Grand Rapids Amateur Hockey Association

The GRAHA Cross ice program serves the needs of beginning skaters.  This program is for children ages 3- 12 years of age. Skaters will be divided into age groups Cross ice 1 is for ages 3-8 and Cross ice 2 for ages 9-13.  Children are instructed on the fundamentals of skating and basic hockey skills.  This program provides skating instruction along with hockey fundamentals for 24 weeks or 48 sessions. The program meets twice a week on the weekends. (holiday and rink tournament cancellations will dictate the exact number of weeks and changes to the regular schedule). Saturdays are skills and drills with Sundays later in the season being used for small cross ice games. Cross ice 2 will play full ice games as well as learn positioning and game situations. There is a maximum of 42 skaters in each age group.

Practices- This is an initiation program with the focus on basic skill instruction.  Each class will be divided into small groups with several stations where the coaches will be working on specific skills.  Each group will have an assistant coach. The head coaches will rotate to all the groups giving group instruction.  The assistant coaches will work with each group giving individual instruction to each skater. The small groups usually are kept to a maximum of 8 skaters.  Each group rotates to all of the small stations on the ice during their 50 minutes of instruction. Regular attendance is strongly encouraged for appropriate skill instruction and development.  The arenas request that the locker rooms be used each week for dressing your skater.  Equipment bags are to remain in the locker rooms during practices.

Equipment- Proper equipment is mandatory for all skaters.  All skaters are required to have a helmet with full face shield, mouth guard, neck guard, shin pads, elbow pads, shoulder pads, hockey pants, socks, skates and a stick. If proper equipment is not worn the child will not be allowed onto the ice.  All skaters are insured by USA Hockey and proper equipment must be worn at all times for the safety of your child. Jerseys are provided for each skater!

Coaches- All GRAHA coaches are USA Hockey certified and have completed the required classes to coach at this level. All coaches are insured by USA Hockey and have

completed a required background check screening by the Michigan Amateur Hockey

Association.  Mark Izzard, Director of Cross Ice and Learn To Skate  will oversee this program and has played at the professional hockey league level and has over 15 years of coaching youth players.