No Politics

1 hour ago, twoboys said:

Guessing this is about midget teams.  

Yup.  I am assuming the same thing.  '09s have been chaos two years in a row, and it seems the '08s have been drawn into that this year (to a lesser extent).

18Us are quiet, and the younger kids ('10s/'11s/etc.) don't seem to have problems, but as of this morning I am still getting calls from '09 and '08 families asking if I know where their kids can play.

I think all the tryouts -- and maybe even supplementals (with the Foxes 16U AA supplementals taking place yesterday) -- are done now, so maybe we should start using the stickie threads to let families know where there are still openings for ANY players (like AMR24 said).

I have contacts at a few organizations, but most reps from each are already posting here.

6 hours ago, nemesis8679 said:

I also have to say that declaring it unequivocally a AA NB team when it never has been prior is a dirt bag move. But if an org advertises a team as AA or A depending how it falls, that's fine.

This is my point.

My statement about being trapped is over the top, but I say that because I personally know AA-level players who have tried out at multiple organization “AA” tryouts this season who have simply given up and accepted positions because they are tired of showing up at anything but AA-level tryouts.
 

What I am really saying is that I wish organizations would simply be honest.  If they seriously feel — for a good reason — that they have that AA potential, then advertise it like that and see where it takes them.  If it is just a wish — “let’s advertise it as AA (or AAA) and hope those players will show up” — then don’t.

I see the problem being that some organizations have no AA program or AA-level returning players, yet advertise AA simply in hope of getting AA/AAA players to go there.

They get a couple to come out, and those kids are trapped on a team that has no chance of playing AA instead of playing on a team that actually has a chance.

13 minutes ago, aaaahockey said:

It's been a while since this was discussed but does aviators have a board and an actual structure now?  For a while it seemed like it was a one man show.  Curious if they have figured it out yet. 

They do have a Board.  There are some good people on it.  
 

I can’t say if they have it figured out, but know they’re trying.

18 minutes ago, Hky05 said:

So now that AA tryouts have ended…..did Vengeance AAA end up having an 09 team?  Who looks to be the good 16UAA? North Pitt, Renegades, Badgers probably top 3

How did you pick those three?  The Arrows won it all last season.

Unless you know how many 16U AA players are returning, how many talented ‘09s are moving up, where these kids are, and how they all develop over the summer, no one has any real way of telling who is going to be the top team.

42 minutes ago, Hky05 said:

Yetis, Foxes, Aviators

Are you saying those three because you KNOW something, or for some other reason?

I know multiple Yeti families, and they shouldn’t be included in that list.  They have a lot of talented ‘08s returning from last season’s 16U A Major Black team, so they could easily be a AA team if they get some AA/AAA transplants to round out that roster.

1 hour ago, Huskies_Director said:

Huskies have gotten commitments from several players wishing to compete at the AA level.  With that being said, I am now seeking a few more skaters (already have goalies) for the roster. Pleas reach out to me immediately if you are interested. 

Which age(s)?

2 hours ago, TeamRamRod said:

I always thought it'd be nice if teams made offers before tryouts to the players they wanted to keep in order to dial down on some of the chaos.  I know baseball clubs that do that and it works out for everyone.  Then you see parents signing up their kids for 3-4 tryouts because off their own paranoia of being 'left out' if everyone else leaves.  I always felt bad for the kids getting dragged around to multiple tryouts, especially the ones who got cut a few times and had to keep going.  

That's a very interesting thought.

The only drawback I can think of is that a lot of organizations/coaches may not have the heart/balls to tell the kids they don't want to keep.

16U Yetis tryouts start this evening (Friday the 26th) at 5:30pm.  Registration is still open.

Info can be found here, then by clicking on the "MIDGET 16U (08/09) - NATIONAL BOUND TEAM" tab.

Last season's team was A Major Black, and they are shooting for AA this season.  They had fourteen '08s on that team, and ten of them are returning.  

According to the board member I spoke to, they are hoping to have TWO teams at the 16U level, and already have over thirty kids signed up for tryouts.  

So if you know any 16U kids still looking for homes, there is still time to register.

I watched the game against Slovakia today, and that kid has acceleration like a freaking rocket!

I didn't see that, but kudos to them.  We need more of that.

10 hours ago, aaaahockey said:

The best kids don't stick around for Pens at 18U. Mooney played up through 16U.  Humphries last played for Pens when he was 13 then went to prep school I believe. 

Bishop Kearney

Everyone this time of year thinks they become a mastermind.  Organizations, parents, and players.  We all make it the free-for-all James Gatz mentioned, and everyone wonders why there are so many disgruntled people out there.

There has to be a better system than this one.  You have organizations saying "come play for us, we're AA" without returning anyone or even knowing who will be on their team!  Silly.

However, they do that because a parent won't let their kid play there if that organization was honest and said "we won't know our level until kids come to tryouts, accept, AND STAY on the team."  Why?  "Maybe there is a higher level team out there you get on, Billy."

To the "staying on the team" part, I don't know why organizations just don't charge a higher, non-refundable commitment fee to dissuade players from jumping after accepting.

Yeah, so more well-off family may be willing to eat that fee, but it's less likely to happen if it really hurts.  A $300 deposit is chump change compared to what this sport costs anyone on an annual basis.  And more and more people are willing to eat that fee no matter the cost.

James Gatz, I like any of those options better than this crapshow, but good luck getting anyone to jump on them.  What about having a fourth option where independent organizations go first, then have a week off, then PAHL AA, then PAHL A/B, THEN supplementals?

 PAHL can't regulate the independents, but they can regulate their members.  Logically, it should be AAA, then AA, then A, then supplementals for teams that need players to fill teams.

I agree with the original premise, though:  This overlapping (especially with supplementals taking place before other organizations even have tryouts) is bunk.

Thoughts?

I hear you, guys.  I was just asking because it seemed out of place.  I understand now.  Thanks.

5 minutes ago, James Gatz said:

As they replace them, other returning families assume there will be a drop-off and then one or two more pull out.  At some point there is a run on the bank as more leave what they see as a sinking ship to find a chair somewhere else before the music stops.  

True.  And the flipside to that the numbers get so low that the parents of the kids (and the kids) trying to get onto that AAA team view it as "if there aren't a lot of kids trying out, we can sneak onto that higher-level team" instead of thinking of what it actually means to play on a higher-level team.

It's not about "sneaking" onto a team, and so many organizations are willing to accept that sneaking as long as it brings in the cheddar.  Then people leave.  It's a vicious cycle that feeds itself into the sh*t we are watching.

9 minutes ago, Corsi said:

There are always going to be "enough customers" and that isn't just for hockey, people will buy into anything.  I've said this in prior posts, but the 2009's are now hitting that age where USA Hockey historically sees a drop in registration numbers regardless of the reason (jobs, significant others, booze, etc).  Also, it has been stated before that some of these players are needing to decide about PIHL vs. travel hockey and everything else going on in their lives.   

SO true.

Maybe I'm not understanding this team, but why is this posted under the "Western Pennsylvania YOUTH Hockey" thread?

It is a shame to see these programs disappear.  And it's the kids who ultimately suffer for it.

From what I was told, the Vipers were scheduled out of there, but played at McKnight Arena.  They are gone.  I heard from Vipers folks that some Vipers Stars players went to the Foxes, and a lot of the regular Vipers went -- or were going -- to the Arrows.

The Aviators left Alpha and went to McKnight.

A buddy of mine and I laughed last week because we said "wouldn't it be nice if we just had districts like they did in The Mighty Ducks"?  You just play for the team in the district where you live.  Simple.  Ha Ha!

5 hours ago, nemesis8679 said:

There is in fact some overlap with Vengeance 16u NB and Mixed Year skates/tryouts.

No overlap with Vengeance 16U NB tryouts.  The Vengeance 16U NB team tryouts are 4/21, 4/22, and 4/24.  The Yetis tryouts are 4/26, 4/27, and 4/28.  

There is an overlap with the non-NB Vengeance tryouts on 4/28, but their first tryout date (4/25) does not overlap.

5 hours ago, nemesis8679 said:

There is some overlap with Vengeance 16u tryouts.

Vengeance 16U's tryouts are 4/25 and 4/28.  Yeti tryouts are 4/26, 4/27, and 4/28.  So there is an overlap of the last day (4/28).

Reminder that the Yetis are looking to field a 16U National Bound team and are having two free pre-tryout sessions (TOMORROW and Tuesday) for any '08 or '09 skaters.  Those dates are:

Sunday 4/21 from 2:30pm - 3:50pm

Tuesday 4/23 from 5:50pm - 7:00pm

The link to the Google form to sign up is HERE.

Some additional information that may help your decision:  

- Their 16U team last year played A Major Black and had a great season overall.

- They were made up of almost all first-year ('08) players -- fourteen of them.  Most of those players should be coming back, as it was a tight-knit, friendly team.

- They are hoping to make the jump to AA National Bound.  Whether or not they do depends on what talent they get to replace the three or four '07s that aged out.  

- If they are able to make that jump, they plan on having paid, non-parent coaches.

- There is no overlap because they have the last tryouts locally (4/26 to 4/28), so any high-level player looking for an opportunity to play at a higher level will still have that chance.

I am just sharing this.  Not looking to debate the organization, location, dates, coaches, etc.  If you or someone you know can use it, great.  If not, great.

Reminder that the Yetis are looking to field a 16U National Bound team and are having two free pre-tryout sessions (TOMORROW and Tuesday) for any '08 or '09 skaters.  Those dates are:

Sunday 4/21 from 2:30pm - 3:50pm

Tuesday 4/23 from 5:50pm - 7:00pm

The link to the Google form to sign up is HERE.

Some additional information that may help your decision:  

- Their 16U team last year played A Major Black and had a great season overall.

- They were made up of almost all first-year ('08) players -- fourteen of them.  Most of those players should be coming back, as it was a tight-knit, friendly team.

- They are hoping to make the jump to AA National Bound.  Whether or not they do depends on what talent they get to replace the three or four '07s that aged out.  

- If they are able to make that jump, they plan on having paid, non-parent coaches.

- There is no overlap because they have the last tryouts locally (4/26 to 4/28), so any high-level player looking for an opportunity to play at a higher level will still have that chance.

I am just sharing this.  Not looking to debate the organization, location, dates, coaches, etc.  If you or someone you know can use it, great.  If not, great.

Reminder that the Yetis are looking to field a 16U National Bound team and are having two free pre-tryout sessions (TOMORROW and Tuesday) for any '08 or '09 skaters.  Those dates are:

Sunday 4/21 from 2:30pm - 3:50pm

Tuesday 4/23 from 5:50pm - 7:00pm

The link to the Google form to sign up is HERE.

Some additional information that may help your decision:  

- Their 16U team last year played A Major Black and had a great season overall.

- They were made up of almost all first-year ('08) players -- fourteen of them.  Most of those players should be coming back, as it was a tight-knit, friendly team.

- They are hoping to make the jump to AA National Bound.  Whether or not they do depends on what talent they get to replace the three or four '07s that aged out.  

- If they are able to make that jump, they plan on having paid, non-parent coaches.

- There is no overlap because they have the last tryouts locally (4/26 to 4/28), so any high-level player looking for an opportunity to play at a higher level will still have that chance.

I am just sharing this.  Not looking to debate the organization, location, dates, coaches, etc.  If you or someone you know can use it, great.  If not, great.

12 hours ago, Tendymom said:

Yep, that would be my kid that got cut because we would not get on board with NC/ Excel. Logistically not feasible for our family but hey, as we were told they never cut kids for not doing Excel. 🤷🏻‍♀️ and to sweeten the experience the rest of the team knew by 5:30 who had made it but we had to reach out to the coach at 9:45 pm to get an answer. What. A. Joke.

Sorry, as well.  I know other PE players, and have heard that story before regarding NC/Excel.  I never heard of someone being cut for it, though, so -- again -- sorry to hear that.

If that is true, I would seriously hope they reconsider.  Every season girls teams have to fold for a lack of players.