NEW POST FEBRUARY 3/10:
2010 Western Challenge Cup Logo Design Contest open to all!
As we have had some impressive WCC logos in the past, we wanted to get a new look and approach to the WCC logo for 2010. We are asking anyone interested in designing the logo to submit their designs to WCMBHA of BC. An online vote will take place from the entries, and the winner will be showcased in the 2010 WCC program. We look forward to your designs, deadline is May 15, 2010.
Click on this link: WCC LOGO DESIGN SUBMISSION to download a pdf form with information and template.
NEW POST JANUARY 29/10:
U19 Head Coach appointed
for
2010 and 2011 Provincial team
West Coast Minor Ball Hockey Association of BC Executives would like to take this opportunity to welcome our newly appointed U19 West Coast Express Head Coach Jim Armstrong of Vernon, BC. Jim was among 5 other applicants that submitted applications back in November 2009 to become the Head Coach for the 2 year term in the U19 Division. As the U19 BC team is the longest running BC minor provincial program, the best placement the team has placed at Nationals is A-Pool Bronze which was in 2008 (Halifax). Jim is no stranger to high level ball hockey as he was Assistant Coach with the U20 Junior Team Canada team in 2008 when they won world gold in Newfoundland and is part of the U20 staff headed to Austria later this June as well. Jim has also been head coach for the 2006 U17 & U19 BC teams (in Waterloo, Ontario) and Head Coach of the U19 Canadian Rockies that participated in the 2009 Nationals (Edmonton) "I greatfully accept this position and look forward to getting started right away to put together a highly competitive team for BC," said Armstrong. Tryout dates are just being scheduled and a press release should be sent out to all the associations by the end of January. Open tryouts will be held in late March/early April, followed by scouting of league games and final invite only tryouts in early May before the teams (U15, U17 & U19) are selected. Teams will be traveling to Waterloo, Ontario July 27th to August 1st to compete at Nationals.
WCMBHA of BC would like to thank Paul Hundal for his two years as U19 Head Coach and look forward to his input and views for the coming years as well. In Paul's two years as U19 Head Coach, the team won A-Pool Bronze in 2008 (Halifax) and B-Pool Bronze in 2009 (Edmonton). We thank you Paul and wish you all the best with your future coaching positions and thank you for your dedication to minor ball hockey.
POST MARCH 30/09:
Western Challenge Cup Update
JULY 15th to JULY 18th, 2010
The 2010 WCC tournament will be held from Thursday, July 15th to Sunday, July 18th, 2010. The locations is yet to be finalized, but it will be in the Lower Mainland. An Associaiton WCC meeting will be held in early February to determine location as well as any rule changes/additions. If you have any comments, suggestions or issues with the WCC tournament, please contact your local Minor Ball Hockey Association Executives for them to bring forward your views.
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New Western Challenge Cup website now up and running! A new website has been launched dedicated to the WCC Tournament. As more information becomes available, the website will be updated. |
For all your National & World Tournament statistics click on ballhockey.net link below. |
Past Champions & Player eligibility
For a list of past Western Challenge Cup, Junior National and World Junior Champions go to the links below. Included is the player eligibility for each Event.
• Western Challenge Cup Past Champions
• Junior National Past Champions
• World Junior Past Champions
• Player Eligibility Per Event
Past Statistics for the Western Challenge Cup (2003-2008)
The first three years of WCC (2000-2002) are being updated and will be posted once recieved from Edmonton. If you have any photos from past WCC tournaments please forward them to vp@wcmbh.com It is the 10th anniversary for WCC coming up in 2009 and the organizers are looking at putting together a special program.
• Western Challenge Cup 2008 (July 10-13 • Maple Ridge, BC)
• Western Challenge Cup 2007 (July 12-15• Edmonton, Alta)
• Western Challenge Cup 2006 (July 6-9 • Delta, BC)
• Western Challenge Cup 2005 (July 7-10 • Edmonton, Alta)
• Western Challenge Cup 2004 (July 8-11 • Delta, BC)
• Western Challenge Cup 2003 (July 11-13 • Edmonton, Alta)
CBHA Junior National Championships
Since 1999, the CBHA has been offering a U-19 Junior National Championship. It has given players at this level a chance to excel outside of their City, Regional and Provincial Championships. With this tournament it has allowed CBHA to scout players for International competition. With the success of the Junior National Championships, the U17 DIvision of the tournament was introduced in 2006.
In 2008 the European region opened its doors to all countries and hosted the first U16 & U18 World Ball Hockey Championships in Zvolen, Slovakia. With CBHA a heavy player in making this happen, proposed the addition of a U15 Division at the National event which took place in August 2008, this in turn will be beneficial to the Team Canada scouting program as it will give CBHA scouts not only the opportunity to scout regionals, but to scout players at a National level with national competition. The Junior National Championships have become more than just a ball hockey tournament, it has given many players along with families the opportunity to visit other parts of our country. Some of the cities, that have hosted the tournament are Charlottetown, PEI; Waterloo, Ontario; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Edmonton, Alberta and Burnaby, B.C. The next four years were discussed recently at a CBHA Minor Council Meeting and the host cities will be: 2009 Edmonton, Alberta; 2010 Ontario (city to be determined); 2011 St. John’s, Newfoundland; 2012 back in B.C.
BC - A National Competitor
BC has competed well at the Nationals in both the U19 and U17 Divisions. In the three years that BC has sent a U17 team (two teams in 2007), they have come back home with 2 A Pool Silver medals, 1 A Pool Bronze medal and 1 B Pool Gold medal. For the U19 Program, BC has had a very competitive showing in round robin action, but have never placed higher than winning the B Pool Gold. In 2008, the U19 West Coast Express competed at the Junior Nationals in Halifax, Nova Scotia and battled into the A Pool side of the semi-finals and came home with BC’s first A Pool medal - a Bronze!
As Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2008 was the first to host the U15 age group, it was decided due to costs not to start the BC Program for this division until 2009. As the U17 and U19 BC teams will come back and compete well at the 2009 Junior Nationals in Edmonton it will be the first year building the U15 program. This National tournament along with the Western Challenge Cup (Calgary July,2009) will be events that BC U15 player’s will be scouted for the 2010 U16 Team Canada. WCMBHA of BC’s intention is to build the foundation, much like they did with the U17 program years ago, to act as a base for elite ball hockey players to grow with the program from U15 through to U19 Division.
As the local associations will start their season, so will the BC national program - with early tryout camps in April and scouting throughout the first part of the minor ball hockey season. As both WCC and Junior Nationals are in Alberta (WCC in Calgary-July09 and Nationals in Edmonton-August09) commitment will need to be made early as many players that will participate for their own associations at the Western’s will need to travel back for the Nationals two to three weeks later if chosen for the BC Teams. As the 2008 U19 Head Coach will be back for his second year of the two year committed position. Head Coaches will be discussed and voted on in early January and posted for the upcoming 2009 season. Players are encouraged to notify WCMBHA of BC of their interest in attending Team BC tryouts. Please go to the “Rep Program” page of www.wcmbh.com for more information. BC is becoming a big part not only at the National level but internationally as well. The province had 2 coaches (U18 & U20) as well as 11 players chosen to be apart of the Team Canada Program in 2008. All of which experienced the joy of bringing home a World Championship gold medal (U16 & U18 in Zvolen, Slovakia and U20 in St.John’s, Newfoundland, Canada). WCMBHA of BC encourages all registered minor ball hockey players to get involved with these programs and are fair and unbiased in all final team selections.
Play minor ball hockey on an international stage!
For the majority of minor canadian ball hockey players, the sport is about getting out and enjoying a game of “street hockey” in a controlled and organized atmosphere. But as the sport grows in registration and recognition its no wonder that ball hockey is becoming a mainstream sport.
As the Western Challenge Cup and Junior Nationals grow each year, it is becoming obvious that minor ball hockey is being accepted as a competitive sport at higher levels. Canadian Ball Hockey Association has recognized the importance of offering this level of play both nationally and internationally. As ball hockey is still recognized as a recreational sport, these levels of play gives youths with more skills and experience an opportunity to play at full capacity on a level competitive playing field.
The U20 World Championships were introduced in 2000 hosted in the city of Kralupy, Czech Replubic. As international competition was new to canadian minor ball hockey players, most european countries had experience playing other countries in various european tournaments. As Canada was about to send minor players for the first time, they had the backing of the men’s ball hockey program as they had already participated in three World Championships taking the first in Bratislava, Slovakia in 1996. The U20’s would prove to be ready as they brought home the inaugural U20 World Championship gold beating the home town favorites Czech Republic.
Along with the Men’s program, the U20 program would soon be among the top teams to be reckoned with in the World’s. The U20 national team would go on to compete in the next four World Championships and brought home two bronze and one more gold as of 2008.
With the strong performances for these two programs as well as the Women’s national program (Gold medal in their first world appearance in 2007 hosted by Dusseldorf, Germany), the International Street & Ball Hockey Federation introduced the world tournament to the U16 & U18 divisions in 2008. The inaugural championships took place for both divisions in Zvolen, Slovakia on the same weekend. Again with European tournaments already held for these two divisions in Europe in previous years, Canada was the new kids on the block. The U16 Team Canada started the final day with a gold medal win over the Czech Replubic while the U18 national squad went on to beat hometown favorite Slovakia for the gold as well. At present time Canada holds all World Championships in Men’s, Women’s, U20, U18 and U16 Divisions. The minor division programs have introduced more than just competition on the floor, it has given youths the chance to experience other cultures and bring home memories of other countries weather they are champions or not. The World Championships for the U20, U18 and U16 are every second even year.
Player scouting is finalize the year prior at Western’s, Eastern’s and Junior National Championships., but is a process that spans over two years. For this scouting process it shows how big of part the Western Challenge Cup and the Junior Nationals play in noticing potential talent from across the country. For more information on event dates and the Team Canada Program go to www.cbha.com as well as www.wcmbh.com
The Western Challenge Cup (Calgary-July09) and the Junior National (Edmonton-August09) events in 2009 will be the final scouting stops for the upcoming 2010 World Championships for these divisions which is tentatively slated to be hosted by Villach, Austria in the month of June 2010.