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.

8U Mite hockey is for players ages 7 and 8. We welcome players with a range of experience, including brand-new skaters, and work hard to meet each child where they are while building strong hockey foundations.

Practices emphasize skating, puck skills, small-area games, decision-making, creativity, and confidence. Players should have lots of opportunities to touch the puck, try new things, compete, and learn through both success and mistakes.

Birth Years: 2018 & 2019

Skill Level: inexperienced skaters welcome; Learn to Play, 6U Termites, Jumpstart!, or other introduction recommended

Season Fee: $650; includes one local tournament fee; payment plan available

Half-Season Options: $300 October - December; $350 January - early March (includes $50 tournament fee)

Jerseys: all Mites must purchase new game jerseys (pair), game socks, and a reversible practice jersey this year ($170).

Rental Gear: available

CARDS Camp: Not offered at 8U

First Practices: approximately October 5th

At 8U, success looks like confident skating, trying new things, wanting the puck, competing, making friends, and having fun.

We want players to develop the confidence to try things, the resilience to make mistakes, and the love of hockey that keeps them playing and learning.

Our 8U program offers a split-season option to provide scheduling and financial flexibility for families.

Full Season: October–early March — $650

First Half: October–December — $300

Second Half: January–early March — $350, including tournament fee

All Mites 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.

1) Register your player with USA Hockey. This is required annually.

2) Log in to (or create) your family MYH CrossBar account.

3) Register your player for the season with MYH in CrossBar.

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Small-area hockey gives 8U players more opportunities to skate, touch the puck, pass, shoot, make decisions, and stay involved in the game than traditional full-ice hockey.

Cross-ice and half-ice environments mean less standing around and more doing. Players get more repetitions, more opportunities to experiment, and more chances to experience the game for themselves.

That's a big reason why USA Hockey recommends small-area hockey at this age.

The more you know...🌠

We are committed to supporting girls who want to play hockey together.

When registration numbers, development levels, and family interest allow, MYH will offer an all-girls 8U team. Depending on numbers, the best option may instead be co-ed teams or another combination. It's a little different every year.

Whatever the structure, our goal is to give every player a positive, developmentally appropriate hockey experience.

We intentionally wait as long as practical before forming teams.

Early in the season, all players practice together. This allows coaches to work with everyone, gives players opportunities to play with different teammates, and keeps the focus on individual development.

Brief early November development assessments help coaches understand where players are in their development journey. When teams are formed, coaches and the Age Level Director work together to create development-appropriate groups.

Our goal is not to create a “best” team. Our goal is to create environments where every player can learn, compete, contribute, and improve.

Resources:

USA Hockey's Parent Handbook

USA Hockey's Parent Module

ADM 8U "More of What's Good"

American Development Model at 8U

ADM 8U Development Overview

ADM Program Structuring by Age Group

ADM FUNdamentals Stage

ADM Guide

Following USA Hockey's American Development Model, we emphasize small-area games and activities rather than full-ice hockey. Smaller spaces give players more puck touches, skating, decisions, and opportunities to participate.

Every 8U player has the opportunity to experience goalie.

Players rotate through the position throughout the season, and MYH provides goalie equipment. This helps players understand the game from the crease while continuing to develop their skating and puck skills.

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.

1. Genuinely love the effort more than the outcome.
2. Let your player do things independently.
3. Cheer for every player on the ice—including the other team.
4. Trust the development process and let our coaches coach.
5. Find little ways to help your player fall in love with hockey.
6. Coach or volunteer!

8U should be a time when kids fall in love with hockey.

They don't need to master the game yet. They don't need to play perfectly. They don't need to win every game.

They need opportunities to skate, touch the puck, try things, make mistakes, laugh with their friends, compete, and discover what they're capable of.

Let them play. Let them experiment. Let them make mistakes. Let them have fun.

Each of our hockey age levels has a volunteer director. To contact 8U's Age Level Director (ALD), please email: mites@middletonyouthhockey.com

For rental equipment or jersey questions, please email: gear@middletonyouthhockey.com

For any other assistance, please email: info@middletonyouthhockey.com

Do players need to know how to skate?

We welcome beginners at 8U, but we recommend that players with little or no skating or hockey experience start with Learn to Play or Jumpstart! before joining the regular Mite season.

Those introductory programs help players build basic skating confidence and hockey skills, allowing our 8U coaches to spend more time developing hockey skills with the full group.

If you're unsure where your player belongs, please contact us. We'd be happy to help.

What are Red, White, and Blue?

8U players develop at very different rates, and players may be at different stages of development even when they are the same age.

MYH uses development-appropriate groupings to create environments where players can be challenged without being overwhelmed and can experience success without becoming bored.

The goal is not to label players. The goal is to put players in an environment where they can learn and grow.

My 8U player is really good. Can she/he bump up to 10U Squirts?

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 application for details.

Do 8U teams play full-ice games?

No. Following USA Hockey's American Development Model, 8U games are played on smaller ice surfaces rather than full ice.

This gives players more puck touches, more opportunities to make plays, and more time actively involved in the game. Our practices use even smaller spaces when appropriate to maximize player involvement.

Why does MYH emphasize small-area hockey?

Because kids learn by doing.

On smaller ice, players have more opportunities to skate, handle the puck, pass, shoot, make decisions, compete, and recover from mistakes.

Instead of watching the game happen from far away, they're involved in it.

Is winning a focus at 8U?

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 8U.

We emphasize skill development, effort, creativity, teamwork, sportsmanship, confidence, and enjoyment of the game. We want players to learn how to compete while keeping the focus on long-term development.

Why don't you form teams earlier?

We believe keeping players together longer creates a better developmental environment.

It allows all coaches to work with all of the players, gives kids opportunities to play with different teammates, and keeps the focus on individual development rather than team strategy or results.

Once teams are formed, we can still continue to develop players individually while introducing more team-oriented competition.

Can my player specialize as a goalie?

We encourage every 8U player to try the goalie position.

Players rotate through goalie throughout the season, and MYH provides goalie equipment. We want young players to explore the position without feeling like they need to make a long-term commitment at this age.

Does MYH offer girls' teams at the 8U level?

When we get lucky with our skater numbers, MYH has offered a girls' 8U team in the past. We want small teams so kids get lots of repetitions in games and practices. If our registration numbers and development level groups look like they could work out, we'll ask families if they'd like their girl skater to be on an all-girls' team.

What equipment does my child need?

Players need full USA Hockey-approved equipment, including a helmet with cage, skates, shoulder pads, elbow pads, gloves, hockey pants, shin guards, neck guard, athletic cup/pelvic protector, and stick.

MYH has a great gear rental program for our youngest skaters!

How can I help make 8U hockey awesome?

MYH is a volunteer-run organization, and 8U depends on lots of parents and caregivers willing to help.

You can coach, manage a team, work a home game, help with events, support our equipment program, volunteer with the board, or contribute in many other ways.

There are lots of ways to help—and no hockey expertise is required for many of them! Learn about volunteering!