So you’ve tried the sport and want to join the Sheffield Steelkings Para Ice Hockey Club… GREAT!
We are always on the lookout for new people who want to be a part of our hockey family and Defend The Kingdom with us! With your hard work we will train you to be the best player you can be!
But before we get there, we need you to complete your registration paperwork and set up your standing order with the club.
The following information is here to guide you through the process and was correct at the time of typing (and we will endeavour to keep it updated).
You should not feel any pressure to join the club. It is simply here so that you have a full understanding of what to expect going forward with us:
1 – REGISTRATION:
First, we need you to register with England Ice Hockey (‘EIH’) so you are covered under their insurance for training and playing in the British Para Ice Hockey League (‘BPIHL’).
This is on a system called ‘GameDay’ and is £60(pp). The insurance period for para ice hockey typically runs from the start of October to the end of September.
This is the link:
It’s fairly self explanatory, but if it is your first time registering with EIH (on Gameday), you will need to upload a form of ID to prove your identity.
Once complete, England Ice Hockey will send an email through confirming your registration.
2 – TRAINING SUBS
We will need you to set up a standing order to cover your monthly training fees.
On average, we train between 2-5 times a month depending on ice availability at different times of the year.
Currently our league and inter-club games are also included in the cost your training subs.
*These could be subject to change, but any changes would be brought forward by our treasurer at our Annual General Meeting which typically takes place at the end of September.
Our current monthly fees are currently £30 a month.
Or if you would rather, you can pay £10 per session.
Here are the club’s bank details for your standing order:
Name:
Sheffield Steelkings Para Ice Hockey Club
Account Number:
41121910
Sort Code:
60-40-09
3 – ACCESS CARD
Though the Steelkings are an inclusive club, during the season the British Para Ice Hockey League currently monitors those with disabilities to make sure they are getting preferential ice time in games.
So, if you have issues with walking / standing for long periods we ask you to apply for ‘Access Card’ registration, so that you can then be included in their/our numbers.
An Access Card is a universal way of conveying your access requirements with thousands of organisations, venues, events and ticketing systems in the UK and beyond.
You can apply for a BPIHL Digital Access Pass which is a free way of conveying your access requirements, just with BPIHL. (Or you can purchase a physical Access Card for £15 for three years).
To apply for your free BPIHL Digital Access Pass, use the link to go through the application form, upload any validating evidence along with some narrative about your access requirements:
https://app.accesscard.online/apply/bpiha-league/form/
Once your EIH Gameday registration is approved, and you have your Access Card number, you need to send it with your name via email to recruitment@paraicehockey.co.uk and don’t forget to include you are a Sheffield Steelkings player.
This information will then be validated for eligibility to class as an ‘inclusive player’ in the British Para Ice Hockey League.
4 – JERSEYS
Each season, we use different jerseys for training and playing in.
Now that you joining the Sheffield Steelkings, we need you to pick a number you want like to play in!
To see which numbers are already in use, click on the ‘Team & Sponsor‘ page on our website.
As we turn our attention to the new para ice hockey season (which runs between May and September), we need you to think about finding your own personal sponsor to cover the cost of next season’s jerseys.
Personal sponsorship is where you find a company who will have their logo displayed on the back of your new league jerseys for £130.
After you find a sponsor, your new jerseys will become ‘free’ to you because your sponsor will have covered the cost of them. The club retains the rest of the money which helps us keep costs down for everyone.
Not only will we put your sponsor logo on your new league jerseys, but it will also appear on our website, and read out at our home games during the new league campaign too.
(In addition to the jerseys, we do also use club padded trousers or socks – Though these are not required at training, when it comes to playing games, we’d need you to have either our trousers or socks as official team wear – These are £25 and £10 respectively and can be purchased at any time).
For now though, you can just ask your teammates to borrow one of their spare jerseys so that you can train in the correct colour.
5 – FACEBOOK
The Sheffield Steelkings are organised in a private Facebook group call ‘Steelkings Players and Staff’
This is where we put polls and other information about training, games and everything else.
Important dates are found in the ‘Featured’ tab in the group, as well as a post called Coaches Corner (which is a work in progress) but contains a link to a series of videos to help new players learn about the sport.
You will be invited into the group by our club chairman who can be found here
6 – KIT / EQUIPMENT
The Sheffield Steelkings are happy to lend you protective equipment while you first start out with us, but over time you will need have all your own so that we can continue to lend ours out to new people trying the sport.
This will then be followed by your own sticks and ultimately a sledge (later down the line).
We try not to pressure people into buying their equipment (and sledge) too quickly as we do not want to put any extra financial burden on you, and we want your setup to be right, but we need you to consider the next person coming in to try the sport.
We always recommend investing in a brand new helmet and a good set of chest pads, but you might want to consider selling sites like eBay, Vinted and Facebook Marketplace for secondhand equipment, if you do not wish to buy brand new.
7 – QUESTIONS
Finally, we appreciate that there is a lot of information there.
If you have any questions, you will find a lot of information on our website, but if wish to ask us something else, please email us at sheffieldsteelkings@gmail.com
“HAIL TO THE KINGS”
Sheffield Steelkings Para Ice Hockey Club 