allow skaters as young as 4 years old, provided they have basic skating skills. Beginners start with the ADM program. Players progress through the program by mastering skills as required by USA Hockey. It is important to remember that each player progresses at a different rate. Automatic advancement doesn’t happen just because of attendance. Another key point to remember is that older players learn faster and advance faster. 

Please note: USA Hockey uses birth years to determine age. 

We understand that one of the obstacles to getting involved in hockey is the cost of the equipment. SPYHA helps with that by providing protective equipment to all participants Squirt age and below. Note that travel Squirts and Mites must provide their own gloves.

All players are required to furnish hockey skates, hockey stick, athletic supporter & cup or pelvic protection, hockey socks, suspenders (used to hold up hockey pants), hockey garter belt (used to hold up socks), and mouth guards (if required by rule). Neck protection is optional and, if desired, must also be provided by participants.

Please see EQUIPMENT webpage for more information regarding equipment and issues dates. You may also look under Equipment Resale. 

Fall Wreath Sale & other Sales

The fund raising materials for the FALL WREATH SALE and the any other SALE will be available on our fundraising page. Through these fundraising opportunities, members have the ability to recover hockey fees. Members and SPYHA will split profits 75/25.

Example: The “Gretzky” family generates $400.00 NET profit from a combination of all wreath sales. Three hundred dollars ($300.00) will be applied to the Gretzky family SPYHA account towards their final fee payment. In the event that more than the current season’s dues are earned, a credit will be carried over to the next season. Credits will be forfeited when a member leaves the association.

These opportunities are voluntary.

Volunteer Hours

Please check the volunteering page for full details of the volunteer opportunities.

From time to time we also have projects at the rink that need to be completed. When you see sign up sheets, please help us out. We are trying to keep your volunteer time to a minimum. This will only work if people truly volunteer when needed.

Registration for all programs is done on-line. Please see the registration webpage for specific information for the upcoming season.

We strive to provide all members with current and accurate information. Please visit the website often for information updates. In addition to the website, we occasionally use mass e-mails. It is important that we have your current e-mail address on file so you receive the information. Sometimes it is necessary to post messages at the arena. Please check the doors and bulletin boards for information as you enter or exit the arena.

The Sun Prairie Youth Hockey Association ("SPYHA") was formed in the early 1970's as a not-­for-profit organization specializing in instructional hockey programs for youth in the Sun Prairie area.

During the early days, most activities were conducted outside on the natural ice maintained at Wetmore Park. Due to the uncertainty of weather, additional ice was rented from Hartmeyer Ice Arena in Madison. Membership numbers were small with only one team fielded in each age group.

In 1978 a group of ambitious Sun Prairie hockey enthusiasts built the current Sun Prairie Ice Arena. This small group provided all the equipment, materials, labor, and financial support to build the arena. The SPYHA leased the facility from this group and was responsible for operations.

The 1980's were a decade of growth for the Association and the arena. At one time, three high schools called Sun Prairie Ice Arena their home. In addition, several youth hockey groups rented ice from the SPYHA. Many improvements were made to the facility, including permanent Plexiglas, locker rooms, bleachers and heat.

During the mid 1980's, our first in-house program was started. The opportunity to experience hockey without the expense associated with traveling increased the number of members dramatically and required the Association to purchase more of its own ice. SPYHA was fielding multiple teams representing youth from 5-15 years of age.

The SPYHA made a proposal to purchase the rink from the original owners in the early 90's. The owners accepted and a new era began.

Currently, SPYHA provides hockey opportunities for approximately 400 families in the Sun Prairie community. Programs are available for youth and adult. Recently, both women's and girl's hockey have been added. On the competitive side, over 250 youth participate on 12 different traveling teams. In addition, the in-house program provides a learning environment through learn-to-skate and learn-to-play programs for an additional 125 youth.

With this strong foundation laid and our commitment to our health as a volunteer, not-for-profit organization, the Sun Prairie Youth Hockey Association looks forward to continuing our tradition of growth and to providing excellent learning opportunities and fun for our youth for many years ahead.