Who are the Cumberland Jr. Grads?

The Cumberland Jr. Grads is a community hockey association representing the region roughly bound by drawing a line from Champlain Street in the north of Orleans through to Mer Bleu and Innes Roads and all neighbourhoods eastward to the City Limits of Ottawa. The Jr. Grads Club is an affiliate member of the Ottawa District Minor Hockey Association, and is the competitive (“rep”) hockey team organization in this community, icing teams from the Atom to Midget age groups and at AA, A and/or B league divisions.

Our aims and objectives are as follows:

• To foster, encourage and improve minor hockey under the jurisdiction of the Cumberland Jr. Grads.
• To have and exercise a general care, supervision and direction over players, teams, team officials and members of the Executive Committee of the Cumberland Jr. Grads.
• To provide fun, recreation and healthy enjoyment through development programs and competition, giving due consideration to individual capabilities.
• To teach fair play and sportsmanship and to develop the skills of the players in its charge.
• To foster among its members, supporters and teams a general community spirit.

What are the age groups that make up Jr. Grads teams?

The Jr. Grads have four principle levels of hockey teams, representing children from ages 9 up to 17 years old. Within these four main levels are typically two age groups in each, with the exception of the Midget level, where there are three. The lower age group in each level is referred to as the “minor” level and the older level is called “major” (the exception is Midget, with one age group for minor and two age groups for major – see below). The levels are as follows:

Level	Age
Minor Atom:	9
Major Atom:	10
Minor Peewee:	11
Major Peewee:	12
Minor Bantam:	13
Major Bantam:	14
Minor Midget:	15
Major Midget:	16 and 17

What is so special about playing for the Cumberland Jr. Grads?

When children play for the Jr. Grads, they are selected, based on their demonstrated skills, attitudes, and behaviour, as a limited number of community representatives (hence “rep” hockey) for our eastern Orleans neighbourhoods. Of the 2,000-3,000 children who play hockey within the eastern Orleans area, the Jr Grads teams usually comprise about 300 players, or about 10-15% of the total. The Jr. Grads teams will then compete against other community teams from across Ottawa and outlying regions as far as Kingston and Cornwall, as well as participate in tournaments within the region, in Quebec, southwestern Ontario, and even the United States.

How would I know if my child would enjoy playing competitive hockey?

Playing at the Jr. Grads competitive level of hockey is an achievement that is ideally suited for children who are driven to play, like to win, and thoroughly enjoy the sport of hockey. If your son or daughter is always playing mini-sticks in the basement, ball or roller hockey on your street, loves to watch hockey on TV or attend Junior A or NHL hockey games, and is generally given to wanting to win when they play games, they will likely be stimulated by the challenge and development of competitive hockey.