2025 NCGB TIER 2

NCGB 2025 Tryouts will be held in Raleigh NC, May 16, 17 and 18 as mandated by the Carolina Amateur Hockey Association. All organizations will hold their Tier 2 AA, A, B level tryouts this weekend. Our Schedule will be posted a few weeks prior to this date. We will cut off registration if the registration numbers get too large as has been the case in the past few years.

The NC Golden Bears believe in the tryout process completely. The Golden Bear professional staff watch all tryouts for all the teams. We evaluate all players, and we do not discuss the final roster until the final tryout is over on Sunday evening. All players who are end up choosing to play for the NC Golden Bears will be sent an offer letter from the NCGB crossbar account they registered for tryouts on. Please do not ask prior to this. We understand players are offered spots at other organizations prior to the end of tryouts. We understand your pressure, but we want to stay true to our process.

TRYOUT COSTS

We believe that we are a premier AA, A program in the Raleigh Area and we ask that only players who want to play in the program for our professional coaching and development sign up for our tryouts. In the age groups from 12U to 18U we charge $350 for tryout registration. $100 of this is for tryout costs. $250 is a deposit that is refunded if we do not offer your player a spot. If we do offer your player a spot and it is accepted, then we will apply $250 to your first installment after the initial acceptance deposit.

At the 10U level, this does not apply since we only charge for the actual tryout fee.

Going into the 2025-26 season the NC Golden Bears are establishing themselves as one of the premier Tier 2 AA, A programs in the Southeast. After venturing into the AAA levels at the U16 and U18 age groups to relative success for a new program, the Golden Bears will now focus on development of AA, A and B level players at all age groups.

This past season the NC Golden Bears demonstrated this at the 14U age level. The 14AA team became the first U14 Golden Bears team to become State Champions and represent CAHA at Nationals April 2-6 in Michigan. They accomplished this with minimal travel and expense. The formula was professional coaching and practice. This formula will be duplicated up and down the age groups in 2025-26.

The Highlights listed below have not changed much from last season. These will still be our focus.

HIGHLIGHTS:

September Training month: September will be a dedicated to skill development along with Team building and team development. Taking into consideration the mix of players at the travel level who also play other sports we have decided there is no rush into the game scenarios and our coaching staff will focus on development of skills and team tactics as kids juggle a return to school, the ice and finishing out other sports seasons.

League Play:

• Local league play. There is zero need for AA or A teams in North Carolina to travel outside the affiliate for league play. Local league play will be competitive and challenging.

Tournaments:

• Have been chosen to minimize travel, hotel stays and missed school, while also making sure that they meet the competitive needs of each team. Tournaments are where you look to challenge those teams who may not get as much in the league play.

Affiliations:

• The NCGB will keep rosters small while offering affiliations with upper-level teams for both games and practices. We will identify, select and offer an affiliation to players we see possessing the skill, ability and desire the opportunity to practice and in some cases play games with the team immediately ahead of it in age and skill.

Examples:

• a 12 A player would be able to practice and play games with the 12AA team
• a 14 AA player would be able to practice with the 16AA Prep team or
• a 16AA player would be able to practice and play games with the 16AAA team.

The NCGB are in a unique position to offer this opportunity to provide this development opportunity to those players who are both capable and ambitious in their hockey careers.

TRAVEL COSTS:

ALL TIER 2 travel is designed to minimize unneeded costs. Extensive travel costs at the AA level is not essential or practical. IF a player is playing Tier 2 hockey at the AA, A and B levels either by choice or due to their skill level, there are better ways to spend money then on extensive travel to play a "AAA" schedule. Players at this level wanting to get better would be better suited spending money on any number of private lessons instructors in the community or a gym membership. IF a player is playing at this level by choice, then for sure the extra costs are not needed, and competitive games are easily found locally at minimal cost.

Team Practice Expectations:

AA - This level expects commitment and attendance at team practices. Please do not take a spot from someone at this level if you are not committed to the team aspect of this skill level.

A - This level is more appropriate for players who are not as committed or have hockey as a secondary sport. Please look at this option if your player has these concerns. However for the lessor skilled players we have also provided some of the best skills and Hockey IQ coaches in the Carolina’s at our A levels to help them improve exponentially if they have the desire and work ethic, giving them the best avenue to move up in skill levels from year to year at a very reasonable cost.

The NC Golden Bears are a travel hockey program located in Raleigh NC. Founded in 2015 by Paul Strand, the program has grown from 2 teams to a dozen or so in 9 seasons. We field teams at the AAA, AA, A and B skill levels. We believe in balance of sports and family. Our A and AA teams compete locally and regionally.

We have a consistency in our coaching staff and feel that we hire very good people who are as good off the ice as they are on. Our goal is to provide a good place for families and kids that will encourage them to play through high school and beyond if they have that desire.