Universal Athlete Assessment (UAA)

Link: Universal Athlete Assessment | Ringette Alberta

UAA results will account for 60% of the athletes overall evaluation score. The remaining 40% will be accounted for through the Game Play Evaluation (GPE) process. Please refer to FSRA Policy 3000 - Player Evaluation (located on the FSRA website) for detailed information about the evaluation process.

WHAT IS UNIVERSAL ATHLETE ASSESSMENT (UAA)?

UAA is a series of standard, timed tests of an individual’s technical skill (primarily skating) which, when used to create team average test results, will help improve competitive equity between teams across Alberta at the start the season.

ARE UAA RESULTS RELIABLE PREDICTORS OF SECOND HALF AND END OF SEASON COMPETITIVE EQUITY?

UAA testing is ONLY intended to improve team match ups in the first half of the season. Other factors such as quality of coaching, quality of program, appropriate ice time, an appropriate balance of training to competition and things as simple as individual effort will all affect how well teams do over the course of the season. No comparison between start of season UAA results and end of season competitive equity should be made.

WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

In the past, teams were tiered based on a formula that assumed associations would have a predictable number of teams at various levels every season. This has not always been the most reliable way to assign teams to levels (tiers) and therefore match teams for competitive equity.

There were far too many lopsided games between teams that were supposed to be at the same level. There is no developmental benefit for having these meaningless, lopsided games and they were certainly not helping our sport keep players in the game.

IN WHAT DIVISIONS IS UAA BEING USED?

U10, U12 and U14

HOW DO INDIVIDUAL UAA RESULTS IMPROVE COMPETITIVE EQUITY BETWEEN TEAMS?

• U10s complete 4 tests. U12s and U14s complete 5 tests.
• Speed test forward with stabbing the ring
• Speed test backward no ring
• Stop and Start no ring
• Agility Weave with ring
• Butterfly (U12 and U14 only) no ring
• The time it takes to compete each test is recorded. There are multiple trials for each drill / test.
• The times for the tests are recorded for each player
• The local association creates teams, see question “If an association has multiple teams at a particular division, e.g., U12, how does it know how many teams at each level to form?”
• The results for the entire association are submitted to Ringette Alberta
• For each division (U10, U12 and U14), Ringette Alberta examines the total average score for every team. Teams with higher overall average scores will be tiered higher than teams with lower overall average scores.

HOW DOES THE UAA DATA IMPACT THE TIERING OF TEAMS?

Once the data is evaluated by a 3rd party statistician and returned to Ringette Alberta/League Directors with recommended cut lines for each tier, it is then up to the League Directors (123 and Black Gold) to determine if the team will remain in the declared tier. The League Director will communicate with the Associations on the tier movements. Ringette Alberta recommends team placement in the tiers each season based on the UAA data but there are extenuating circumstances where a team could remain where they declare (ie goaltending).

There are strong trends in the cut lines for each tier since UAA started 3 years ago. With that said, Ringette Alberta strongly recommends Associations build teams with prior year UAA cut lines in mind.

Please note that FSRA has and will continue to follow RAB athlete tiering requirements for the purposes of team formation. Tiering will be established at all levels within the FSRA. Each division will contain two or more teams that will be divided into higher and lower levels (ie. A, B, C or U10-S1, U10-S2, U10-S3).