Leaderboard

I don't think they need to "upset the apple cart" with those programs, All they need to do is pick off the low hanging fruit with organizations like NHAHA, Mon Valley, Youngstown; and a few others yet to come, I'm sure. And soon there won't be a variety of teams left in PAHL. Programs like Allegheny & South Pitt. will want to go to the AHF because that's where the competition will be. Pittsburgh Ice Arena is in a lousy location. Like the Viper Stars model or not, it was the ability for families to have teams almost tailor made to their needs. Budgets were always a template, they were adjusted according to what each team collectively wanted. As for the Vipers, until BB took over, we tried extremely hard to make it the budget friendly program because the board always recognized the demographic, and location (What's the benefit of driving past multiple ice rinks on main highways to come to New Kensington). Black Bear made it impossible for us to offer ice competitive to what our closest rivals were doing. I always looked at the Viper Stars as a growth model more than a letter designation. (I've seen AAA teams locally that would be singe A in PAHL) So all of the complaints that Viper Stars don't always field AA teams kind of falls deaf on me. It allowed kids that wanted to do more with hockey the ability to bridge the gap between Rec. hockey and the rigors of a full AAA independent schedule. Find where their path leads them. A and B level players (and 95% of all players for that matter) just want to play with their friends. Where ever that may be, within reason. All of BB's programs are based off of a cookie cutter platform, aside from the personnel (which hasn't impressed me), costs are what they are, and ice time is uniform throughout. You can quite literally go anywhere else in Pittsburgh and get what they are offering. Just have to find a coach worth following these days, I guess. Play for little Billy's dad for your entire career, until he cuts your kid or you determine your kid is better than Billy and you need to find another team that appreciates Jimmy's talents more. I do believe that organizational success in the city is based a lot on location, but I believe the best organization is a matter of debate based on what birth year you ask. Non-profits should all be very similar in how they operate from a board perspective. What makes a great organization? Ability to fundraise, a renowned head of coaches, paid non parent coaches, prestige? Not many programs are able to retain birth year teams for multiple seasons. Players constantly in the "transfer portal"! Every organization, it feels like, is offering AAA these days. I do not believe we will see "top 10" type teams coming out of the Pittsburgh area consistently unless things change.