Children born in 2017 or before are eligible to join the Mitchell Marlins. Birth certificates are required for first year players.

You can find registration information under Registration on the Mitchell Marlins website.. If you have further questions, you can contact the MSHA Registrar .

First make sure you are registered under USA Hockey and have a USA Hockey confirmation number. Enter that number as you register for Mitchell Marlins and follow all the steps in the process. If you are still having problems, contact the MSHA Registrar.

The USA Hockey fee is required for all association hockey players across the state, from 8U to Adult and includes an affiliate fee for the SDAHA. USA Hockey is the national governing body for the sport of ice hockey in the United States and helps with training, certifications and most importantly for our association. The SDAHA (South Dakota Amateur Hockey Association) is the state governing body of local SD associations. Your fee covers accident, general liability and catastrophic insurance coverage while your skater is on the ice. USA Hockey/SDAHA fees for the current year can be found in the MSHA Handbook (page 7).

Go to www.usahockey.com. On the homepage you will see a little tab in the upper right hand corner that says “member info.” Click on this and you will go to a page that has a Members Options listing. Under this you will see a line that says “Request duplicate registration confirmation.” Click on this. Enter your player’s last name, birthdate and zip code and you will receive your confirmation number. Use this number when registering for Mitchell Marlins on the Registration page.

The association does have equipment available for players at the Squirt level and lower. All first year skaters get free equipment rental and after the first year equipment is rented for $65 for regular season which is collected during registration. We do recommend skaters purchase their own skates, sticks and helmets if possible, especially at the upper levels. We have set equipment rental times each season and urge all players to get to these sessions to get their equipment, but if you have questions or need additional help, you can contact the equipment manager Randy Zoss.

Hockey is actually an affordable sport when you factor in the amount of ice time, the number of games and practices and the length of the season—especially when compared to other club sports. First year skaters get to try the game for FREE the first season, along with FREE equipment rental. After that, the MSHA works hard to keep fees as low as possible and we feel we are the best value in the state. Registration and related fees can be found in the MSHA Handbook (page 7).
Non-League Levels:

• * 8U - Two sessions each lasting approximately two months. The first sessions will be primarily fundamental with the second session continuing fundamentals while adding in-house scrimmages and out of town games.
• * Squirt - Approximately five months of hockey with a home/travel schedule to be set by the state along with two state jamborees and possibly a tournament (extra cost involved for tournament play).

League Levels:

• * PeeWee - Five months of hockey and a league schedule that includes league games, one or two away tournaments (extra cost involved for tournament play) and the state tourney.
• * Bantam -Five months of hockey and a league schedule that includes league games, one or two away tournaments (extra cost involved for tournament play) and the state tourney.
• * Girls 14U - Five months of hockey and a league schedule that includes league games, one or two away tournaments (extra cost involved for tournament play) and the state tourney.
• * Girls Varsity - Five months of hockey and a league schedule that includes league games, one or two away tournaments (extra cost involved for tournament play) and the state tourney.
• * Boys JV/Varsity - Five months of hockey and a league schedule that includes league games, one or two away tournaments (extra cost involved for tournament play) and the state tourney.

Yes. If you feel like you cannot afford hockey fees, you can apply for a scholarship through the MSHA. There is a committee who reviews the applications and will determine the amount of scholarship and the stipulations. In general, reduced fees are available but additional volunteer hours or fundraising may be required. Scholarships are handled on a case-by-case basis. If you would like to apply, please contact the Board President. Their contact information can be found on the Board/Committee Member page.

Level is determined by the year of birth. For the upcoming season (2021-2022):

• * 8U - birth year of: 2013-2017
• * Squirts - birth year of: 2011-2012
• * Pee Wees - birth year of: 2009-2010
• * Bantams - birth year of: 2007-2008
• * U14 Girls - birth year of: 2007-2018
• * Girls JV/Varsity - birth year of: 2002-2006
• * Boys JV/Varsity - birth year of: 2002-2006

Yes. A fall Learn to Skate program consisting of multiple sessions will be held. Helmets and skates are provided. For more information regarding the Spring session, contact Jeremy Morrison.

Travel for the U8 level is OPTIONAL for any out of town for hockey games. The Squirt level is participating in the State Squirt program and will travel to out of town games will be required. All Pee Wee through Varsity players will be required to travel to play.

Each skater requires 45 credit hours, with a maximum of 65 credit hours per family. First year skaters are required to earn 15 credits the first year and are encouraged to volunteer in order to learn more about the association, meet other parents and support our parent-run organization. Credit hours can be earned by joining a committee, coaching, heading up a program, or doing various tasks for the association including concessions, minor officials duties, helping with equipment, spraying weeds, etc. There are many, many opportunities for filling in credit hours. If credit hours are not filled by the end of the season, families will be billed $30 per credit and will not be allowed on the ice the next season until the bill is paid. Any league level skater who has not had credit hours fulfilled will not be allowed to participate in the state tournament. Hardship cases will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. More information on DIBs can be found on in the MSHA Handbook (page 9)

On the Mitchell Marlins website at mitchellmarlins.com, you can sign up for several concession and minor penalty jobs through DIBS. You must first sign up with a name and password under Sport NGIN. If you are part of a committee or handle tasks outside the DIBS system, please send your hours to the MSHA Dibs Coordinator.

For assistance with registration, contact the MSHA Registrar. To sign up for DIBS, contact the MSHA Dibs Coordinator.

All levels will have three scheduled practices a week lasting anywhere from an hour to ninety minutes at a time. The 8U level is not required to attend all three practices a week.

Girls can play with the boys all the way through varsity level if they so desire. There is also a Girls Varsity and 14U Girls option for girls and this is recommended for girls ages PeeWee and up.

Skates should be sharpened every few weeks, especially at the higher levels. When the blade no longer feels sharp or skating feels slow, it is time for a sharpen. We have a sharpener at the rink and most coaches and staff are trained to do this. This service is free to all MSHA players and is ONLY for hockey skates.

You can contact the coordinator in charge when the loss occurred (see a full list at mitchellmarlins.com) or contact the MSHA Head Coordinator. There is also a lost and found at the rink, you can look for a rink staff person or contact the Rink Manager, Jeremy, for help. His number is 605.999.2908.

You will be responsible for replacement fees if the piece is not turned in at the end of the season. For equipment please contact Randy Zoss. For jerseys please contact your team coordinator. Skaters with unreturned rental equipment or jerseys will not be allowed on the ice for the following season until the fee is paid or equipment is returned.

Please contact the City of Mitchell to schedule and rent ice time.

There is an updated calendar on the Mitchell Marlins website on the Calendar page or you can contact your coordinator or coach for updates and changes. You can also watch the Mitchell Marlins Facebook page for updates and changes.

In general, all Pee Wee and above skaters begin skating in October (or possibly the middle of September) and end the season at the end of February or beginning of March. All other levels begin in October and end in February.

The MSHA has ice from mid-September through April depending on the agreement with the City. A full ice schedule is available at mitchellmarlins.com.

Simply find the committee head and ask! All committee heads are listed on the Mitchell Marlins website on the Board/Committee page.

You must first have served on another committee and be in good standing with the association (no outstanding fees, unreturned equipment, current volunteer hours, etc.). You can petition to be on the board or you could be nominated by a current board member. An election is held each April for any open positions and members are elected based on most votes earned at this election. For more information, contact the current board president.

Before approaching a coach, please direct your coaching complaints to the Coaching Director after the mandatory 24-hour “cooling off” period.

There is a Discipline Policy and a Discipline Committee in place for the MSHA. Please refer to this document on the Forms/Policies page prior to filing a complaint and then follow the instructions for doing so.

Non-League Levels
Playing time at the non-league levels should be as equal as possible, unless there are other factors such as an injury, a discipline problem or a skater who isn’t actively participating on the ice.
League Levels

• * Pee Wee skaters are play-to-compete the entire game unless there is a six goal advantage—then should be equal play as much as possible.
• * Bantam skaters are play-to-compete the entire game unless there is a six goal advantage—then should be equal play as much as possible.
• * JV and Varsity level skaters are play-to-win the entire game unless there is a six goal advantage—then should be equal play as much as possible.

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND that penalties and power play situations at the league level MAY CHANGE THE SHIFTS because teams are playing short-handed or need to take advantage of a power play situation. These situations may affect playing time.

There are referee clinics available to all skaters age 12+. Please contact Steve Laufman for more information or stay updated by checking out the Mitchell Marlins Facebook page.

Non-League - U8 and Squirts are non-league skating levels. U8 skaters are not required to travel and their schedules are set by the coaches and coordinators. Since we are participating in the state run Squirt league, Squirt players will be required to travel for the state scheduled season.
League - League level skaters are Pee Wee, Bantam, Junior Varsity and Varsity. Checking begins at the Bantam level. League level skaters are required to travel and the schedule is set by the SDAHA each fall.

There are set clinics available at the MSHA each fall or you can ask a seasoned parent to help you out at any time. For more information, contact Steve Laufman.

Any family member ages 14+ can earn credit hours in concessions.

The DIBs Coordinator is available to help if you cannot get DIBS to work.