FYHA was formed to facilitate the development of hockey skills for all the youth of Fargo.The Fargo Youth Hockey Association (FYHA) is the parent organization for both the Fargo Raiders and the Fargo Flyers.
The mission of the Fargo Youth Hockey Association is to provide the youth of Fargo with the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of hockey, learn sportsmanship and teamwork, to develop a sense of responsibility and self-discipline, to learn to compete within a set of established rules, to learn to accept the decisions of authorized officials and to develop sound minds and bodies.
The organizations in FYHA currently offer hockey programs at the following levels:
* Squirts (age 10 and under)
* PeeWees (age 12 and under)
* Bantams (age 14 and under))
* Junior Gold (age 19 and under)
Approximately 250-300 players from the Fargo area participate in these programs each year.
During a typical hockey season, the organizations in the Fargo Youth Hockey Association will host 13 tournaments which range from Squirts to Men's League. These tournaments include the Fargo Raider Pee Wee Ice Jam in January, the Fargo Youth Hockey Association Bantam Classic in late January, the Fargo Flyer Squirt International in late February, the Buffalo Wild Wings Senior Men's Classic in April, just to name a few. Along with the aforementioned tournaments, approximately 200-250 games are played in the Teamster's arena each winter. These games include skaters from North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Colorado, Wisconsin, Iowa, Montana, Wyoming, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. Virtually every hockey player from squirt to bantam age in the Fargo-Moorhead and West Fargo area will step foot onto and play a game at the Teamster's arena every year.
The Fargo Youth Hockey Association also owns the Teamster's Arena. The Teamster's Arena opened in December of 1990. The primary purpose of the arena at that time was to help meet the ice need in Fargo because the existing ice facilities did not provide adequate ice time. The Teamster's Arena was funded by donations from individuals, families of hockey participants, many local F-M businesses and corporations, as well as foundations set up to give out grants.
The Teamster's Arena also serves as a practice facility for a variety of youth teams based outside of the Fargo Area, including the North Dakota Selects, Dakota Predators, Dakota Starz and other "AAA" teams. Youth Hockey camps are also offered at the Teamsters throughout the year, primarily beginning in late March and running through early August. These hockey camps serve players in the entire Red River Valley. These camps include North Fargo Hockey Skills camp in June, ASE Shooting/Checking Camp in April, and Fargo Youth Hockey Association Spring and Fall Hockey Leagues. The Teamster's Arena is also used by area figure skaters.
The Teamsters Arena is considered by many to be the best playing surface in the Fargo-Moorhead area due to its hard fast ice sheet, and its year round availability. The Teamsters Arena is located in North Fargo between the John E. Carlson Coliseum and the Fargo Curling Club.
