Saucey

That's that tournament company's schtick. My kid did one as an 18 u. I could see it being really fun for younger kids, they have a mascot that goes into the benches, they 'interview' players in between games, have photo booth, stuff like that. I wouldn't read too much into their promotional stuff, but I wouldn't discount playing in their tournament. It was well run, appropriate teams, etc.

And don't forget 10u is frequently a crap shoot because the kids are unknowns and develop so much in these years so even the best intentioned placements don't always work out.

I doubt there are that many chasing the dream so much so that they will leave. Let them go. 2007 is also a low BY, don't forget.

This 1000 times over. A completely parent or player driven market is not great for the growth of hockey. And it drives up costs.

Complaints can be filed with the Attorney General office

2007 was a light BY.

Those are USA hockey rules, I believe. PAHL could eliminate them but then they would not be a USA sanctioned league and thus games would not.count towards qualifying for Midams and nationals.

Nah don't bother. Those folks don't want to hear it. If anything, just say what you do with your own kid because of your own concern with burn out etc and then let it go.

This. I mean, if you call yourself AAA and appear to deserve it, then this Board seems to leave you alone. The other organization in recent memory that had some success was Mt Lebos 04s, I think was the BY. Jealousy may play with Pens, maybe Esmark? But for other organization, if you are calling yourself AAA when you aren't even remotely there, you deserve all the backlash IMHO. Why do people care how we spend our money and time.... because if you know anything about hockey, playing way above your head does not develop players, I don't care how much ice you get and off ice, it just doesn't. And other people care about diluting the talent available to play PAHL.

True. But I wouldn't even spend there at that age with privates or anything until it is clear that hockey is their passion. It is a late development sport, and we really didn't do anything extra until my boys were older and wanted the privates. I had some good hockey players. Otherwise you might as well take that money and stuff it in a drain.

At this age, one of the best things you can do with them that will cost you next to nothing is to....play with them at home. I am convinced that my boy developed some great hands because he was obsessed with....knee hockey. Whoever he could get to play with him, he played. Sounds silly , but those little light balls can move pretty fast. It helped his reflexes. That, driveway play....we get so focused on the skills training, lessons, etc that we miss the development that happens with unstructured play. And quite frankly, if they aren't pursuing the sport on their own time in some way, whether physically or watching it somehow, that gives you a big clue that you shouldn't be dumping a lot of money there.

Unless you are playing PAHL, then you play at the level that the placement committee determines, regardless of what you and your families desire. Although they are letting more weak teams play AA. Probably due to less AA caliber players playing in PAHL. So I would say if your team is not placed AA, you should really consider playing minor. No shame in that, the kids will have a better year. Welcome to the area! Good luck to you.

You would no longer be able to say that you are having "open" tryouts. Although that is basically a farce for most places, but would cut into try out fees generated.

Going to hazard a guess that hockey ops in the various orgs got tired of trying to form a team and making offers to kids playing the tryout circuit and getting turned down. Used to be you made the top team, you stayed. I think its selfish to try out somewhere you have no intentions of playing for, and that happens a lot, people keeping their kids feet moving for school tryouts, too. You mess things up pretty badly for the org and there is a ripple effect....that offer could have been made to a kid who wanted it, now you want to offer to that kid but they've moved on. Too much power is in the hands of parents around here. I know you all like it. It's not that way everywhere.

My kid played on a tournament only team. Not this one. Depends on the age and your goals. Some rural areas, a tournament team is the only way they can field a higher level team.