10U Squirts
10U Squirts
Registering on a Phone
Note: registering may be easier on a computer. If you're using a phone, you'll find the registration links at the bottom of the page.
10U Squirts Overview
10U is a foundational stage of hockey development. Players are building the skating, puck skills, hockey sense, confidence, and habits that will shape their hockey experience for years to come.
Our 10U program emphasizes individual skill development while gradually introducing more teamwork, competition, and game awareness. We want players to have lots of opportunities to touch the puck, make decisions, try new things, and learn through both success and mistakes.
Read MoreUSA Hockey's American Development Model and Long-Term Athlete Development principles guide our approach. At this age, quality practice is especially important, giving players the repetitions and instruction they need to build strong foundations before the game becomes increasingly complex and competitive.
10U Program Snapshot
Birth Years: 2016 & 2017
Skill Level: inexperienced skaters welcome; 6U Termite, 8U Mite, Jumpstart!, or other introductory experience recommended
Season Fee: $1400; payment plan available; includes 3 tournament registrations
CARDS Camp: optional 3-week tune-up; begins September 8th; $100
Jerseys: all Squirts must purchase new game jerseys (pair), game socks, and a reversible practice jersey this year ($170).
First Official Practices: September 29th
Read MorePractices: primarily weeknight practices, with additional skills or shinny opportunities when available
Practice Location: Legacy20 Arena Middleton; other local rinks as needed
Development Assessments: October 15th
Team Formation: October 26th
First Games: November 7-8
Tournaments: 3 tournaments included in registration fee
Playdowns: February 5th weekend
State Tournament: March 6th & 7th (end of season)
Rental Gear: not available; Rink Rat Rentals if needed
Volunteers needed: coaches, team managers, timekeepers at home games, locker room monitors, board members, events volunteers, photography/social media contributors, fundraising helpers, jerseys & gear crew
10U Success Looks Like...
At 10U, success is about building a strong foundation and learning to love getting better.
We want players to skate with confidence, make simple hockey decisions, try new things, work through mistakes, compete with enthusiasm, and become great teammates.
Most importantly, we want players to leave 10U excited to keep playing, learning, and improving.
10U Program Fees
The 10U Squirt winter season is $1,400 and includes three tournament fees. MYH offers a payment plan during registration.
CARDS Camp is an optional 3-week tune-up opportunity before the regular season and is an additional $100 during registration. It cannot be prorated for attendance or schedule conflicts.
Read MoreAll Squirts must purchase new game jerseys, game socks, and a reversible practice jersey this year ($170).
10U families are required to pay a volunteer deposit until they have met their required MYH volunteering hours.
10U CARDS Camp Details
CARDS Camp gives players an optional opportunity to get back on the ice, shake off the rust, and begin preparing for the season while families still have flexibility around fall activities.
9/8 @ 5:10pm
9/10 @ 6:40pm
9/11 @ 4:30pm
Read More9/15 @ 6:40pm
9/17 @ 6:40pm
9/18 @ 5:10pm
9/22 @ 5:10pm
9/24 @ 6:40pm
9/25 @ 5:20pm
Additional goalie-only trainings:
8/26 @ 5:00pm
9/3 @ 8:40pm
9/10 @ 7:50pm
Jerseys
All Squirts must purchase new game jerseys (pair), game socks, and a reversible practice jersey this year ($170). Please include this from the "Add-Ons" section during registration so our volunteers don't need to chase you down.
Please email gear@middletonyouthhockey.com with any questions.
Register your Skater
1) Register your player withย USA Hockey. This is required annually.
2) Log in to (or create) your family MYH CrossBar account.
3) Register your player for the season withย MYH in CrossBar.
4) Please let us know if you can help coach or volunteer. It takes a village. No experience necessary.
5) Download the free CrossBar mobile app (which pairs with our website and will provide access to schedules, communication tools, etc.) from your favorite mobile app store. Here are the links to theย Apple Storeย version &ย Google Playย version.
6) Sort equipment for the season. MYH offers a fantastic gear rental program. Locally, House of Hockey, Play-it-Again Sports, Pure Hockey, Facebook Marketplace, and Sideline Swap are great places to start your search for new & used hockey gear.
7) If you'd like other family members to receive MYH emails and access your skater's schedule & admin panel,ย create a CrossBar account for them and then link them to the accountย where you administer the youth hockey players in your family.
Did You Know?
At 10U, players improve fastest when they get lots of opportunities to skate, touch the puck, make decisions, and play in game-like situations.
That's why we emphasize quality practice, small-area games, and individual skill development rather than simply adding more games to the schedule.
The more you know...๐
How We Structure 10U Hockey
Resources:
USA Hockey's Parent Module (great info on development)
American Development Model at 10U-12U
ADM Program Structuring by Age Group
Led by USA Hockey's American Development Model and Long-Term Athlete Development principles, our 10U program emphasizes quality practice, individual skill development, hockey sense, athleticism, confidence, and positive competition.
Read MorePractice is the foundation. Players need time, repetition, and appropriate challenges to develop skating, puck skills, decision-making, and confidence. Games provide an important opportunity to apply those skills, but more games don't necessarily mean more development (too many games are why the ADM was written in the early 2000s).
We emphasize:
๐ Skating, puck skills, passing, shooting, edge work, and hockey sense
๐ Small-area games and competitive activities that maximize puck touches and decision-making
๐ Shared-ice practices, creating more ice time and opportunities for repetition and competition
๐ Athleticism, resilience, teamwork, character, and a growth mindset
๐ Gradually increasing game complexity as players are ready
๐ An environment where players can experiment, make mistakes, and learn
We also intentionally delay full-ice competition slightly early in the season. Small-area and half-ice environments give players more opportunities to skate, handle the puck, make decisions, and stay involved.
10U Goalies
At 10U, we want to encourage more players to explore the goaltending position without specializing too early. Most Squirt teams will adopt a goalie-by-committee approach, with several players sharing net opportunities throughout the season.
Read MoreSquirt goalies
Early in the season, all first-year Squirts are assessed as skaters (not as goalies). Second-year squirts may request to be assessed as goalies if they have committed to the position in a meaningful way. (spring AAA, summer league, off-season goalie camps, etc) after their Squirt Minor season.
Our goalie-by-committee approach gives more players an opportunity to experience goaltending and helps us develop a deeper pool of young goalies within the club. This approach ensures all players continue developing strong skating skills, puck skills, and game understanding while giving more young athletes the opportunity to discover that they enjoy playing goalie.
During the season, goalie development will emphasize athletic movement, foundational positioning, puck tracking, save technique, confidence, competitiveness, and a love for the position. Regularly occurring goalie development opportunities will be available throughout the season.
The success of our goaltenders is a club responsibility - we must all work together to ensure the future of the position and the long-term success of our athletes. Our 10U conversations about the position shouldn't begin and end with, "What gives our 10U teams the best chance of winning right now?"
Beginning of the Season & Development Assessment
Our season begins in early September with an optional CARDS Camp, giving players a chance to get back on the ice while allowing families flexibility around fall activities. Participation is not required.
In late September, 10U players come together as an age-level group for several weeks of practice before development assessments. This gives players additional time to get comfortable on the ice, continue developing their skills, and provides flexibility for fall schedule conflicts.
Development assessments begin around October 15, with teams formed by approximately October 25. We intentionally keep players together as a group for as long as possible, giving coaches the opportunity to work with all players, build community, and focus on individual development before teams are formed.
Learn more about the MYH Development Assessment process.
Tournaments
Three tournament fees are included in your 10U registration fee.
Families are responsible for their own hotel and transportation costs.
Girls' 10U Hockey
At the Squirt level, Middleton Youth Hockey provides girls the choice to play co-ed hockey with MYH or join an official co-op with Verona (as the Mavericks).
For more information, please email our Squirt-level Director at squirts@middletonyouthhockey.com.
Read MoreOther local options for girls-only teams would require a release from MYH:
Volunteering
Middleton Youth Hockey is volunteer-run. Each 8U family is required to volunteer 7 hours for a single-skater family or 12 hours for a multi-skater family.
The volunteer deposit is $200 for one skater and $400 for two or more skaters. The deposit is returned when the required hours are completed.
We're always looking for coaches, managers, game volunteers, event helpers, board members, and others who want to help improve MYH.
You can learn more about volunteering with Middleton Youth Hockey here.
Seven Ways You Can Make Squirts Great!
A final word for 10U Families
10U is about building a foundationโnot finishing the job.
Players develop at different rates, and there is plenty of time for them to grow into the hockey players they will eventually become. Our job is to give them the opportunity to skate, handle the puck, make decisions, compete, experiment, and have fun while they're doing it.
Let them make mistakes. Let them try things. Let them learn.
Contact Info
Each of our hockey age levels has a volunteer director. To contact the Squirts Age Level Director (ALD), please email: squirts@middletonyouthhockey.com
For rental equipment or jersey questions, please email: gear@middletonyouthhockey.com
For any other assistance, please email: info@middletonyouthhockey.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Do new 10U players need to know how to skate already?
Some hockey experience is recommended at 10U. If your 9- or 10-year-old is new to hockey, our Jumpstart! program is a great place to begin.
Can my 10U player specialize in goaltending?
At 10U, we prioritize developing well-rounded hockey players over early position specialization. Players interested in goaltending will have opportunities to explore the position while continuing to develop their skating and puck skills.
Our goalie-by-committee approach gives more players an opportunity to experience goaltending and helps us develop a deeper pool of young goalies within the club. The success of our goaltenders is a club responsibility - we must all work together to ensure the future of the position and the long-term success of our athletes.
My 10U player is really good. Can she/he bump up to 12U Peewees?
Generally, we do not move players up an age level. We want players to have the opportunity to build confidence, develop their skills, and experience success at their appropriate developmental stage rather than automatically moving them up when they begin to excel.
In limited, exceptional circumstances, families may request that a skater be considered for placement in a higher age level. Please see the MYH Player Movement application for details.
Why do players practice so much in 10U?
Practice gives players the repetitions they need to develop skating, puck skills, hockey sense, and confidence. Players can touch the puck more often, make more decisions, and learn through mistakes than they typically can during a game.
That's why practice is the foundation of our 10U program.
How are teams formed?
Players participate in development assessments before teams are formed. The goal is to create teams that provide an appropriate level of challenge, meaningful competition, and a positive environment for continued player development.
Our assessment process helps coaches understand where each player is in their development so we can create the best possible environment for continued growth.
Will every player receive equal playing time?
At 10U, player development remains our highest priority. Coaches work to provide meaningful opportunities for every player while teaching teamwork, sportsmanship, and game awareness.
As players progress through the older age levels, competitive situations naturally become a larger part of the experience.
Is winning a focus at 10U?
Players naturally enjoy competing, and we want them to learn to compete hard and play to win. But winning is not our primary measure of success at 10U.
We emphasize skill development, effort, teamwork, sportsmanship, confidence, and enjoyment of the game. We want competitive teams without allowing short-term results to drive the player experience.
How can families best support their player?
The most important things families can do are encourage effort, celebrate improvement, and help make hockey fun.
Ask your player what they learned, what they enjoyed, or what they worked onโnot just what the score was.
Positive support from home helps players build confidence, resilience, and a lifelong love of the game.
How can I help make 10U hockey awesome?
MYH is entirely volunteer-run. Coaches, managers, board members, and countless other volunteers make our programs possible.
There are many ways to help, whether you can coach, manage a team, work a game, help with events, or contribute behind the scenes. Learn about volunteering!
Winter 2026 - 2027
Welcome to the regular-season registration for 10U Squirt hockey players!
Squirt registration fees are $1400. MYH offers a payment plan for registrations.
Your players must be registered with USA Hockey before completing any MYH registration.
To volunteer as a coach, please click here.
Register