Mission & Affiliations

The primary mission of the Association is to teach fundamental hockey skills, teamwork skills, and sportsmanship through competition, and to promote and further the development of ice hockey in Athens and the surrounding areas. AYHA supports the development of both self-discipline and teamwork in a positive environment.

The AYHA works to provide a safe, quality, and fun hockey environment that helps build a foundation for your child’s confidence, focus, and sense of responsibility. Partnering with programs sponsored by the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ohio University, the AYHA provides a healthy and encouraging structure where kids can grow as hockey players and form positive experiences that will last a lifetime. 

The Association’s goal is to provide an emphasis on age-appropriate skill development and to provide a high practice-to-game ratio so children can have time to develop their skills, while providing practices that emphasizes skill repetition, engagement, and competition through equal ice time.

The AYHA is an affiliate of the Mid American District Hockey (MidAM), which is the governing body of youth hockey in Ohio, Indiana, Western Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and West Virginia. As an affiliate of MidAm, the AHYA is subject to the rules, policies, and other directives set forth by MidAm. As MidAM is one of twelve districts that are an affiliate of USA Hockey, MidAM and the AYHA are also subject to the rules and policies that are issued by USA Hockey, which is the governing body for all youth hockey in the United States.

For high school hockey, the AYHA participates in the Ohio Scholastic Hockey League (OSHL), a USA Hockey sanctioned high school combined division league participating in the MidAm district. Its teams are split into districts to allow players whose high schools do not have a varsity hockey team to play at a competitive high school level.

The AYHA participates in the Buckeye Travel Hockey League (BTHL), which provides AA, A, and B travel divisions for 10U, 12U, and 14U teams across Ohio, Indiana, Western Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and West Virginia. While participating in the BTHL, teams are subject to the requirements of the BTHL bylaws and rules.