Vol 3_No 1 Guts.indd - Rubber Magazine

Avondale’s Kyle
❂ Beattie helped
the U.S. Under-17
Select Team to a
silver medal at last
month’s Five Nations
Tournament in the Czech Republic.
Beattie skates for the P.F. Chang’s
U18 team (see more on Beattie on
Page 25).
At the NARCh Finals skills
❂ competition, Mike Rivera
(Tour Outcasts) earned Top Sniper
honors in PeeWee Platinum; Jake
Coughlin (Mission Arizona ’90)
was named Top Goalie in Bantam
Gold; and Ryan Davis (Tour
Outcasts) took Fastest Skater
honors in Bantam Platinum.
Peoria’s Matt Giacobbe was
❂ one of 18 players named to
the USA Hockey 20-and-Under
sled hockey team this summer.
Giacobbe is a member of the
Phoenix Coyotes sled team.
Dan Amimoto earned High
❂ Scorer honors and goaltender
Andrew Barletta won the Top
Goalie award in the High School
division as the Centennial Coyotes
rolled to Arizona’s only title at
NARCh Finals.
Melissa Zehrbach was the
❂ only Arizona player to compete
in the Women’s Platinum division
at NARCh Finals. Zehrbach played
for the CanAm Selects, which
fi nished fourth in its division after
losing 3-0 in the bronze-medal
game.
❂Goaltender Matthew
Federico, a member of last
year’s P.F. Chang’s U18 team, has
committed to Western Michigan
University (CCHA) for the upcoming
season. Federico, from Scottsdale, is
the fi rst goalie from Arizona expected
to play Division I college hockey.
Rubber Interview: Rick Van Fleet
His hockey roots might have been established north of the border, but
there’s nothing Rick Van Fleet wants more than to see the sport
fl ourish in Arizona. AZR Magazine’s Brian McDonough caught up with
the vice president of the Arizona Amateur Hockey Association (AAHA)
and the founder of the Arizona Girls Youth Hockey Association (AGYHA)
to learn more about his passion for
pucks in the desert.
AZR Magazine: How did you get
involved in hockey and what eventually
led to your appointment as
vice president of the AAHA?
RVF: I’m originally from Canada
and grew up playing up to the
Junior C level. I took a break for
a few years, but, after relocating
to Arizona from Florida 14 years
ago, I immediately got involved in AGYHA founder Rick Van Fleet
coaching.
As my two daughters began to play, I formed the Arizona Girls
Youth Hockey Association. I have my USA Hockey Masters Level
5 coaching card and have coached at several levels, including high
school.
I began to attend AAHA meetings and quickly became involved fi rst
with the player development program and have also served as secretary
for two years and vice president for the past two years.
AZR: Can you explain the structure of the AAHA and its purpose?
RVF: The AAHA is offi cially known as the Arizona USA Hockey Affi liate
within the Rocky Mountain District (RMD). The RMD is comprised
of Arizona and the seven surrounding states. There are 12 similar
districts that make up USA Hockey.
In laymen’s terms, the AAHA is basically the “franchise holder,”
if you will, for USA Hockey within the state. With that said however,
it’s a completely volunteer body that is made up of directors who are
elected by the member associations. At present there are nine active
associations.
The mission and purpose of AAHA is to promote and grow the sport
within the state, coordinate and administer state playdowns and orchestrate
selection camps, which are governed by USA Hockey, and to
serve as a disciplinary body
when necessary.
AZR: How many people are playing hockey in Arizona right now?
RVF: According to the 2007 USA Hockey Annual Congress Report,
there are approximately 4,870 players registered, not including approximately
1,900 adult players.
Interview continued / Page 22
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