Join The Philadelphia Flyers Warriors
Guidelines for Joining The Philadelphia Flyers Warriors
The Philadelphia Flyers Warriors welcomes wounded, injured, or otherwise disabled veterans of the U.S. Military. A veteran does not have to have been deployed overseas to join.
Wounded is defined as any physical injury as a result of enemy fire in any capacity, in any combat zone, from any theatre, of any era. Being awarded the Purple Heart Medal automatically qualifies a veteran to join our program.
Injured is defined as any injury not caused by an armed enemy of the United States, but that was incurred while on active duty. The injury must have occurred while on active duty, or on inactive drill status in the case of Guard or Reserve veterans. In addition, the injury must have been documented and/or be evident.
Otherwise Disabled is defined as any other injury or disability that is not covered in the first two appendices such as hearing loss. This also includes illnesses due to time in service such as agent orange exposure, or mental health conditions such as (but not limited to) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression, Anxiety, or others. Under this criteria, any veteran with a disability rating from either the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense is automatically qualifies that veteran to join our program.
Veterans and current service members with no disability rating are welcome to participate on a volunteer status with the Philadelphia Flyers Warriors.
Documentation
All players must submit some type of documentation indicating their status as a wounded, injured, or otherwise disabled veteran of the U.S. Military. Documentation that is accepted includes any DoD documentation of an injury or disability while on active duty, any VA documentation of service connected injuries or disabilities to include a summary of service connected conditions and percentage, or any other documentation from any other source that indicates an injury or disability as a result of military service. It is important to note that we welcome veterans who may not have a disability rating from either the DoD or VA but who sustained injuries and/or disabilities while in the military and either have documentation of these conditions or have disclosed these conditions in the Philadelphia Flyers Warriors Registration Form.
Procedure For Joining
1. Fill out the Philadelphia Flyers Warriors registration packet (player application, DD214*, VA award letter**) and return it to the director of recruiting.
2. Attend a practice session, which takes place every Sunday afternoon at 12:45 p.m. at Flyers SkateZone in Pennsauken, NJ.
3. After attending a practice session, register with USA Hockey.
4. Once the player has completed the registration, attended a practice session, and registered with USA Hockey, they will be allowed to join the program.
5. NEW RECRUITS: After receiving the handbook, you will have one week to answer the questions at the back of this handbook and return with the answers the following practice. You must also sign your name to signify you have read the handbook.
*To retrieve your DD214 and VA award letter electronically, visit https://www.ebenefits.va.gov
**We can accept a filing letter for the VA award for those who have filed for benefits but have yet to receive a rating
The Philadelphia Flyers Warriors Hockey program strives to provide every participant with a high-quality playing experience that is adapted to the level of the participant. We acknowledge and understand that different players want/need different things from our program, and we want to offer as many options as possible to accommodate our veterans. Players who participate in our program should always expect to be treated with respect. They should expect to feel welcome and accommodated while participating in the program. They should expect clear and regular communication from the leaders of the program and should feel welcome and encouraged to approach the leadership with questions or concerns. In addition, players should expect to receive constructive help and instruction from the coaching staff and leadership and should expect to be evaluated and placed at an appropriate level for their abilities.