Information from a press release/file photo from 2024
The Genesee Amateur Hockey Association (GAHA) Timbit Beginners will be participating in their end of the year “Jamboree” on Saturday, March 14th beginning at 9AM at the David McCarthy Memorial Arena.
The world has the Olympics, Buffalo has pond hockey, but we have the Beginner Cross-Ice Event – ‘THE JAMBOREE”. The draft has taken place and the teams are set. Game schedules are confirmed and the blue lines are waiting for the hockey players to stand on them for the National Anthem.
For this Jamboree, the players are divided into five teams (featuring the White Knights, Black Ninjas, Navy Blue Rams, Royal Blue Kings, and Red Wings) denoted by the color of their jerseys and will play five 12-minute games with shifts of 2 min.
The Rink will be divided into three areas, and two teams will play against one another in 2 min. shifts for 12 minutes; then they move on to play more games with other teams – a total of 4 games. Since there are five (5) teams the team not scheduled for a game will participate in skill drills in the middle section.
At 9AM, the players will be introduced one by one as they step onto the ice and proceed to the Blue Line for the National Anthem. This year the National Anthem will be performed by Elle Williams. Elle is a fifth-grade student at Batavia Middle School and a vocal student of Lauren Hoerbelt. Lauren describes her as an outstanding student.
This year the Beginner Program consisted of 55 registered players, ages 4-12. They are coached by Andres Manamon along with Thomas Dehr as well as many other dads, family members, and past GAHA volunteers plus several GAHA Student Coaches serving as on-ice helpers. Marcia Barnes leads parent communication.
Without all this support, it would be impossible to run this program.
Most of the players have been on the ice since early October. About 12 joined the program in early January after participating in the USA Hockey – Try Hockey for Free Event. At practices they run through drills established by USA Hockey’s American Development Modules – six stations are set up around the rink, and a different drill is introduced at each station. The players move from station to station for 50 minutes.
GAHA is thankful for the sponsorship of their Beginner Program by the local Tim Horton Shop managed by Dave Lumberg. They provide jerseys for all the players as well as Timbit donuts for our special functions throughout the year.
At the end of the Jamboree the GAHA organization will offer a free family skate for the Beginner Program until Noon, and the McCarthy Rink Staff and Management will be providing “free” rental skates for those participating.