Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Season

Q.  When does the season start?

A.  The season starts in the later part of September, continuing into April.

Teams

Q.  How many teams do you have?

A.  We have three teams, KMC Eagles I, Eagles II, and Eagles II.  The skill levels vary, depending on the team.  With the majority being military, missions and deployments create challenges with keeping the game rosters competitive.

Q.  Are there tryouts?

A. Not at this time.  Player assignments is based on season availablity, skill level, and/or paid status with the organization.  The teams are very dynamic in regards to the player’s ability to be consistent in attending practices and games, family and missions take precedence.

Q.  Who is eligible to play?

A.  We accept all players, from age 16 and up, military, civilians, contractors, NATO, local nationals, etc.

Q.  What skill level or talent is needed to play?

A.  We accept novice to the more experienced.  Unfortunately, we do not have the additional ice time or coaching staff to teach beginners the basics of ice hockey.  We generally accept players that can skate forward and have decent stopping skills.   Practices will help in recovering skills, but personal improvement may require additional skating outside team training.

Equipment:

Q. If I don’t have equipment, where can I buy locally?

A.  The organization does not issue nor have complete sets of hockey equipment.  If a player is in need of a few items, players will often lend equipment until the order arrives.

Another way is ordering on-line but it will take about 10 to 14 days for shipment.  Here are some vendors- www.greatskate.com, www.peranis.com, and www.hockeymonkey.com.   Before purchasing on-line, verify shipping costs which can definitely drive up the price.

If time is an issue, Top-On-Ice is an excellent German vendor, located in Mannheim about 40 minutes drive. http://www.top-on-ice.de/ .  You can order on-line with them and have it shipped, or contact them for price quotes.  If you are a DPL league member, they offer 20% discount, plus the VAT form (19%) off the cost of the item.  

Another location is the Zweibrucken rink, http://www.dewehockey.de/1.html but the pro shop hours are very limited and so is the stock.  They accept the VAT form and have a decent selection on sticks.

Q.  Where can I get my skates sharpened?

A.  As a benefit to DPL members, Top-On-Ice will sharpen your skates 3 times per season as part of your membership.  The rink at Zweibrucken charges 5 Euro, typically a public skate edge, not too aggressive.    The Eagles organization owns a sharpener, which can tailor the cut to your needs.  The cost is a $5 or 5 euro donation, which funds our end-of-season party.

Q.  Do I have to buy my own jersey?

A.  The teams have their own set of away and home jerseys.  Players on the roster will have the option to borrow for the season (monetary deposit) or use on a per game basis, returned to the equipment manager at the end of the night.  The organization will order jerseys at the start of the season if someone wants to own a set.

Practices-

Q.  When and where are practices?

A.  Practices are held on Tuesday nights from 8:45-10:30 pm, at the Zweibrucken rink which is located 30 minutes drive from Ramstein, and every other Saturdays at Viernheim, 09:30-10:45 am.  If there are several league games during the week, then practices may be canceled to save costs and to allow players to physically recoup.

League-

Q.  Do you play in a German league?

A.  The teams compete in the Die Plays Liga (DPL) http://www.dpliga.com/cms/front_content.php At the time of this writing, there are 32 teams, split into four divisions.

Q.  Where are the games and at what time?

A.  The majority of our games are held in the Mannheim/Heidelberg area.  The schedule is usually posted on the DPL website, game times and dates vary.

Q.  Does the team carpool?

A.  Generally, the team will carpool from the Mobile Martin Park & Ride on the night of the game, time determined by the coach.

Friendly Games

Q.  Does the team play other teams outside of the league?

A.  We play teams in Bitburg, Geilenkirchen, Darmstadt, Mainz, etc…, not to mention Prague (Czech Republic), Strasburg (France), and Luxembourg City (Luxembourg). This year, we are looking to expand into Switzerland and Belgium.

Costs

Q.  What does it cost per season?

A.  The cost is dependent on the sponsor’s rank, and the Euro rate at the time of season start.  Information will be posted on the website starting in September.

Q. What if I am a dependent?

A.  The cost will be based on your sponsor’s status.

Q.  What is included in the membership?

A.  All practices and league games, this includes the player’s fee into the DPL.  Additional benefits of playing in the league is the 39% discount off of equipment and three skate sharpening at Top-On-Ice, a free ticket to a Pro Adler’s game in Mannheim, and additional discounts with league sponsors.

Q.  What if I am deploying or PCSing mid-way thru the season?

A.  We will pro-rate your cost based on the amount of months you are able to play.

Q.  Do you accept payments?

A.  We will work with you on a case-by-case basis.  Our goal is for everyone to play hockey and not break the bank.