The U14 team will be led by Allen Sprunk. This will be Coach Sprunk’s 46th year as a USA Hockey head coach. A Level 4-certified coach, Sprunky has led Racers teams to state championships at Mite, Squirt, Peewee and Bantam at A and AA levels. His 34 tournament championships include three International Silver Stick Tournaments and nine Indiana State championships. He began playing hockey at Memorial Park outdoor rink in Wyandotte, Michigan, at age 10. In 1979, he was a member of the Michigan Senior Men’s State Champions and played on two teams that won the Crown Life International Tournament in Toronto. Over the years, he has seen his players go on to play Junior A, Division 1 College and professional hockey, all the way to the NHL.
The U12 team will be led by Gary Timpe. This will be Gary's sixth season as an IYHA coach. He has coached at the Mite, Squirt and Peewee levels, and was an assistant coach for the U10 Squirt Racers during the 2014-15 season. He was head coach of the U10 Racers in 2015-2016, as well as head coach for the U12 Peewee A select Racers team last season. A USA Hockey Level 4 coach, his love (and study) of hockey began as a child when his father took him to the (WHA) Indianapolis Racers games. Gary has played the game since he was a child and is still actively playing in local adult leagues.
The U14 and U12 B team coaches will be selected during Racers Select tryouts. IYHA will field a U10 Racers Select team. The IYHA board and Racer Travel coaching staff are evaluating candidates for that position.
The Racers Select pre-tryout skate-arounds (schedule listed below) will give skaters a chance to "knock the rust off" and meet the Racers coaches, who will be conducting the drills and scrimmages at these sessions. Each session will cost $20, payable check or cash at the time of the skate.
Dates and times are as follows:
U10 Squirts
Thursday, July 27 5:30-6:30pm
Thursday, Aug. 10 8-9pm
U12 Peewees
Wednesday, July 26 8-9pm
Monday, July 31, 8-9 pm
Wednesday, Aug. 9 8-9pm
U14 Bantams
Saturday, July 22 9:15-10:15am
Thursday, Aug. 3 8-9pm
Saturday, Aug. 12 9:15-10:15am
Players will need to register for Racers Select tryouts. Registration will be available online soon, and will cost $40 for the entire session, no matter what level. To see a complete list of our tryout dates and times, click here. Players must be registered with IYHA in order to participate in tryouts, and have a current USA Hockey number. To register for IYHA, click here. To register for a 2017-2018 USA Hockey number, click here.
Please don’t hesitate to email us at iyhamail@iyha.com with any questions or concerns.