Corporate Ice Hockey Teams and Leagues
When you join the right corporate ice hockey league, your company will see immediate benefits. Playing ice hockey is something that the staff and their families can enjoy. When a corporate ice hockey team plays at a local rink, the staff members' children and spouses can also come out and enjoy themselves.
Before you sign up your company for a corporate ice hockey league, there are a few elements you will want to look for in the league to make sure that it is as safe as possible. The last thing you want is to have lost employee time due to an incident at the corporate ice hockey game. When you join the right league, you will be able to enjoy the benefits of this team sport without the challenges that come with contact sports.
Read The Rules
In the corporate ice hockey world, there are non-checking leagues and checking leagues. While we are all used to the rough and tumble world of professional ice hockey that we see on television, that is not the kind of hockey you want your staff members playing. Read the rules of the corporate ice hockey league you are considering and make sure that you are joining a non-checking league.
Another important rule to look for is a zero tolerance policy for fighting. Corporate ice hockey can put your company on the ice against one of your best customers and you don't want your sales people out there fighting with the clients. Make sure that the league you join has a zero tolerance for aggressive behaviour and that the rule is strictly enforced.
Check Out The Rink
Make sure that the rink where the games will be played is family friendly. Your corporate ice hockey league could score a lot of big points with your staff members if the rink made the experience pleasant for the families as well. It could strengthen the bond your staff feels with the company, and it will also give the family members reason to feel strongly about the company as well.
A family friendly rink has a restaurant, a seating area where families can watch the games, and an area where children can be entertained as well. In most cases, a video game area would do just fine for the kids. Be sure that the rink offers plenty of family fun to help enhance your ice hockey league.
Get A League With A Full Schedule
Some corporate ice hockey leagues offer a schedule of games and that's all. While that serves the purpose, it does leave out thinks like an all-star game and the playoffs. Look for a league that gives your corporate ice hockey team the full experience, which includes the playoffs. An all-star game is also nice to help recognize some of the league's better players.
An average corporate ice hockey team season is between 10 and 20 games. Anything more than that will be too much for a team of staff members to handle, and anything less leaves the team wanting just a little more. Find a full schedule and let your corporate ice hockey team get the full experience.
Look For National Affiliation
There are several national hockey associations that help to operate corporate ice hockey leagues which can make the experience richer for your team. For example, USA Hockey is a national organization that helps corporate ice hockey leagues to establish rules for play and allows players to be part of a national network of other corporate ice hockey players. It is just another way that you can help your employees to get a little more out of the experience.
A corporate ice hockey team can be a source of pride for the company and for the staff members. Since membership to a corporate ice hockey team is limited, it can also be used as a reward for employees who work hard and have aspirations of playing on the team.
Another benefit to a corporate ice hockey team is that each game can become a social event for your employees. When the corporate ice hockey team is playing, the staff members who are not on the team can all gather at the rink and enjoy the game together. It is an event that brings together the entire staff and allows the staff members to meet the families of the people they work with.
If your company is looking for a rallying point that will help encourage teamwork and enhance the productivity of the staff, then a corporate ice hockey team is the answer. The staff members both on and off the ice will all benefit from the experience of having a company ice hockey team.