Mound Westonka Hockey

General Use Policies

When players, coaches, parents and fans come to the Thaler & Pond Sports Centers, we expect them to follow these rules.

Team Rooms: Team rooms are scheduled for each user group by arena staff. They are available one-half hour before the ice time starts. Arena staff will issue the team room key to a coach in exchange for car keys, and will inspect the team room before and after its use. Coaches are expected to supervise their teams while they are in a team room. No food or beverages of any kind are allowed in the team room without prior arena staff approval. Each user group should leave the team room with all trash picked up, and is responsible for any damage it causes and will be charged for any excessive clean-up required as a result of its use. Team rooms should be locked while the user group is on the ice.

Children: Children who are in or outside the arena and not on the ice during a practice or a game must be closely supervised by a parent or other responsible adult. Unsupervised children annoy other patrons, interfere with arena staff duties, can damage the arena and can cause harm to themselves.

Ice and Resurfacing: Coaches are responsible for ending a practice immediately at the end of the ice time, when the resurfacer doors open, and coaches are expected to supervise their players in picking up pucks, gathering sticks and gear, and leaving the ice as quickly as possible. Violations of this rule shorten the resurfacing and ice set-up time and impair the quality of the ice for the next user group.

No one is allowed on the ice while a resurfacing is underway, except for coaches who move the nets to a safe position against the boards after the resurfacer has passed. No one is allowed on the ice after a resurfacing until the resurfacer doors are closed. If there has been no resurfacing immediately before the ice time, then no one is allowed on the ice until arena staff has authorized it.

Food and Beverages: Concession stand revenue is an important part of the Thaler & Pond operating budget, and no outside food or beverages are allowed in the arena. No food or beverages of any kind are allowed in the team room without prior arena staff approval.

Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs: No alcohol, no smoking or chewing tobacco, and no drugs are allowed in the arena or on the arena grounds.

Scorer’s Box, Penalty Box: The scorer’s and penalty boxes are to be used only for their intended purposes and only during games or scrimmages. All players, dressed or not, must wear a helmet while they are in the player’s box or penalty box.

Open Skating and Open Hockey: Open skating is available during posted hours, and open hockey may be available as posted. Both open skating and open hockey are intended to benefit skaters in the community, outside of particular youth programs or leagues, but they can provide that benefit only if they are safe and orderly. To that end, all participants must follow these rules:

Open Skating:

• all skaters must skate in the same direction, as indicated by arena staff
• no one is allowed in the players' boxes or scorer's box

• no one is allowed to sit on the boards

• everyone must skate at a safe speed, and no tag, crack the whip or similar games are allowed

• the ice is for people and skates only -- no sticks, pucks, balls, chairs, skate-aids or other devices are allowed on the ice

• children should not be carried while on the ice

• use of helmets and other protective equipment, particularly for younger skaters, is encouraged

Open Hockey:

• all players must wear full hockey equipment, including helmets and mouthguards

• there is no checking

• slapshots are not allowed

• behavior that is intimidating to any participants is not allowed, and all players are urged to involve and assist players of all skill levels

Prohibitions: These activities are prohibited in the arena and on the arena grounds:

• spitting, except on the ice

• using profanity

• using of sticks, pucks or balls, except on the ice

• running, throwing items, and other horseplay

• using roller blades, roller shoes and skateboards in the arena

• playing hacky sack in the arena

• bringing pets into the arena, except for guide dogs

• wearing skates, even with skateguards, in the lobby, concourse or stands, except that younger skaters may wear skateguards in areas with a rubber floor (but still not in the stands)

• leaving children unattended

Special Use Policies

The following policies and rules are of particular application to the Thaler & Pond Sports Centers.

Thaler Parking: Visitors to the Thaler Sports Center should park in the Main school lot, NO parking by the arena entrance.

Pond Parking: Visitors to the Pond Sports Center should park in the lot to the west of the arena building (the side with the arena entry), on the south side of Alder Street to the north of the arena building, or if necessary in the lots on the east side of Commerce Blvd. No parking by arena patrons is allowed in the parking area that serves the Jubilee Foods store!

Thaler Handicapped Lift: Handicapped use only! No playing in the lift allowed. Playing with lift up/down buttons not allowed.

Thaler Bleachers: Please put your trash in containers at top of bleachers when leaving. NO training is allowed in the Thaler bleacher seats. Training on stairs or in the arena is allowed only with coach supervision and at times not disturbing other ice users and with prior arena staff approval.

Pond Bleachers: Please put your trash in containers at top of bleachers when leaving. Training on bleachers/stairs allowed only with coach supervision and at times not disturbing other ice users and with prior arena staff approval.

Concession Stand: The Thaler & Pond ability to keep ice costs low depends in part on a certain level of concession stand revenue. The concession stand should be open and staffed by at least two parents (or other volunteers at least 16 years old) during (a) all games or scrimmages against a team from another association and (b) all I-mite, termite, and mite practices. An association that fails to arrange for volunteers for any such game or practice is subject to a $20 fine for each occurrence.

Thaler Meeting Room: The meeting room is available for meetings, off-ice instruction and other team events. Use is by prior reservation with arena staff. Food and beverages are allowed with prior notice and approval from arena staff. Users are responsible for all clean up, and all of the prohibitions in Part 4 apply to the meeting room.

Pond Second Floor: The open space on the second floor is to be used only by spectators. No use of or entry into the manager’s office or other rooms on the second level is allowed. All of the prohibitions in Part 4 apply to the second floor.

Pond Third Floor: The room on the third floor is available for meetings, off-ice instruction and other team events. Use is by prior reservation with arena staff, and food and beverages are allowed with prior notice to arena staff. Users are responsible for all clean up, and all of the prohibitions in Part 4 apply to the third floor room.

Thaler Varsity Locker Rooms: Thaler staff is not required to unlock these rooms for anyone. Arena staff may unlock rooms for Mound high school players during their season, only when convenient.

Thaler Fitness Room: The fitness room can be used by arena users whose names are on the certified to use list. This room must be supervised at all times. The key to this room can be obtained by seeing the arena staff person on duty. Training must be completed by 10:00pm on all nights. The room is scheduled by calling or seeing Bruce (952-491-8277). Non arena users and non certified users who wish to use the Fitness room must go through the Mound-Westonka Community Ed program.

Enforcement

Users of the Thaler & Pond Sports Centers who violate one or more of these policies and rules are subject to the following enforcement actions:

• removal from the arena building and grounds

• removal from the arena building and grounds, with a stipulation that re-entry is not allowed for a specified number of days, for the remainder of the ice season, or permanently

• a reimbursement of the cost of repairs from vandalism or other damage caused by the user, or a reimbursement of the cost of staff time and other expenses incurred in cleaning up after a user

• a reporting of the violation to applicable governmental authorities

The level of enforcement action that is appropriate in the circumstances of any violation will be determined by the arena staff.