Newsletter #1 - Summer Kickoff Edition
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📝 A Note from the President
Dear SASA Families,
I am beyond excited for the upcoming season and truly honored to be serving as your new President. As we prepare for 2025–2026, I want to acknowledge that while there’s a lot to celebrate, there’s also important work ahead. My goal, along with the SASA Board, is to support this organization in every way possible and to drive positive, lasting change.
Before I go any further, I want to extend our sincerest gratitude to Dustin Degree, who has recently stepped down from his role as President. Dustin’s leadership, commitment, and vision have helped build a strong foundation for SASA. Because of his work—and that of many past board members—we are well-positioned to grow and thrive as an association. Thank you, Dustin, for all you’ve done. We appreciate you!
As we move forward with evolving the program from the top down, I want to thank you for your patience and trust. We are implementing changes that will undoubtedly have a tremendous impact on the membership, and most importantly—the reason we do this—THE KIDS. While we may experience a few growing pains this upcoming season, please know that our commitment to this association is unwavering and unparalleled.
To our incredible membership: your voices are heard, and you are valued. Each and every one of you contributes to the strength and success of this program. Whether you’re a player, parent, coach, or volunteer—you matter, and your presence helps fuel our mission.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions, concerns, feedback—or just to say hello. We will be pushing out a lot of information and communication from this point forward so please look forward to a monthly newsletter in addition to ongoing notifications regarding all the amazing things happening here at SASA. We are all in this together, and I can't wait to see what we’ll accomplish as a community this season.
Let’s get ready for an amazing 2025–2026 SASA season!
Warmly,
Kevin Smith
President, St. Albans Skating Association
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👥 SASA Board of Directors — 2025–2026
Introducing your 2025–2026 Board:
• Kevin Smith, President
• Dan Ellis, First Vice President
• Chris Heald, Second Vice President
• Colin Branon, Secretary
• Logan Lamothe, Treasurer
• Directors: David Blatchly, Chelsea Forsyth, Mike Irwin, Emily Norris, Nathan Liese, Danielle Luneau, Joseph Montagne, Danielle Snelling, Melissa Bocash, Tommy Waltz, Dustin Degree
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🧑💼 SASA Committees & Leadership — 2025–2026
As the largest skating association in the state, it takes all of us—players, families, coaches, and volunteers—to make this program the best it can be. We are grateful for the dedicated individuals stepping into leadership roles this season, and we’re always looking for more helping hands!
If you have an interest in getting more involved, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Kevin Smith. It’s through collaboration, commitment, and community that we will continue to take SASA to the next level.
🏒 Leadership & Coaching
• Head Coach – Tom Waltz
• Assistant Head Coaches – Scooter Desmond, Toby Alexander
• Goalie Coach – Shea Spanier
• Young Blades Directors – Melissa Bocash, Jason Leahy, Rachel Berthiaume
• Mite Program Director – Chris Heald
• Girls Program Director – Chelsea Forsyth
• Dryland Coordinators – Matt Robtoy, Shauna Mead
• Safe Sport Coordinator – Cory Lozier
📆 Scheduling Committee
Chris Heald, Colin Branon, Adam Routhier, Matt Robtoy, Tommy Waltz
🏁 On-Ice Officials & State
• Head Referee – Mark Deso
• State Representative – JP Routhier
⚖️ Discipline Committee
Dan Ellis
🍿 Snack Bar Committee
Amanda Liese, Aryel Wilbur
⛸️ Skate Shack Coordinators
Joe Montagne, Mike Irwin, Nathan Liese
📣 Communications Committee
Emily Norris, Colin Branon
🧊 Equipment Managers
Nathan Liese, Kevin Smith
💰 Finance Committee
Logan Lamothe, Chris Heald, Andy Norris
🌟 Fundraising Committee
Danielle Luneau, Melissa Bocash, Danielle Snelling
💡 Do you have fundraising ideas or want to join the committee? Please reach out to Danielle Luneau or Melissa Bocash to learn more! They host monthly meetings and are always looking for new energy and creative minds!
📜 By-law Committee
Dave Blatchly, Mike Irwin, Jason Booth
📺 Technology Committee
Dana Boomhower, Dave Blatchly, Nathan Liese, Chris Heald, Colin Branon, Kevin Smith
🤝 Volunteer Coordinators
Logan Lamothe, Dustin Degree, Andy Norris
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📅 Upcoming Events
Gear Fitting – 8U & 18U
📍 Greg Brown Lodge
📅 July 9 | 🕔 5:00–8:00 PM
🔒 Only for committed players
NHL Street Hockey League
🏒 Proudly supported by SASA and brought to you by the St. Albans Recreation Department. A great opportunity to play the game in the summer months!
🌐 For more info, visit stalbansrec.com
Dryland Training with Matt Robtoy
📍 Highgate Arena
📅 Every Wednesday and Friday from 6:15-7:15
🏒 A great workout including strength training and cardio! Welcome to ages 6+
🌐 Email Matt Robtoy for more information! matt@greenmountainhockeyassociation.com
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💻 New Platform: Crossbar
We’re excited to announce that SASA is migrating from SportsEngine to Crossbar! This new platform is more user-friendly and allows for streamlined communication, scheduling, and team management across the board.
Stay tuned for more info and transition timelines!
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🥅 Goalie Development & Incentive
We recognize a decline in interest among players wanting to take on the goalie role, specifically at the 12u level. SASA also acknowledges the need for high-level training and support for this crucial position. We have stepped up our outreach and recruitment game and are leaving no stone unturned in our search for additional goalies for the program.
We're thrilled to welcome Shea Spanier as our dedicated Goalie Coach. Shea will support any player interested in improving their skills or exploring the position for the first time.
As an added incentive @ the 12U Level:
🎉 Refer a new goalie to SASA and receive a $200 finder's fee!
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🧥 Jerseys, Jerseys, Jerseys!
You asked, we listened! Players and families have overwhelmingly requested last names on hockey jerseys, and we’re moving forward with making that happen.
We are also thrilled to announce that for the 25-26 season, players will receive game & practice jerseys, shell and socks AT NO ADDITIONAL COST. A major THANK YOU TO PEOPLES TRUST COMPANY for their generous donation to our program and players.
🏌️ Fundraising Efforts & Events
We have voted to pause the SASA Golf Tournament for this year. While we recognize this may be disappointing to many, our focus is on transforming the organization as we head into the 2025–2026 season.
We plan to enhance the tournament by incorporating more sponsorships, a silent auction, and more team engagement. With a little extra time and planning, we aim to bring it back bigger and better in summer 2026!
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🏒 Coaching Update
We are excited to have an extraordinary group of coaches ready to go for our 2025–2026 season. Our coaches are paramount to creating a positive experience within SASA, and we deeply value their dedication to our players and families.
Coaches are the backbone of our organization and have a profound impact on our players both on and off the ice. We thank you for your countless hours of time spent with our SASA players. We see you and appreciate you more than you know.
To support our coaching staff, we are implementing new tools and training this year to create a more streamlined and consistent coaching approach. Coaches will receive access to Ice Hockey Coaching Tools and Resources provided by IHS–Ice Hockey Systems to enhance development and engagement.
This initiative is designed to elevate the experience for both coaches and players—providing better guidance, improved drills, and stronger communication throughout the season.
If you know someone interested in coaching or who would make a great coach, please refer them to Tom Waltz!
"A good coach can change a game, but a great coach can change a life." — John Wooden
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🌐 Website Revamp Coming
In the coming months, SASA will be revamping our website to improve ease of access and provide better resources and information for our players, coaches, and membership.
Stay tuned for launch updates!
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🙋♀️ Volunteer Updates
We are ALWAYS looking for volunteers to help support the organization. This association is run entirely by volunteers, and its success depends on all of us working together.
Want to know how to get more involved?
💡 Have fundraising ideas or want to join a committee?
📧 Please email us!
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📣 Stay Connected!
Information is constantly flowing—be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to stay in the loop. There’s so much happening, and we’re excited to share it with you across multiple platforms!
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❓ Questions or Need More Info?
Want more information? Have a question?
📧 Email us at info@sasahockey.org and we’ll do our best to help!