About The McKinney Ice Hockey Club (MIHC)
The MIHC, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is a youth sports organization that represents residents of McKinney in the AT&T Metroplex High School Hockey League and the North Texas Hockey League (NTXHL).
Our History
The McKinney Ice Hockey Club was founded in 1996 as part of the 12-team Metroplex High School Hockey League. In 1998, SBC (now AT&T) became involved as the governing body, and the league has continued to grow over the years. In 1997, McKinney Independent School District granted MIHC permission to represent the district and use its colors, although it does not sponsor the club, and club members do not use any school facilities. In 2005, MIHC joined the North Texas Hockey League as well, so players have an opportunity to compete in both competitive travel and high school leagues with the same team for a lower cost.
Our Organization Structure
For the AT&T High School League, MIHC fields teams at the Varsity (9-12th grade) and Junior Varsity (8-12th grade) levels that participate in the Gold division. As part of NTXHL, we field teams from Squirt through Midget Major (9-18-year-olds). The older teams are comprised of players from all three McKinney high schools and all four middle schools. Younger players on our Squirt, Peewee, and Bantam teams come from the larger geographic area to play with MIHC. Each team is led by two or three certified, typically non-parent coaches. Our season runs from August until April, and members play approximately 40 games (high school and travel leagues combined) with 50 practices in addition to tournaments. We hold tryouts for the next season during May and June.
We are governed by an elected Board of Directors, comprised of a president, three vice presidents, a secretary, treasurer, a registrar, a member-at-large, a sportsmanship committee chair, and team managers/representatives. These hard-working parent volunteers meet frequently to ensure the club runs smoothly. The entire club membership meets several times a season for a business meeting and to elect new board members.
Our Philosophy
Representing and playing for their hometown high school with the friends they go to school with is an important part of all high school athletes’ experiences. Since hockey is not a UIL school sport, MIHC makes it possible for our young men and women to “play for McKinney.”
When we expanded our club downward to include Bantams, Peewees and Squirts, we envisioned an organization that could nurture young men and women throughout their hockey careers, providing stability as well as excellence, consistency as well as skills. We want our players and their families to grow together through the years rather than just through the season.
MIHC is a community-based organization: we see each other at school, church, the grocery store, and at many other events in which our children participate. The friendships and relationships that we build go much further than the hockey team; the bonds that we parents, players, and siblings share will last a lifetime. We forge these bonds during tournament trips within Texas and beyond (St. Louis, Colorado Springs, Chicago, even Europe) as well as during our frequent practices and games. Then we wind up the season with our annual Banquet at Southfork Ranch, which all players and their families attend to honor players’ achievements and re-live the season with the entire club.
To ensure our players maintain high standards personally as well as academically, we do mandatory drug testing and comply with McKinney ISD’s No Pass/No Play rule. In addition to practice and play during the season, players build skills and camaraderie with summer off-ice training for conditioning, pre-tryout camps, and team dinners.
Our funding comes mostly from parents, although the club is sponsored by various businesses in the community and holds several fundraising events, including an annual spring “Stick and Putt” golf tournament, to help offset the high cost of ice time for each player.
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