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 & 8. While we recommend prior skating or hockey experience, we welcome all and look to have fun and build on the fundamentals.

Practices are fun, active, and centered on skating, puck skills, small-area games, creativity, and confidence. We play in the local Dane County League to limit travel, maintain a reasonable family commitment, and keep hockey affordable.

Birth Years: 2018 & 2019

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

Season Fee: $650; includes 1 local tournament fee; payment plan available

$300 option to play only the 1st half (Oct - Dec); $350 to play only the 2nd half (Jan - early March; it includes a 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: No

First Practices: approximately October 5th

Confident skating, taking chances and trying new moves, making friends, battling, and wanting the puck on their stick. Fun!

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

Most will register for the full season for $650. This is the easiest route for our booking software if you intend to participate in the full season.

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 games like 1/6th, cross-ice, and half-ice hockey give 8U players more puck touches, shots, passes, and decision-making opportunities than full-ice mite hockey, helping kids stay engaged, develop faster, and have fun. This is the 8U development path that USA Hockey recommends.

The more you know...🌠

We want our families to understand why we do what we do at each MYH age level.

Like the world's leading hockey nations, USA Hockey's American Development Model recommends that 8U players spend the vast majority of their time in practices and small-area games rather than full-ice mite hockey. Smaller ice means more puck touches, more skating, more decisions, and far less standing around—helping players develop skills faster, build confidence, and have more fun.

We don't want to split into 8U teams any earlier than we need to, just before our first games in mid-November. MYH wants all coaches to coach all kids, kids to experience playing with all other 8U skaters, and a strong focus on individual development - not on competing with other clubs, team strategy, or systems. All players will cycle through the goalie position throughout the season.

If enough families support a girls-only mites team this winter, we will always try to support one. Please know, this is much more challenging than it might seem. We don't roster any of our kids at the wrong development level to accommodate a team's formation. If there are 2 red girls, 6 white, and 7 blue - we don't have a girls' team at any level. If there are 15 white-level girls, that's a challenge, too. We don't want a roster that big, so it may be better to run two co-ed white-level teams or a girls' team and a co-ed team with balanced numbers. Furthermore, our coaching group is unique every year. It's not easy, but we'll do our best to support all-girls' hockey!

Middleton Youth Hockey only functions due to the hard work and energy of our volunteers. Our parents, coaches, managers, board members, and other unpaid volunteers are what keep quality ice hockey happening for Middleton kids.

To keep our club, hockey games, and teams functioning and our fees to play hockey as low as we can, each family (at the 8U level and above) 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 total for two or more skaters. If you meet the required hours, your deposit is fully returned at the end of the season. If you DO NOT meet the volunteering requirements for the season, the club will keep your volunteering buyout money to improve the club, pay for ice time, replace rental gear, etc.

1. Genuinely love the effort more than the outcome.
2. Let your kiddo do things independently.
3. Cheer for every player on the ice (both teams, too).
4. Trust the development process and let our coaches coach.
5. Find little ways to help your child fall in love with hockey.
6. Coach or volunteer!

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?

While our 8U program certainly welcomes beginners, we recommend that 8U skaters have taken a Learn to Play, 6U Termite, or 7-12 Jumpstart! season before 8U Mite hockey.

We enthusiastically welcome new players who are ready to learn. Mite coaches work to meet players where they are and help each child improve. Doing an introductory hockey program before 8U hockey starts ensures our coaches can spend more time on hockey and less time picking kids up from falling.

What is the difference between Blue, White, and Red?

Generally, red players are second-year mites with developed skills. Blue 8U players are generally first-year mites with lots of room to develop. White is somewhere in between.

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

Generally, we do not bump players up. We want kids to build confidence - not raise the bar as soon as they're getting somewhere. Skaters must register for their designated age level. 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.

How can I help make 8U hockey awesome?

MYH is entirely volunteer-run. Every coach, every administrator, everything. We need lots of help every year to make this work and keep our registration prices as low as possible. Learn about volunteering!

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!

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.

Do 8U teams play full-ice games?

No. Following USA Hockey's American Development Model (ADM), 8U games are played half-ice. This gives players more puck touches, more opportunities to make plays, and more time actively involved in the game. Our practices utilize smaller spaces, too, like cross-ice or 1/6 ice, to increase player involvement.

Is winning a focus at 8U?

No. While players naturally enjoy competing, our primary focus is long-term development. We emphasize skill development, effort, teamwork, sportsmanship, and helping every player gain confidence and enjoy the game. We want our teams to be competitive and have fun, but we'll take long-term gains over short-term wins.