Mechelen, September 25 – With the official competition calendar now set, the youngest ice hockey players are preparing for their season start. The U8, U10 and U12 development leagues are once again ready to make the most of every available ice slot. Great news for the development of our young players and coaches.
The RBIHF continues to invest heavily in talent development, aiming to raise the overall level of competition in Belgium year after year. During the recent calendar meeting, all clubs were represented, including Beaufort Luxembourg, which will again participate in the youth development games this season. A great example of cross-border collaboration in support of the sport.
The planning of the development leagues is carefully managed by Kelly Verbinnen and Stve Seles, both responsible for Belgian youth hockey within the federation. As usual, the calendar is published in two parts, allowing room for growing teams and new entries in the second half of the season.
This year, ice time is plentiful. “Everyone will get plenty of opportunities to play,” says Kelly, who coordinates the match planning. The development leagues are not about winning, but about learning. The focus is on equal playing time and the individual growth of each player within the team.
U8 and U10 will continue to play in cross-ice format, while U12 will start the season with a mix of 1/3 and 2/3 ice formats, switching to full-ice games from January onward. In every format, ice time is evenly distributed, with fixed shift changes announced via the clock and a bench rotation system that ensures every player gets equal time on the ice.
In December, a second calendar meeting will be held to plan the remainder of the season. With this approach, Belgium continues to build a strong foundation for the future of ice hockey – a future where development, fun and teamwork are key.