PVHA Adopts COVID Relief Refund Policy

PVAHA COVID Relief Refund Policy for 2020-21
 
The next few weeks figure to be a whirlwind for local youth hockey players looking to finalize their teams at the Tier 1 and Tier 2 levels for the 2020-21 season.

With so much uncertainty surrounding the viability of having a season at all this year, the last few months have been extremely stressful for hockey families all over North America. In our area tryouts were delayed until July, with the AAA teams getting first crack at signing players in June and Tier 1 tryouts being scheduled for the first week of July.

That left AA teams waiting until July 13 to be able to offer contracts and hold tryouts for returning players and until July 20 to be able to offer contracts and hold tryouts for players new to their organizations. This is all happening without a real understanding of what youth hockey might look like this fall and when the season might be able to get underway. 

State and local guidelines for rinks to reopen, including limited numbers of skaters, social distancing, no use of locker rooms and other restrictions added to the chaos along with the fact that some rinks either haven’t opened up yet or are just getting themselves up and running after getting their ice back in place and satisfying governmental requirements. On top of that, ice time is in high demand and available slots have been limited.
 
The good news is that players have been getting back onto the ice one way or another over the past few weeks, Team Maryland and the Little Caps were able to hold their tryouts and fill at least most of their roster spots, and the rest of the youth hockey world has started the tryout process and should be picking its teams in the weeks ahead.

The bad news is that the future of youth hockey in 2020-21, along with many other things in the world, is still uncertain, and hockey has not gotten any cheaper. The expense of playing hockey has only become more of a burden with our economy struggling to get back on its feet and so many people out of work.
 
Fortunately, PVAHA has developed criteria for which families can receive at least a partial refund if their financial situation changes as a result of COVID-19 and they cannot meet an agreed-upon financial comitment to a local hockey association. It is important to make sure that any player who receives a player agreement/contract for the 2020-21 season gets a copy of the PVAHA COVID-19 Financial Hardship Refund Policy as outlined below.
 
Parents/Guardians of players signing agreements may petition the association for relief under the following guidelines:
  • Under this policy, hardships must be related to the COVID-19 pandemic, where a family’s financial status changed after signing the Player Agreement/Contract.
  • Member Associations are allowed to charge for the following: Durable goods that cannot be repurposed (i.e. team uniforms, etc.), ice fees, coaching fees and expenses pro-rated to what has actually been used by the player up to the date the association received a written request.
  • Participants/families exercising this option will not be permitted to roster with another PVAHA member association or with an association in the other three Affiliates of the Southeastern District (CAHA, SAHA, SAHOF) at the same, or higher, competitive level for the 2020–2021 season.
  • Participants/families may exercise this relief option on, or prior to, October 31, 2020.
 
Failure to adhere to the policy guidelines above may result in disciplinary action, due to violation of PVAHA Bylaws – 8.2 Membership.
 
Please note that the following statements from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, may be used in guidance to help determine applicable COVID-19 financial hardships:
 
  • A family experiences adverse financial consequences due to having members of its household furloughed, laid off or having work hours reduced due to SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19; and/or the family experiences adverse financial consequences due to the closing or reducing hours of a business that is owned or operated due to SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19.
 
If a player is released by a member association due to COVID-19 financial hardship, the player’s information should be sent to the PVAHA president at pvahapresident@gmail.com.
 
Families of players who receive contract offers without this information should reach out to the club that has made the offer, even if they currently face no financial hardship, as economic conditions are constantly fluctuating and the situation currently facing our country looks as if it will continue for the foreseeable future.