I'm curious as to where Pittsburgh parents got so snooty with their kids and coaches. Some of the top organizations in the COUNTRY have parent coaches. Pens Elite, Vengeance, Chicago, Detroit, Boston just to name a few of the hotbed. If your kid isn't learning then maybe it has something to do with the way you raised him. Coaches fees are WAY MORE than an extra $500 because you have to pay for part of their travel and all of their hotels for the season. Some of the worst coaches in the area are coaches that don't have a kid on the team because they really don't care as long a sthey get paid.