Saucey

Ya..... usually the AA teams have more talent across the board than a PIHL team who is limited to their school district. The one former Pen parent that I spoke to, they sounded burned out and disappointed, too. Maybe school hockey won't be enough and they'll return next year. Or their kid reached the age where he is done.

More 05s exited the hockey travel scene this year. A few I heard about who were cut from Pens are just playing their school teams. Maybe next year when the Pens go to one team PAHL will pick up some more.

It is hard to tell whether local hockey is progressing. I think it depends on how you define progress. We are still in the midst of feeling the effects of the introduction of the Pens Elite black program to the area. For good or for bad, what the Pens do at Lemieux and at Consol affects local hockey. Some of it has been positive... Crosby's Little Pens program increasing numbers. Some not so good...depleting AA PAHL numbers while kids play for the black teams. The creation of other independent teams when there doesn't seem to be sufficient talent level to support them all. It's all still changing, and changing fast. Everyone here wishes to have Canada or Michigan's market. We don't have the climate, rinks or infrastructure, nor the corporate dollars, to do as they do in Canada or Michigan. We have had teams in the local market compete for National titles and win just this last year. Both AAA and AA. Is that progress? Is the signing of players to play at the college level or professionally the measure? Is it just an increase in participation in the sport? If the Pens are in a decline, does this 'progress' come to a 'halt' All interesting things to chew on.

OMG you are actively thinking of ways to avoid being banned on here? 😅😂🤣😭 Why? I don't have anything to do with this board, or fafa fohi. No agenda, although taking aim at your vitriol is fun. That could be considered an agenda, I guess. Dude, every once in a while you make decent points. Stick to that, sans all the insults, and I won't complain about your posts. When you troll, whatever point you are trying to make gets lost. Over and over again, you prove yourself to just want to argue with and insult people.

WTF? Is there a point to all this? If so it has become lost in a yet another rambling mess of insults. This thread is unreadable. Looks like either the same poster pretending to be separate posters or two people in need of a private conversation. Talk about a topic and quit insulting other posters while you do it. It is not that difficult.

It's good to talk to other coaches who have gone to tournaments at your age/skill bracket. There are lots of little tournaments run by youth organizations or in support of a cause that won't appear on a list. It has been my experience that the private companies are not as interested in creating fair divisions so much as getting teams. (We have always liked Gene Harrington.) And the older they get, the less good options there seem to be because there aren't as many teams. I think it is just as good to schedule a few games with teams on your own, rather than give your money to some of these for profit private tournament companies.

Like 05, 07 is a low birth year for some reason. 04 and 06 are huge number wise. Think they squeezed out the next birth year. Programs need to be conscious about picking teams with the next birth year, even if it means adding a team if possible. Plus a bunch of 07s went to NP this year.

That stinks. Not the parent coaches, being paid or not does not equate to good coaching imho. However, when you set teams and Pens are out there poaching, that makes for difficulties for the teams the poached kids leave behind.

The paid coaching attracted Pens Elite players back in some instances, at least those who made black. It may be that parents predominantly want development, and if an organization can deliver that, and the perception is paid coaching gives you that, this is what will attract talent. That may be a way for PAHL to retain the AA players who go play for Pens black.

https://thehockeythinktank.com/2019/03/26/the-cost-of-aaa-hockey/?fbclid=IwAR2Y7afd-STRAI38ff1O-Qjmxqsi7KR9ijXbJzJm9MJcgQNI0duo8b-D6Wo Interesting read. I actually think some of the criticisms regarding development can also be applied to some PAHL organizations. If the board is primarily made up of parents from one team, the top teams or one age group, then guess who gets the focus of that organization. Development should happen at all levels, and you need a real plan in place to do it. Coaching too. The AA teams or the independent teams in PAHL are the smallest numbers of most Pahl organizations, and they shouldn't be the only ones making decisions for all.

I didn't mean it as a criticism. Just stating some people go, for whatever reason. Keep asking if it is worth it to go, sounds like a lot of people think it is. Seems to fill up.

Who are you exposing your kid to during the camp?

You don't need to be so condescending. I am one of those people who don't know, and I'm interested. It sounds like there is a vetting process in place, whether people use it properly is another story. I do know some 04s who went that I don't think are high caliber players, but people go to AAA tryouts not expecting to make it, either. 🤷‍♂️ Did anyone else go who thought it worthwhile?

Sounds like a waste of time and expense to go unless your kid is playing AAA then.

Steel City and the Pens are not the only game in town capable of developing girls. A nice Facebook page that doesn't denigrate anyone's program is called Pittsburgh girls Youth Hockey. You ask to join. Run by a hockey mom of two girls looking only to collect info that she wished she had when looking for a place for her girls to play, she does a really nice job. https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=841603716173422&ref=content_filter