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THE HERALD Wednesday April 19W Page Center PERSONAL CONSULTATION 98 Mill St Georgetown 8772900 and I Recreation COLIN GIBSON Herald Sports Editor DOWNTOWN FAX SERVICE Evenings Saturdays Too VOUfiGS Downtown 8772761 FUTURE STARS From left Shane Thompson Wesley Blight and Steve Smith were gungho to strut their stuff while at right Brad Kouyoumjian negotiates the pylons at the Georgetown Minor Hockey Association Atom Rep team spring session held Saturday at Gordon Alcott Memorial AAA Zone Re Teams Arena The lads removed their helmets for the photo session With the prospect of Georgetown players becoming involved In AAA Zone Rep teams the GDMHA Rep teams sessions gave the Rep hopefuls extra incentive to push Just that much harder Herald photos by Colin Gibson Zone concept a must if idea to catch on By COLIN GIBSON Herald Sports editor The Georgetown Minor Hockey Association wrapped up the Rep teams spring tryout sessions Saturday at Gordon Alcott Memorial Arena as Minor Novice Novice Minor Atom and Minor Peewee hopefuls took to the frozen pond for one last opportuni ty of impressing the respective coaches For players and coaches alike the sessions took on added importance with visions of AAA Zone Rep teams dancing tantaliz- ingly over the ice surface Acton players and coaches are having similar visions as it ap pears that all minor hockey players in Halton Hills will soon get the chance to play hockey at the AAA level According to Jack White chair man of the zone committee for the Ontario Minor Hockey Association the AAA zone team concept was hatched last year by the OMHA to provide all players registered with the the opportunity to compete at the highest level depen dent on their abilities- As White explained in a telephone interview from his home in Grimsby The adopted the AAA zone team concept last year on a twoyear experimental basis and final approval for the idea will or will not come at the OMHA annua meeting We wanted to provide a program that would allow all players registered with us an opportunity to play high- calibre hockey According to White four AAA Zone Rep teams surfaced last year in what he described as the Toronto corridor of Southern On tario and the concept was- en thusiastically endorsed by all hockey centres involved Because of the initial success of the program last year it was ex panded and this year will be of fered to at least two and possibly four or more areas for the upcom ing 199091 season and future years The TriCounty Hockey League group and the area hockey group have officially been approached by the to form AAA Zone Rep teams Other areas under consideration although not officially approached include Belleville and area and the PickeringAjax area White stated that to his knowledge the program has not of ficially been offered to the Hub Ci ty League which includes Acton Guelph Fergus and Elora We are looking for areas with a base population of said White to involve as many players as possible Within the designated area where the teams are based would be up to the participating hockey centres But it should be stressed that regardless of where the teams are based they are zone teams not tied to one communi ty As applied to the Hockey League it was expected that players from Georgetown Milton and Flamborough would provide the core while Erin Hiltsburgh and Orangeville minor hockey associations would act as feeder systems for AAA Zone Rep teams from Novice through Juvenile An interim committee of Hockey League represen tatives was formed to look into the idea with Georgetowns Wayne Pries acting as interim chairman effort to involve- as many hockey centres as possible in the AAA Zone Rep team pro gram invitations were extended to representatives from Acton Dun- das Shelbume Ancaster Bramp ton Burlington Stoney Creek and Streetsville to join the discussions According to Wayne Pries in itial discussions on the zone teams concept were wellreceived and a meeting has been scheduled for next Wednesday April 25 at pm at Gordon Alcott Memorial Arena at which time a formal com mittee will be elected to work directly with the OMHA on the AAA Zone Rep teams concept A Timetable of Events agenda has already been drawn up by the interim committee and the has set a deadline of May at which time a decision must be rendered as to whether or not the TriCounty Hockey League will be able to operate AAA Zone Rep teams for the upcoming 199091 hockey season To work properly however the various hockey centres must be totally cognizant of and willing to work with the zone team concept Regardless of where a team at whatever level it is based it is a zone team representing the area as a whole to provide highcalibre hockey for the area players Regardless of which leagues cer tain centres are involved with within the area the Zone Rep teams will operate independently to provide the highcalibre hockey opportunity To this end tryouts for the Zone Rep teams will be open to all minor hockey players House League and current Rep team players and advertised as such Should the TriCounty Hockey League representatives vote to go with the AAA Zone Rep team idea for the upcoming season it is ex pected that tryouts would be scheduled for the end of August and early September Concerns have also arisen about the affect AAA Zone Rep teams would have on present area Rep teams currently graded AA and lower One source close to the AAA Zone Rep team discussions admit ted that present Rep teams would suffer to a certain degree but that minor hockey programs on the whole would benefit You can offer the whole package he said from House League all the way to the best of the best The players are the ones who will benefit and in turn so wculd participating minor hockey associations Outgoing Georgetown Minor Hockey Association president Carson Mininch has indicated that his association has voted over whelmingly to support the AAA Zone Rep team concept Recently acclaimed Acton Minor Hockey Association president Cathy Williams was all for the AAA Zone Rep team concept but would not commit her association at this point It is in the discussion stage within our association she said We have had a representative at the TriCounty meetings and we have also had a representative at Hub League discussions on the AAA Zone Rep team idea We are looking at what would be the best situation for our kids and the AMHA We will weigh the pros and cons and decide what is best for us However we would not be adverse to joining the Tri- County Hockey group if thats what we felt was best for our organiza tion Baseball group seeking players The Georgetown Baseball Association has scheduled a late registration session for tomorrow Thursday from pm until 8 pm at Centennial Public School on Delrex Boulevard House League players ranging from Tyke ages djnd through Bantam Midget and Juvenile ages 14 through 18 are urged to register The GBA is hoping to attract more players in the Bantam Midget and Juvenile age range to form separate divisions for these age groups In addition the late registration session is also open to prospective Rep team players in divisions ranging from Tyke through Junior Further information on the GBA late registration or the GBA in general can be obtained by contacting Donna Blight at 8778379