Leaderboard

One of the best things that happened for my son was trying out for the Pens 2 years ago and not even making the 4th day. Lit a real fire under his tail. Last year he was offered Black and turned it down. He wants to make Gold and he has improved dramatically in the last 2 years. Not making the team he wanted with on-point constructive criticism (which we feel like we received) will drive the right kid to work hard. Did for my son. Hope it does for yours too...

Every year I have a bout of depression when hockey season ends and I'm not going to the rink fur times a week to coach youth players. My son is a midget this year so this may be my last season of coaching him myself - he my just switch to HS hockey - but I hear what you are saying. People ask me how I can spend so much time on it, and all I can say is that I spend four hours a week with each of my kids doing something we both love. It's still getting WAY too expensive to put a kid on the ice, even at ordinary amateur levels. But it's worth it for me and my family.

Did you not read what you said? You accused me of living off my parent’s dime, which I’m not. Say something with facts behind it. So pops, get off your high horse and get a life. Players deciding to play an extra year has absolutely no effect on your life. For some, it might lead to something more (like Trevor and others). For others, it gives them an extra year to decide what they want to do next after high school. That does not make a person a failure. You’re a loser who’s trolling a blog that is meant to discuss local youth hockey. It’s about as sad as life gets. I truly hope you don’t have kids and if you do they don’t know you’re on here because they’d be absolutely petrified knowing you are like this on here. You can keep calling me “son” and “boy” and that’s fine because I know that right now at my age I am 5 times the man you’ll ever be pops

More biased opinions from you with no backbone, no I’m not on my parents dime. I actually graduated from college and hold down a decent job. I have a few connections still playing so I tend to come on here and check every now and then to see what people are saying. You’re the type of guy who follows high school hockey with absolutely no connection to it. “Wasted opportunity” makes no sense. What would you say of someone like Trevor recktenwald who played a second year of U18 for Esmark and is now in his senior year free of charge playing D1 hockey for Ferris state? There’s several more who went on partial scholarships to play D3 hockey. You have no stats. You say biased opinions and play them off like facts. Keep yelling at clouds old man. The worlds passing you by

Watching your kids play a sport that they love........that’s what it’s all about. I have watched two of my three boys play from Mites to U18 and I have one left playing U14. What in the hell am I going to do on the weekend when it’s all gone? Raking leaves and cutting the grass is overrated.

No. Play local. http://www.pahockey.com Let them have fun. Save your money for their college.

Hey Archie and Edith, any chance that the two of you could bicker in private?

Guys like @Wampa1 don't run along to another thread because he gets off on stuff like this. Unfortunately there is not one single shred of constructive thought coming from him, regardless of topic. The name calling, disparaging remarks and condescending crap is old, tired and juvenile. That is not what this thread or this site is all about. @Paul Baxter maybe its time to send him packing.

Organizations still appreciate your time. Learn to play, learn to skate programs go on all year. When your child is done, you can volunteer for the Pens Hockey Sticks together programs. Your kid's program could continue to benefit from your experience. Help a new squirt team next season. Bring your midget with you. You don't have to volunteer so much time as when he was playing, but boy those new coaches would appreciate your knowledge and experience. And you don't have to quit what has been such a large part of your life.

Actually I’m somebody who not so long ago played for a AAA team in the area and personally know several people who played as a second year U18 and did just fine. Could you please provide your unbiased stats on who “failed even at the ACHA level” or are these your biased uninformed opinions? Or do you keep in contact with these kids and their families and know for a fact that they “failed”? You clearly have a grudge against tier 1 hockey in Pittsburgh. That’s fine. Claiming people “failed” at the next level with absolutely no basis behind that on an anonymous hockey forum that most don’t even know exists is the definition of irony. You sir, have failed. Now don’t go getting hypersensitive about that

Expressing opinions is what this hockey site is all about, however berating others and calling them idiots because they disagree with you or because they have chosen a different path than yours is something else entirely.

Holy cow can we stop paying attention to the trolls on this board and talk some hockey? This used to be a useful forum for conversation and information but in the past few months it has degenerated into adolescent name calling. It can't have missed everyone's attention that actually useful discussion has almost totally ceased on the whole forum.