Frequently Asked Questions
What are the goals of the program?
What age group does my child look at?
Do boys and girls play on the same team?
When is the Jr. Sharks Hockey season?
When and where are the games?
When and where are the practices, on and off-ice?
How many school days are missed for Jr. Sharks Hockey travel?
How much does it cost to play Jr. Sharks hockey?
How do the Jr. Sharks screen coaches?
What are the goals of the program?
"Our goal is long-term development, not short-term success"
The San Jose Jr. Sharks offer competitive programs for both boys (9-18), girls (8-19) and Women 20.
Our Travel A/B/AA programs goal is to provide a fun, developmental, and competitive opportunity for players looking to play youth hockey while limiting time, travel, and cost commitments.
Extending this strong foundation, Tier I programs goal is to provide a fun, developmental, and competitive opportunity for players looking to play youth hockey who have the skill, dedication, and desire to play hockey at the junior and collegiate levels.
The Girls program is committed to nurture a love with the sport of hockey, especially at the younger ages. While the Jr. Sharks strive to create two similar paths (Travel and Tier I) for our girl members, the numbers of girls playing in the Jr. Sharks are not there at this time. Therefore the Jr. Sharks will continue to recruit, retain, and develop their player pool as the objective of the Jr. Sharks in the coming years will be to offer two teams at 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, and 19U. However, until that time the Jr. Sharks will work to satisfy both goal orientated players in the current team structure.
What age group does my child look at?
The San Jose Jr. Sharks has teams in age categories for Boys 9-18 years old, Girls 8-19 years old and Women’s teams. Jr. Sharks have teams in the following age and competitive level categories:
| Year of Birth | Ages | Age Division | Levels of competition |
| 1993 or 1994 | 17-18 | Midget 18 | AAA and AA or A |
| 1995 or 1996 | 15-16 | Midget 16 | AAA and AA or A |
| 1997 or 1998 | 11-12 | Bantam | AAA and AA, A, or B |
| 1999 or 2000 | 11-12 | Pee Wee | AAA and AA, A, and B |
| 2001 or 2002 | 9-10 | Squirt | A and B |
| Year of Birth | Ages | Age Division | Levels of competition |
| 1992 to 1994 | 17-19 | 19U | No team |
| 1995 or 1996 | 15-16 | 16U | AAA or AA |
| 1997 or 1998 | 11-12 | 14U | AAA or AA |
| 1999 or 2000 | 11-12 | 12U | AAA or AA |
| 2000 or 2001 | 9-10 | 10U | AA |
| 2002 or 2003 | 8 | 8U | AA |
Do Boys and Girls play on the same team?
The Jr. Sharks have boys and girls teams. A few girls may play on the boys teams however the Jr. Sharks strongly encourage girls to play girls’ hockey.
When is the Jr. Sharks Hockey season?
The Jr. Sharks season begins with practices in mid-August or September and concludes in February or March of the following year. Schedules for individual teams will be available at tryouts.
When and where are the games?
Based on the level of play the Jr. Sharks.....
| Games | AAA and AA levels | A and B Levels | Girls | Women |
| ~No. of games | 40-60 | 30-40 | 40-45 (26 for 10U) | 20-25 |
| Travel | AAA or AA teams across US and Canada | A and B teams in Northern California, possibly travel tournaments | Girls tournaments, and Northern California A & B travel teams (non-checking rules) | Women's tournaments, US and Canada competitive to level of team |
| Playoffs | 3- State, Regional and National Championships | 2- Northern California and State Championships | 2 - Pacific Districts and National Championships | 2- Pacific Districts and National Championships |
When and Where are are the practices, on and off-ice?
| Team | Weekly Ice | Weekly off Ice |
| AAA | 2 - 3 90 minutes | 2-3 times a week |
| AA / A B | (2) 75 minutes 1 full ice, 1 shared | Once a week for Bantams and Midgets |
| All Girls teams | 1-2 60 minutes mixed full and shared ice | Once a week |
How many school days are missed for hockey?
Due to travel to tournaments players can expect to miss a few school.
| Team | Missed school days |
| AAA teams | Up to 11 days |
| AA teams | 6-7 days |
| A and B teams | 2-4 days |
| Girls teams | 2-10 day |
How much does it cost to play hockey?
The Jr. Sharks program general estimated costs include season fees, travel expenses and soft goods. Specific season costs will be presented at team tryouts. To see Overview and Costs: click here
How does the Jr. Sharks screen coaches
San Jose Jr. Sharks Coaches, managers and other individuals who have routine access to children (anyone under the age of majority) are required to have current background screening in partnership with Acxiom Information Security Services.
For further description of the screening policy please go to California Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) Screening Policy at: