a division or level of children's sport, usually under the age of 7-8.
See also: peewee atom bantam midget mosquito hockey mom hockey dad
- 1947  Thompson, who has played [lacrosse] for the Excelsiors for 17 years, two years ago saw that there was a dearth of young players coming along and decided to do something about it. He almost single-handed organized a "novice" league for lads 10 years and under, got fellows like Bill and Jim Mulliss, Jerry Kendall, Dr. A. W. Bartlett, Harry Letton and George Fletcher interested and had a four-team group with something like 65 youngsters going. They raised some money by getting the senior club to stage a benefit and blossomed again the past season with another four-team group for boys a little older. 
- 1960  Jim Vandenberghe scored seven goals as Ingersoll won both its games against Orangeville today in the international novice hockey tournament at Brampton Memorial Arena. 
- 1979  Several hockey players from two novice league teams collapsed on the ice at the Century Gardens Arena on Saturday morning as exhaust fumes from an ice-cleaning machine caused carbon monoxide poisoning, fire department and police officials said yesterday. 
- 1993  One of the most ludicrous examples Mr. Carmichael noted was of a novice soccer game played on a full-size field in which kids were asked to stick to their positions. 
- 2008  There are competitions in competitive and recreational classes in novice, atom, peewee, bantam and midget divisions. 
2 n. — Sports, Hockey
a player in such a division.
Type: 3. Semantic Change — See meaning 1.
- 1985  Dee was well-known in local hockey circles. He entered Kingston minor hockey as a novice and played through to juvenile. 
- 1999  Currie wasn't outstanding as a novice or junior skater. Her final year of junior, 1998, was a watershed. 
- 2003  Over the years, Blair has moved through the ranks from novice to atom to peewee and, now, bantam. 
- 2008  "It was our lives," Kevin said. "As an atom, a novice, he was one of those kids who could basically score at will. He always scored, and always seemed to be able to, when challenged, to get to the next level." 
- 2014  Oakville gave up just five goals in a six-game unbeaten run to provincial supremacy.
The win was especially sweet for Carter, given that she'd tasted the agony of provincial championship defeat with her hometown North Halton Twisters four years ago as a novice.