MITE / U8 TEAMS

STMAYHA Mite/8U Program provides hockey for boys and girls ages 4 to 9. Players must be 4 by September 1, 2026.

Youth (Mite) and girls (8U) will play separately; however, their level structures will be similar.

We have four levels of play within the Mite/8U program and try to keep kids with their age group as much as possible, but will make adjustments to best place players with others of similar skill level.

Level Breakdown

• Gold (youth and girls) – typically last year players and advanced skill level
• Blue (youth and girls) – typically last year and third year players and intermediate level
• Silver (youth) – typically second year players and new older players
• Junior Knights/Junior Hawks – typically first-year players and young return players

All primary ice time is located at the STMA Ice Arena, with occasional ice time located at Moose Sherritt Ice Arena in Monticello.

The first official weekend of the Mite/8U season will begin mid-October. The season runs through the last week of February or first week of March depending on calendar year.

During the first two weeks of the season returning skaters are evaluated. Skaters will be placed in their skill level group for the season following evaluations.

• Gold/Blue/Silver teams formed Mid November
• Junior Knights/Hawks teams formed by Early December

The number of teams at each level will be based on player registration numbers. Teams will be posted on the website and communicated via email from the Mite/8U Coordinator.

All skaters receive team jersey and socks after teams are formed that they keep at the end of the season.

TBD

Early in the season the on-ice focus for all levels will be solely on skill development through practice. As the season progresses, we will move to one hour per weekend of practice ice and one hour per weekend of scrimmage ice. Games will not begin until December, with the exception of the Gold level.

Practices will follow the USA Hockey Age Specific Practice Plans & Guidelines (ADM)

• Skills Stations
• Small Area Games
• Always Moving
• FUN

Scrimmages:

• Scrimmages will be primarily half-ice
• Junior level will be cross-ice
• Gold level will play full-ice games per MN Hockey Guidelines after January 15th
• Gold and Blue levels will play some games/scrimmages against other associations, however most of the focus will be in house development

The Mite/8U regular season schedule is typically one hour of ice each Saturday and Sunday at the STMA Arena.

• Level ice times will be scheduled on a rotation each month, so time slots are distributed evenly across teams
• 8U teams may have ice at the Moose Sherritt Ice Arena in Monticello throughout the season
• Gold and Blue levels may have additional skills practice during the week at the STMA Arena (45 minutes)

We expect to play jamborees at the Mite/8U level this season

Gold - Three Events

Blue/Silver - Two events

Junior Knights/Junior Hawks - One event

All first year Mite/8U Players are FREE this season!

All Returning Players: $500

Make sure to read our volunteer requirements before registration, including a buyout option. Those can be found in the Parent section under the Resources tab.