hockeyisgreat

Might try Viper Stars while you are at it. I saw where they are still looking for a few players.

Do you have a specific team/coach in mind or just the organization as a whole? I like them all because they give kids an opportunity to play hockey. Some are just better at it than others.

You must obviously have a connection to Icemen to launch such a personal attack on someone. Why don't you attack all the people that comment about PPE, Preds, Esmark etc. Forums are for opinions and last I checked this was a free country. Personally I value what I hear on this forum but also take it with a grain of salt knowing that a lot of people might have had some of what they consider bad experiences where their kids played in the past. Just my opinion for the nothing that it is worth.

What does that have to do with your 06 son unless he is playing there already and you think they are biased. There are at least 3 other organizations close to the South Hills that you could look into. Or are you just trolling to see what others think about SHAHA?

Wow, seriously? I think you need to come back here in 9 months or so and ask that question again! Unless of course someone out there can see into the future. I assume your 06 son is playing somewhere this year? Do they have an 16U AA team? If so why wouldn't you start there?

It looks like the AHF might be a good thing for SWPA. I like the idea of the showcase tournaments they offer. Although some might say it will just dilute the level of teams. More options in AAA or AA will mean weaker quality of teams! I could see the Allegheny Badgers, SP Rebellion and Viper Stars opting for some form of AHF league play in 21-22. At least there might be something else to talk about other than PAHL in SW PA.

Esmark stars are out so those 5 teams will try to be in the top 6 for MidAms? Who are the other top Mid Am U15's? Barons? Anyone from Columbus, Cincinnati?

So strictly U15 Tier 1 AAA teams in SW PA made up of just 06 players are Pens Elite, SHAHA, Vengenance, Preds and maybe Icemen. Am I missing any? It is my understanding that there is no Tier 2 U15 division. Is that correct? Why would any organization playing in Tier 2 want to field a team of all 06 players then? Just trying to understand all this. Thanks in advance.

35 teams total in !6U PAHL last year. 9 were AA, 8 A Major Black and 11 A Major Gold. 7, A Minor 64 in 14U and only 7 were AA Major. I would think at least 6 of those 7 would try to play 16UAA but who knows. Still comes down to competitive balance and if there are 4 teams way better than everyone else then I will understand 4 !6U AA teams. Maybe they will have a 16U AA Minor for the 06BY teams. I know there are quite a few.

Interesting, I would think just off the top of my head I could name at least 6 or more organizations that had tryouts for AA U16 teams. It all comes down to placements doesn't it? Maybe there are 4 really good teams and then the rest? I would think NP, Allegheny, Renegades, Shaha, Mt Lebo, South Pittsburgh (Rats), Preds, Viper Stars, & Foxes In no particular order and Maybe Armstong also?

First time through all of this is a little crazy. No one in the organization really tells you what is going on unless you really investigate it. I had no idea of all the levels of Mites then Squirts till well into the 2nd year of squirts. All I really knew was that my kid was playing with kids of equal ability. He wasn't very good to start! A Minor I think. As he grew to love Hockey we got into private lessons and clinics. He moved up levels every year and I am continuing to get a great education as to what all is involved with Youth Hockey. It really is a learning curve for someone who was never involved with it before. He tells me every year he wants to play at the highest level he can. Thanks to this Forum we have stayed away from AAA tryouts at some organizations. Have limited it to one. Haven't made one yet and might not but he sure loves Hockey and playing at the highest level he can.

Your last paragraph says it all. If top programs aren't looking at your kid.......yeah, hang it up. What if your kid wants the dream more than you and is willing to work for it but just isn't quite good enough or big enough to stand out. Toughest part is to tell the kid that wants it he will never be good enough. I say let him keep trying and let him come to his own conclusion. At least he will know he did all he could. I would never discourage a kid from pursuing his dream. But then again I am not going to spend 10's of thousands of dollars just for him to be told he's not good enough. Tough Tough decisions.

So I don't understand what you are saying. Are you saying that the only answer is to move to a hockey hotbed with a 10 year old if he is a natural athlete to begin with? How do you know at 10 if they will have the drive at 16? How do they have a better chance to develop? Maybe you are saying to let them play where ever and if they are good enough at 16 tryout for PPE. Up until then its just a waste of Money? All very interesting! I sure don't have an answer. I do know that being a natural is not enough without the internal motivation.

Great analysis and question that should be asked by every parent who is considering PPE when their kids are 8 years old. Who is going to hold the PPE's feet to the fire.

Is there a website for the tournament at Alpha this weekend with a schedule?

Welcome to the real world!!!! It's OK to bash the Pens Elite program though? I take everything on here that calls out and criticizes other people with a huge grain of salt. Someone always has an axe to grind or feels that their kid was treated unfairly. It's most often the vocal minority.

OH I get what you are saying. Wouldn't want to pay AAA fees for PAHL A-Major Black placement. Can't wait to see how it all turns out at the end of next year.

Definitely could be a competitor to the PAHL. Have they tried to organize anything at Delmont (Allegheny Badgers) for their AHF?

So should we tell our kids to give up the dream now? What does that tell them?

First time going through this and I'm starting to understand. The one above I don't like is the connections part. I think the good AAA teams are like the club that once you are in the only way you get out is to give up. The thing I don't like about SHAHA and Veng are that they started young and have minimal turnover. I feel like you have to be 10 times better at tryouts to have a chance at making the team. That is one of the reasons Esmark was attractive. Kids with no history were competing for positions. I still say they could have tried to coach those kids up. Also why let them compete for 4 days if they weren't good enough. They knew after day 1 if my kid wasn't good enough. They should have cut him and let him move on instead of exhausting him for the rest of his tryouts.

Wow you finally get it. Mine didn't start out at the top of ADM. Didn't play birthyear as a 10 year old. He worked his way up. Absoulutely loves the game. Nothing he would rather do than play Hockey. Never misses a practice or a lesson. Always wants to get better. Not the best kid on his team but willing to work hard. Only has 4 more years. He might have the dream of playing beyond but he would need to put in a whole lot of more work and he knows it still might not be enough. Most importantly it's his dream and not mine. He knows that playing for the Hitmen or Predators isn't getting him anywhere any faster. He also thinks that the Vengeance and SHAHA are legit AAA teams. He's played with those kids and can always tell me who they are by watching them on the ice. My background is whatever the child is willing to work for.

Saucey, did you have a kid play? Did you tell him where to try out or let him make his own choice? I just want to understand where you are coming from.

Actually he wouldn't try out there. His choice! Did try out at Esmark and didn't make the team. Now I'm glad as he would have been crushed to have made it and then have them tell him they couldn't find enough good players to have a team. So you have no clue what I am talking about!

This is the bottom line. Especially by 14U. Parents can want it for their kids but the kids have to have the drive. Bottom line is asking the kid where he wants to try out. They have a sense by then of where they belong. Some want to reach. Why not let them. If AAA offers more ice and more practice whats wrong with it? And I understand a weak AAA team gets crushed but so what! As long as the parents can afford it and it's the kids idea let em tryout where they want.

Couldn't agree with you more. Glad there are so many opportunities for kids to play. I still say the overall quality of play in Western Pa is as good as it has ever been and appears to only be getting better. Can't wait to see what the 08 and under groups are going to be like in a few more years at U16. End game is being a part of something growing up that teaches teamwork, discipline and life coping skills to a whole lot of kids. Thanks to all the organizations and volunteers that make it happen.