Rico

The 08 elite dad above seems to be very triggered. Nobody is saying that kids can’t have dreams. Most of us are not saying that these kids won’t have illustrious hockey careers beyond amateur hockey. What we are saying is that mite/squirt/peewee hockey is hardly comparable to hockey past those ages and people should be cognizant of that before getting into the ridiculous discussions about who is the best at those ages, what team is the best etc. Mostly everyone’s point is to enjoy it, support your kids and get the most out of it. Do you know what it looks like when people argue over squirt hockey? To people who either have been through it, played the sport etc? It looks like a bunch of housewives arguing over T-ball and who has the best team, who’s kid is a dinger. Sorry we touched a nerve. The market is static? Lol What are you even trying to say? The fact of the matter is you had a jump in participation’s numbers within the Crosby era, and with that came a bunch of good atheletes picking up a stick, but with know nothing parents like yourself basing your version of reality on what you watch at PPG paints.

People are just going to have to live through it to understand it and even then they probably won’t. The excuses will start, Tim got hurt, Tim got a raw deal, Tim should of, could of, would of. As far as it being crazier than it ever was? It is. This is what happens when a market explodes, participation sky rockets but the extent of what these kids parents know about hockey is what they see on TV. Not many seem to u sweat and the finite details that go into having long term success in this sport, they just see goals or dangles and think jr is on the road to the glory land.

Kids that age, everywhere, are not developed at the numerous transition methods it takes to keep up with someone skating forward. They don’t even have the muscular strength, hip flex, or experience to put it all together yet. And if we’re being honest, quite a few of their straight backward c cuts aren’t even being performed right or to the full extent. My whole point though - is that eventually these Defensmen are going to figure it all out and come into their own. They will be coached on details. It won’t be a matter of skating fast and dangling around them like it was in squirts and peewees. I was using this to support my point that squirt and peewee hockey is not a real indicator of what a player is going to be when crap gets real. So to sit here and debate about what squirt or peewee kid is the “best”, who scored the most goals, made the most saves, who’s team is number one if they added 4-5 kids, who’s playing on what team and where, who’s getting private lessons with Brent Gretzky is all #*!&!# irrelevant until a kid can perform at a high level once the real game of hockey starts (at bantam). Once again, this doesn’t mean that the kids and parents shouldn’t have fun and be proud of accomplishments at the younger ages. There’s a lot of accolades to have - but to people who know hockey - the second you start to get pretentious (all the things mentioned above) - the people who see the big picture do a hard eye roll.

There’s a big shift between a squirt or peewee defensemen who is underdeveloped at skating backwards, who puck watches, is probably all over the place in terms of position... ... and a 14 year old Defesemen who is going to stay with the puck carrier every step of the way, play the body, and read plays. I won’t even talk about the differences in the Goalies. I can’t say it enough, the game that squirts and peewees are playing is not the game they will be playing down the road. Stop getting caught up in who the “best” is, who would be the top team, who scored the most goals, who got invited to what at this age.... That doesn’t mean that the kids and parents shouldn’t enjoy themselves. That’s what it’s all about... but that’s really all you can take from it right now. And with this wisdom shared. I’m done. Good luck to everyone on their season and have fun.

Scouts recruiting kids at the brick tournament? Send me a list of some who 8 year olds who committed to whatever D1 schools were scouting. Or is the myth that “scouts” are around good for business, for tournament directors. I’m assuming the “scouts” you are talking about are really just people who are involved with Spring teams, looking to add kids to their list of teams. Another facet of youth hockey that preys on parents insecuritie$. Dont get me wrong, spring hockey can be fun and enjoyable for everyone but it’s a business like everything else. There are no scouts, atleast “scouts” who are doing anything meaningful to your kids hockey career, at squirt games. Said scouts do not care to watch kids try to skate as fast they can to the other net, unabashed, and shoot for one of the top corners. Kids these ages are playing breakaway hockey. Skate fast, dangle, shoot. It’s a great time for the kids and they should enjoy it. BUT You as a parent, scouts, coaches, don’t know what kind of player a player is going to be until the physical element of the game is present.

Also Questions, the 07’s finished 4th I believe in their squirt minor year... the 06’s were 6-7 in theirs. So yes, a combined team may have done better than 7th in the 08’s minor year but once all of the major metro areas start to consolidate teams starting in squirt major, it’s a different story.

In regards to there being so much talent around western PA... I have no clue. There’s a big difference between playing against another PAHL team and being able to skate against the Toronto Marlies. The pay to play stuff is absolute non-sense that bitter people pedal on message boards. It also echos in the lobbies of every PAHL rink. I’m going to be very vague, but there are more than a few kids at PPE who’s parents are well off, work for the organization, etc who aren’t automatically cast into any specific team. Please believe that this non-sense is not representative of what actually goes on in Cranberry.

The 08 thing is hyperbole and tired. Again, there are birthyears at the PPE who are significantly more deep than the 08’ birthyear, have all of the “top” players on them and they aren’t the number one team, not even top 3. Would they improve, yes. Does it really matter at the squirt level, no. Is anyone scouting squirts or peewees, no. Do any scouts give a shit what squirt teams are number one ??????? in the country, no. Does anything significant, outside of knowing what competition to schedule for the next year, come out of squirt and peewee hockey rankings, no. Do parents eat this shit up and think the chances of their kid doing anything significant in the sport rely on where their squirt team stands, yes. Should organizations offer mental health services to parents, yes.

Does it matter if they tied or lost? I wasn’t there, so I didn’t even know about the other games. Just heard they beat the number one team in the country and that’s significant regardless of whether or not the number two or three teams beat them (number one) also. You sound jealous.

There are teams at the PPE who have deeper birth years then the 08’s, and all are playing on the same team - none of them are considered the best team in the country or near it really. Don’t get caught up looking at things on paper. Any way..... Can I ask the people questioning “development” what they mean exactly? There’s a lot of accusations about how programs run being tossed around with little to no explanation. Just “Program A” doesn’t develop players... “Program A” doesn’t do this. What are your definitions of “developing” a player?

Don’t know about all that... Certainly a higher ranked team - but the top teams are already stacked.

Don’t know about all that... Certainly a higher ranked team - but the top teams are already stacked.

Don’t know about all that... Certainly a higher ranked team - but the top teams are already stacked.

Got a text that the meh, mess, 07 Elite team with the 08 goalie being discussed beat the number one team (not sure who the team is) in the country 3-1 this weekend. Someone must have told them about Aj’s professional assessment of them. Lol.

Username checks out.

I guess you can but that’s going to be a daunting task depending on the sport. You have 3 night a week practices and gone 2 weekends a month. What other winter sport can you commit to while playing AAA hockey?

People who evaluate players for a living will tell you that they don’t give a single flying fuck about any kid in squirts or peewee’s. Being the best, one of the best, good, whatever always comes with * in squirts and peewee’s. Because it’s not real hockey. It’s breakaway hockey.

Well you seemed to be painting a picture that one kid leaving was responsible for a team being “meh”. I was simply pointing out that he was marginally better than the other top kids on that team until others caught up. He is a good player and a good kid. Let’s not be pretentious though, tempers holding kids back. No, not quite. I was pointing out that it’s irrelevant to talk about who the best is, because at this age there’s usually small differences between your “top” players and whoever is the best is largely based on their parents fantasies about what they think makes a kid “the best”. The 08 “issue” is clear as day. You have one group of kids who are dedicated to hockey and you have another group of kids are are multi-sport athletes and/or don’t want all that’s involved with PPE. I don’t really think there’s “differences” between parents that are separating this group as much as differences in philosophy. You must be an 08 vengeance parent because your info, player evaluation is wayyyy off.

Also the 08’s are 14th out of a couple hundred teams so who cares if there’s another Pittsburgh team around them. Good for both programs. I just looked at the 07’s rankings and they are 19th. Once again I’m not sure how being ranked 19th out of a hundred teams is meh. And why is anyone even talking about the 09’s? Those kids have just been thrust in to world of real AAA hockey and we’re judging them? We shouldn’t be judging anyone or anything under Bantam to be honest.

Check the rankings of other similar sized cities with similar programs and there you have it. Pittsburgh does not have the population to field teams similar to the competition they face, but they’re in the competition none the less. My hockey rankings aren’t indicative of a players developing. Most at PPE would tell you that they aren’t really expecting to be a top ranked team given the circumstances.

You’re misinformed. The 07 you’re speaking of was marginally better than others in their squirt minor year. Mainly due to the fact that he had been playing on the 06 black team prior and had a years worth of PPE/squirt hockey prior to the other 07’s showing up. Very nice player, but by second year squirts he was not the best on the team. I mean who really cares who the best player is, but facts are facts. There was no void left when he moved on from the team as another kid from out of town filled in. The 07’s being meh has zero to do with that situation. The 08 goalie you’re talking about made the Brick team last year. He’s amongst the best that birthyear has to offer. He plays up, as mentioned and he succeeds at playing up.