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This is a good reminder to all that a player doesn’t have to be on a AAA team from day one to be able to play AAA etc. There’s a lot of FOMO that if someone isn’t there by 12u it’s going to be all over for them. Not the case.

This is the best comment on this entire thread... the term perspective was used and that is 100% on point. Some stuff isn't for everyone, and the player should dictate where they are playing and at what level. Then the ability for a family to allow that to happen comes into play. Let the player "drive the bus" and then use that to help shape the decisions being made based off of an individual situation. My son has aged out, but but started at a smaller organization and was very often the best player on the ice even when skating with kids 2 years older than him, we then made the decision to decline an offer from PPE and play PAHL AA for a few seasons at a larger organization and then he ultimately did move on and play on a few different AAA teams before he aged out. Had chances to play junior at different levels, but we were lucky that he was a good student and he decided to just focus on school after graduation. Very happy with the path he took and the friends both him and our family made through the journey. The cost, which was significant, was more than worth it when you consider the experiences, friends, and other connections all of us were lucky enough to make through hockey.