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Travel & Pens Elite Tryouts
Saucey replied to HockeyDad23's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
How do you figure? He has the skills that he is going to have right now, a try out isn't going to help him get on a better team between now and the next tryout. If you really want to spend $$, spend the tryout fee on a lesson. Dollar for dollar, if you are looking to improve a skill, private lessons with a good instructor are the best bang for your buck over anything, really. But to expect anything now to help much for this year's try out is a bit much. He is where he is at this point, anyone who tells you something different is most likely trying to get in your wallet. Lessons over the summer are the best time for those gains. Cut costs by sharing the lesson with a similarly skilled bud or two. That being said, keep him moving on the ice before tryouts so he doesn't lose his skate legs and he doesn't get rusty. However you do it, through a private, a tune up, a public skate, stick time, any of that works. A try out is not good for that purpose. What is at NP's rink between now and tryouts? Do you know families on the travel teams you can talk to? NP director of hockey ops? Most rinks and programs offer things to keep the rust off before tryouts. Probably get better info there on what you need to make a team then from here where people post anonymously. - Last week
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You need only sit down and watch a NHL game on any given tonight to see poor officiating. Just like this afternoon's Penguins game. This game is on Nationally and viewers get to see two guys watch fouls committed and not make the calls. Then they decide that what happened in one post-whistle scrum is far more egregious than the previous 3 even though they were pretty much identical. If the NHL players are whom players strive to emulate then one would assume that the same is true for the officials and so youth refereeing basically mimics the game on TV.
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Travel & Pens Elite Tryouts
dazedandconfused replied to HockeyDad23's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
Remember Jack, Lferg is the marketing rep for the PPE on here. -
Travel & Pens Elite Tryouts
Jack Handey replied to HockeyDad23's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
A tryout is not the same as a tune-up. Your player will get some advice and coaching in a tune-up but will get no coaching nor feedback in the tryout. Unless you consider acceptance or rejection as feedback. Walk before you run and try a PAHL team first. -
Yes amazing resume. Very convenient you’ve chosen 3 vague examples of high level hockey. Officiating is no different in Pittsburgh than any other area. Again, when young officials see what garbage they have to deal with, they get out.
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None of my kids came up through the system in this area, but I have coached 15+ years of u18AAA, juniors and college. The few years in Pittsburgh was the only place I saw this as a problem. It’s a local issue with these older refs, not global.. Glad you think of me as a bleacher expert though, didn’t realize your knowledge of the game was superior to mine. You must be correct.
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Hey dummy, learn to read. No younger refs will get certified because of no nothing bleacher experts like you. And you still have no qualifications to critique anyone. Pay the bills, volunteer for the box, and shut up
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All you did there was further prove my point. I was saying that the yournger up and coming refs should wear the bands for u16 and u18 AAA games. I stated that they are learning and need to be given this chance. It is a shame that the older refs who can no longer keep up take this opportunity from the younger officials so they can make the extra buck. it is apparent that you are one of those refs who the game has passed by. Your stubbornness and greed have blinded you from allowing the younger refs the opportunity to learn and grow. I hope you feel good about yourself
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Travel & Pens Elite Tryouts
lferg replied to HockeyDad23's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
Considering that Pens tryouts are right before NP tryouts I would say go for it. Explain to your son that it's at a higher skill level. Tell him upfront that he will likely not make it, but it will help him prepare for NP tryout. This will not be a waste of time or money. Any tuneup at any rink would cost you the same or even more. If he wants to progress to a higher level he needs to be exposed to it. Taking Pens tuneup session is also a good idea, as someone suggested. You get the best value for the money there for sure. Go for it. And it will help him make a better team at NP next year. -
qwerty1234 joined the community
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I have read a lot of complaints but not one has any ideas on how to fix the so called problems.
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Travel & Pens Elite Tryouts
hockeyisgreat replied to HockeyDad23's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
The Steel City Ice Renegades out of Alpha ice rink in Harmarville are also pretty close to North Pittsburgh for tryouts. They seem to have a good number of travel teams in squirt. Most importantly keep him on the ice as much as possible with clinics, 3 on 3 summer leagues etc. The more ice he gets as a squirt the more he will develop. -
Golden Horseshoe Hockey School Aug 5-10, 2019
GoldenHorseshoe replied to GoldenHorseshoe's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
https: //twitter.com/GHHockeySchool/status/1096425907194077184 -
You should just go to the 4 man system for u10, u12 and u14 games and have goal judges for every game. Also only experienced efficient skating officials that have previous NCAA, Semi Pro or Pro games under their belt be allowed these games. New learning officials should not be given the chance at these games, maybe put the new guys in the pro level games since the players know all the rules and can ref themselves. That sound like it would work. Or maybe whistle should be given out to all the people in the stands, having all those eyes and views they would never miss a call or get it wrong. HA HA HA. This entire thread is a joke. The players as well as the referees are learning, The officiating organizations and schedulers try their best to distribute games and pair experienced refs with newer refs and provide feedback. Refs are responsible for honing their skills, taking the test and learning on the job what it takes to be a good official. Yes there are refs that have made poor calls, you could ask any NHL Ref and they could site the many mistakes they made and learned from coming up. But the constant bashing is a joke and anyone on here bashing referees really has no clue what is going on or the rules of the game. It is clear there is a shortage as who would want to deal with the people that commented on here. If you really think it is that bad, come up with a better system, I find it hard to believe it would be much different and would not have the same restraints the current system has.
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kscholz joined the community
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I certainly understand that all refs are human and are going to miss things. The players and coaches mess up every game much more than the officials... however, it irritates me incredibly bad when a ref is not capable of skating to keep up with the play. In a three man system, when they put the bands on the guy with seniority instead of giving it to the young ref who can get up and down the ice. Problem is the refs are too stubborn to realize that they eventually reach a point where they should only be doing lines in higher level games.
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https://www.usahockey.com/officials It's time consuming and a little expensive upfront to become an official. USA hockey allows a minimum age of 12 but every state has different child labor laws. Every year they have a bunch of kids go to the seminar and never complete the training. If they complete it, they quit in the first few years, a lot of them citing parents. We have a shortage now, and each year it gets worse. It pays pretty good, depends on the program. About $30 an hour. The comment about ice views is dead on. I read somewhere that there are actually six different views of the ice. This was driven home for me recently, I watched on Livebarn a pass I was particularly proud of because I made it through a ton of traffic and it wasn't easy to see my teammate. The Livebarn view made it look completely unexceptional, to my supreme disappointment. What you see from above is not what you see on ice.
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Officiating is difficult and thankless in all sports but you can't play without them. Can anyone post a link for how to go about becoming a Hockey Referee? Any idea how much they get paid per game in the PAHL? PIHL? College games? I see a lot of younger Officials. Any idea of the age limit to become an official? From what I have seen for the most part they are trying out there. That's good enough for me.
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Travel & Pens Elite Tryouts
twoboys replied to HockeyDad23's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
People have told me that North Pittsburgh has a ton of kids at both the Peewee and Squirt level. A lot of kids get cut from the travel teams. If you really want to play travel hockey then I would at least consider Butler Valley or another program as a fall back to North Pittsburhg. Additionally, try signing him up for the PPE tune up for tryouts. Not all of the PPE kids do it but some do. If he does it then he can see up close where he stands with some of the PPE kids. -
How do you know they are doing a bad job? You did not see what they saw. The game is completely different when seen from the ice level. The refereeing is in most part consistent with the level that is being played. Watch the NFL playoffs this year? A couple questions about officiating there, yes? The NFL is the most profitable sports league in the world and they don't get it right all the time even with replay and a dozen camera angles. Let if go people. Mistakes happen. the really bad ones will get weeded out and its not your job to do it. Use (what you see as) a mistake as a learning opportunity for your kids.
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Snap Shot joined the community
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No see your wrong again. Learn to read the forms you sign when you sign your kid up for any club. These fees are membership fees. No different than a social club. You have a right to discuss how the money is used through proper channels. That means a chain of command. You also have the right to not go back to an organization or play another sport. You can also come to a message board and whine and complain. Or pretend you have a voice that anyone with any pull in the sport will hear or care about. As a parent, you’re low man on the totem pole. The sooner you people realize and accept your place, the better it’ll be for the kids. Here it is again for you to read- YOU HAVE NO OTHER RIGHTS THAN THE ROSTER SPOT YOUR KID GETS. Again, no one cares what parents opinions on game play or officiating are. This is the perfect forum for parents. Please continue to voice your ridiculous and inexperienced opinions on this message board. It is endless amusement for those that actually progress the sport for the kids.
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Travel & Pens Elite Tryouts
fafa fohi replied to HockeyDad23's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
Great comment, and it is all about kids being placed on teams at a similar skill level and them having fun, especially at that age. Don't let parent ego get in the way of the process - I know parents that change organizations every single year because for some reason, the group of evaluators got it all wrong when assigning little Johnny to the #3 team instead of the #1 AA team. In cases like this, the kid suffers because they are not developing any long lasting friendships when going from one organization to another every single year. Both of my kids that played PAHL and PIHL hockey played with some of the same kids for years, and my oldest has been out of hockey for years and is still friendly with those kids. We all want the best for our kids, so my advice is to manage your expectations. -
Actually, the fees that he pays to his club includes all things related to the game of hockey. Coaching, EMT’s and Refs included. That fact, certainly entitles him to have and voice his opinions and concerns about referees. The fact is, there are good referees out there and bad ones out there. Unfortunately, everyone just has to go with the flow. In my opinion, if coaches, parents and players will just keep their mouths shut, the referees would do a better job. They would have more time to concentrate on the game while not having to worry about others yelling at them. Nowadays, teams even get homered at home because certain referees get to know crazy coaches and parents. They begin to dislike them and as soon as a particular coach/parent opens his/her mouth, the homering begins. Love/Hate is everyone’s experience with a referee.
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Travel & Pens Elite Tryouts
HockeyDad23 replied to HockeyDad23's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
Thanks all great advice. All makes sense -
Travel & Pens Elite Tryouts
Jack Handey replied to HockeyDad23's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
It's good to hear that he's doing well in the in-house league. I would set your sights on North Pittsburgh again since you are familiar with that rink, and have a back-up plan with another club at a nearby rink if you really want to try travel hockey. The nearest travel programs to North Pittsburgh are Butler Valley (playing out of Frozen Pond on Route 8), Arctic Foxes (RMU Island Sports Center), Pittsburgh Aviators (Shadyside Academy or UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex), Beaver Badgers (Bradys Run), and Lawrence County Lightning (in New Castle PA playing out of Hess). I would not bother with Pens Elite. You have many good programs in the north that can meet his needs. Get him a year or two of travel experience and then maybe reconsider it if and when he can earn a spot on an "AA" or "A Major" travel team in the local travel league. -
Travel & Pens Elite Tryouts
Saucey replied to HockeyDad23's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
My child did not make a travel team first time out of the gate as a squirt. There is a lot of movement as players decline spots, so even if he doesn't get an invite at first, there is still a chance. Now he plays fairly high level hockey and works his butt off. And there is no shame in making a lower team. Kids are better served playing with like skill. They develop so much better that way. It is not a bad thing to experience a little disappointment, but to try out at Pens Elite 'just to see'....that is expensive and a bit time consuming. I would use that money to take him to a Pens game. You are still handing money over to the Pens, but it may be more enjoyable. -
Travel & Pens Elite Tryouts
aaaahockey replied to HockeyDad23's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
It really does depend on the individual player. Not knowing you from Adam I would say you need to try out at North Pittsburgh and make making a travel team your benchmark. Be excited and enjoy the ride when he makes one, regardless of level. Treat him to his favorite dinner out even if it is squirt 6.
