Frequently Asked Questions
March 2009
Q. What is the club all about?
A. The mission of Berks Catholic Ice Hockey is to provide an
opportunity for our youth to experience team work,
dedication, self esteem and to develop into confident young adults.
Our program endeavors to employ the same principles as our Catholic
faith.
Q. Is this club part of Berks Catholic High School?
A. We are a Sports Club. As such, we operate independent of, but are
recognized by Berks Catholic High School. We enjoy a good
relationship with the Principal and the Athletic Director of the School
and we try to espouse the same high values they implement daily in
operation of the Berks Catholic High School.
Q. What age levels may play ice hockey?
A. Berks Catholic Ice Hockey has the following Teams: 
 
Middle School - Grades 5th thru 8th (non checking)

JV - Grades 9th thru 11th 

Varsity - Grades 9th thru 12th 
 Q. Who can play for Berks Catholic  Ice Hockey?
A. Berks Catholic Ice Hockey is open to all boys who attend a Catholic
school in Berks county OR any boy from Pre-kindergarten to
8th grade who are a member of a Catholic parish in Berks county. 
 Q. My child has an interest in ice hockey however, is not an experienced skater. What should I do next?
A. There are many programs available for anyone that is interested in ice
hockey. The Body Zone Sports and Wellness Complex offers the following programs:   
• Public ice skating
• Ice skating lessons
• Hockey skills classes
• Open hockey sessions
Body Zone website - www.bodyzonesports.com
 Any time that the children spend on the ice is valuable.
Q. Is the Club part of a hockey league?
A. Yes, we are part of the EPSHL (East Penn Scholastic Hockey
League). The league is further governed by USA Hockey, AAHA and
PIAA rules. Additional information can be found at
http://www.leaguelineup.com/epshl
Q. How often do you play and when does the season start and end?
A. Practices will start in late October and run through mid March.
Games will begin in early November and run through mid/late March.
Each team will play approximately 10-14 games throughout the
season. Championship games are held at the end of March for the Middle School and High School levels.  
Q. How long are Games and Practices?
A. GAMES - Depending on the level, ice slots for games are either one
hour or one hour and thirty minutes. Typically games are held during
the week and on Sunday evenings for Middle school and High school teams. JV games can
be scheduled on a weeknight or weekend. The EPSHL sets all game
times. Berks Catholic Ice Hockey does not have control of game times.
PRACTICES - Practices are typically for one hour and vary from
1 - 2 practices per week (based on team level) on the same days of
the week each week. Practice slots are targeted from
4:30pm - 6:30pm during the week for Middle school and High school
players. This past season JV/Varsity players typically practiced 2
times per week from 4:30pm - 5:30pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  
Practices are held at the Body Zone.
Q. Is the League “PURE”?
A. The term PURE is generally used to denote that the Team draw
participants strictly from within their own school district boundaries
(among other things). While the goal is to have Pure Teams at all
levels, our philosophy also dictates that no child is left without a
place to play. Pure teams are eligible to play for the Flyer’s Cup.
Q. Is travel required?
A. No. We play all games at either Body Zone Sports & Wellness
Center, located on Paper Mill Road in Wyomissing. On occasion, a non-league game may be scheduled which would require traveling to another rink.  
Our home ice is the Body Zone.
Q. What teams are played in our league?
A. All teams/schools that are members of the EPSHL. These include
Berks Catholic, Brandywine, Cocalico, Conrad Weiser, Daniel Boone, Exeter, Governor Mifflin,
Hamburg, Muhlenberg, Oley Valley, Schuylkill Valley,
 Twin Valley, and Wilson.
Q. Who runs the Berks Catholic Ice Hockey club/program?
A. Head Coach Rick Lanciano administers all Coaching activities and
on-ice activities. Coach Rick has 30 years experience in teaching and
has a staff of USA Hockey certified coaches to help with all teams.
Beyond the USA Hockey coaching certificates, all coaches undergo annual criminal and child abuse checks. Business matters
of the club are administered by a eight member Board of Directors
made up of parent-volunteers.
Q. I am interested in coaching, what do I need to do?
A. Contact Head Coach Rick Lanciano at 610-406-1721(cell) or via
email at rlanciano@gohnhs.org to discuss your interest in coaching.
All coaches must be USA Hockey certified. Certification classes are
conducted by USA Hockey at various times throughout the year.
You can receive a listing of these certification classes by visiting
the USA Hockey website at www.usahockey.com.
Q. I want my child to be safe, what do you do to help with my
concerns?
A. Safety is paramount to all activities. Nothing is more important.
Coaches monitor all activities and conduct and players must agree to,
and sign, a Safety & Code of Conduct Policy. All players must wear
acceptable safety gear/equipment including helmets and face guards.
The Club reserves the right to bench or dismiss any player who is
endangering other players by violating safety guidelines.
Q. What happens in the unlikely event of an accident?
A. The Coaches have an emergency kit and procedure to follow. All
parents must sign an emergency pre-treatment authorization whereby
the child could be taken to a local hospital for treatment. USA
Hockey provides an extra layer of insurance that each player will
have.
Q. What activities normally occur besides Games & Practices?
A. - Typically fundraisers are planned throughout the hockey season.
A buyout fundraising option is available as well.
- We have a year end Sports Banquet when all children are
acknowledged and receive a gift.  (We do not give out
“best player” or individual awards as we want to emphasize the team
nature and inclusiveness of the program). 
  - An EPSHL Championship game is played at the Middle school and High school levels and is played at the end
of the season.
Q. How much does this cost?
A. 2017/2018 season fees are not yet established as we do not know how many children will be participating. The cost of participating is determined by the costs incurred by the club. Costs include the
following:
• Practice ice time
• League fees, which include cost of ice time and referees
• USA Hockey fees 
 
 All players purchase their
jerseys and games socks and are owned by the player. Jerseys have
their last names on the back along with a selected player number.
All expenses for the club are shared by all of the players on the teams.
This then determines the actual per player participation fee. The
coaches are not paid. The club runs as a non-profit organization.
Q. Why is Ice Hockey such an expensive sport?
A. Ice Hockey is an expensive sport because you are essentially paying
for your playing field each time you use it. Rental for the ice and
referees cost money each time you practice or play a game.
Q. I am interested in playing ice hockey for Berks Catholic Ice Hockey, what do I
do now?
A. If you are interested in playing ice hockey for Berks Catholic Ice Hockey please contact Michele Rivera at 610-413-6097 or at slapshot35@comcast.net.
A registration date will be established in the spring of 2017 at Berks Catholic High School. The date of registration will be communicated via the BCIH website at www.leaguelineup.com/bcih.