Saucey

And all of those teams were pretty darn good... spending extra and traveling further does not necessarily equate to development.

I am sure it depends on how good your HS team is, too. The HS teams that are playing weekend tournaments, those kids would pick that over the travel. My kids are over the travel tournament in general. A couple every year since they were nine...yeah.

That depends on your perspective. At 18u, that entire play level is a crap shoot anyway. To me, 18u is bonus hockey by that age as kids begin to focus on life after high school. It isn't the priority of most kids by that time.

Some personalities don't mesh well as Pucks11 points out. But people don't recognize when that happens. Ot that it's good for a kid to figure out how to handle a coach that they don't like. You know, practice for the real world for when they get a coworker or boss that they hate.

Most of the big AAA high school programs, if you look at the scoring, is driven by one line. If a high school program is successful in luring some of the AAA or AA talent on the team, that is kind of a large key to success. Not all of it, way too simplistic, it is still a team sport, but the numbers don't lie. High school hockey's attraction around here is its fun factor. Name in the paper. Friends and family coming to watch way much more than any AAA game. Playing for your school. Less pressure because there is no suggestion you should be chasing anything more than that Penguins Cup. Some people have said here there is no exposure there. I disagree with that. If the goal and the drive is to make NCAA or the USHL, no PIHL is not the path. But that is the path of .001 percent of children, anyway. Some of high school events like the Pens Cup, some of the events that Pa Hockey hosts, the All Star game...local club coaches watch. Definite conversations with coaches asking if my kid wanted to come play for them. But you know what? They are also interested in about .001 percent of the kids they are seeing. For club hockey. Just play. Tell your kid to have fun, enjoy the ride. There is definitely a huge toll on a family's life with that chase. Finances. Friends.

Sigh. All the same advice that has been given on this board ad nauseam. Doesn't matter. And ironic since my hockey rankings has had a significant part in driving the crazy. I know the author has said that was never his intent. But it's true. What would happen, at least temporarily until someone else filled the void, if my hockey rankings disappeared? I thought my family wasn't part of the crazy. But we did get caught up, to some extent. Don't look back and wish you had spent less time on it. Make sure you are spending time with family and friends that are not a part of hockey. Have some balance in life.

Why should everyone be chasing like that? That's the problem. When the end game for success is .001? Why is this the norm? Why structure youth sports around the idea that you are training for Div I or the NHL? Because people are making money from it is actually a pretty crap reason to structure something for kids that way.

So sad, isn't it? I work with young kids. They need MORE opportunities to move, not less. They can't run for long without getting winded. They don't know basic recess games. They can't organize themselves into their own games. This was prepandemic, now I am sure it will be worse. They don't want to go go toss a football around with their friends because 'they aren't good.' Since when did messing around around in the back yard with friends require talent? Sports are very much becoming associated with elite athletes only in our kids' minds. Bleh.

I can classify, too. The problem is feeling forced into paying more in time and money AND having to spend time with crazy parents for the same level of hockey we were just playing. Because many are not aware like you are that they are playing a certain level. They bought the salespitch.

You are very confusing hence why someone said you are trolling. It's getting harder to advise people because the hockey landscape is changing very quickly. The level of play is decreasing in PAHL every year as people play these other things. For me, I too turn down the faux AAA option because there is no way that my family needs more. But my kids are older. When they were coming up, playing A major their first year in a level was perfectly fine for their development. But now...that has changed just in the last few years as even A Major and lower go to play independent. If I had a young child... maybe we wouldn't play at all, quite frankly. I think at the younger levels it is still good hockey and so your choice right now is likely fine. Just keep an eye on his fun level, the crazy level of the parents and whether he gets better. Don't worry about having him evaluated and blah blah. Just those things and you will be fine. I am burnt out on the crazy in youth sports. I am tired of even basically good people getting so wound up in it that they lose sight of the kids. So my comments come from negativity because I am tired of experiencing negativity. Tired of the crazy. Try really hard to remember this is just a game and they are just kids. I should change my handle to letsjustplaypuck.

You get sarcasm because you aren't interested in the answer. How do I get my kid noticed that no one is noticing, no matter how many teams we try out for or how much money I spend or how much I put him on the ice. We say...stop. You say...how do I get him noticed? We say....if he is good someone will. You ask again, you are surprised you get the sarcasm? Just take him to the faux AAAs. They love you all and PAHL has been ruined. Spend three times the amount of money and time for what used to be AA hockey. Or now, lower. Vengeance 07 took kids this year from NPs AA team last year that people were saying were A Major. If nothing better comes along, they will take what they can to fill rosters while you hope that will get your kid noticed.

Get an agent! I don't know why you don't like or appreciate that advice...

Strength and size are still very, very important. But the game is changing. Exhibit A - Guenztel. If the game continues to move away from the goonery to skill, it opens up a little more for the super skilled small guy. Not by much, and the game hasn't decided what direction it wants to move to. And....those junior levels are still incredibly rough. A guantlet still to run. Connections, money, where you play. Luck. Few opportunities. Yep, it matters.

Did you get your kid an agent yet?

PAHL just set up something on their website as a clearinghouse for teams looking for players. I have never seen that before. It's a good idea....a lot of kids just won't play at 18u. Just not the same kind of play at that age. Talk about playing the same teams over and over..... maybe after AA at 18u a draft league isn't a bad idea. It's made for really close competition for the girls PIHL. And then you don't lose anyone who wants to still play.

I think you should get your kid an agent.

These are excellent events. Well run with good competition. There is way more exposure here for a kid who is not playing AAA, which is most kids playing high school hockey. There were college coaches occasionally in attendance, which I can't say ever happened with anything we ever did with travel. And they are way more fun to attend than any tournament we ever did through travel. The travel tournament is way overrated IMHO. All those games... it's only good for the rinks and tournament directors. Once they reach checking and a more adult stature, one game a day is all they should be playing. Takes a huge toll on their body.

How many Icemen players weren't brought over from NP is the better question. Only now they take the A kids.

2005 is 17 that is 18u. Many 04s off to college...not a lot of numbers to play.

And I would never recommend the Renegades. To each his own.

And also.... depends on your kid and what fits with your family. Practice times, etc

I would add Mt Lebo based on how they are to play against... typically parents and players are not jagoffs But I think they get hammered by one sheet of ice and all the chasers south. They don't retain good players. Maybe good at the younger ages?

That is my big beef with these programs. Even some AA teams will do this. Yes, A player, come sit the bench with us ...

I have no real opinion on Esmark. I always thought he was straight with parents on the talent level of their kid, though. His outfit will fold a team if it is not AAA and the parents don't want to proceed. Which is almost every year. ? So to me, that is completely the parents driving that boat. He will take the team and proceed if parents want, however. It's one reason I am not overly critical as I feel like there is straight talk there. Maybe it's different at the 16u level?

Some tournaments you go to, pretty sure a mailing list is created as same invites received by a lot of kids. NCSA profile that USA hockey partners with, we get all kinds of offers to spend our money there. High school exposure if your kid is good and playing for a big program, because there is press and the games are filmed/announced. If your kid has an Instagram account. Lots of ways once they reach a certain age. This is all the stuff that was 0 effort on our part. Some are tryouts. Some have camps. Some may invite you to a skate. Once your kid is old enough, you can reach out to coaches yourself if you want. It's like looking for a job. Except chances are, you are going to be spending money rather than getting paid. There was a good article on My hockey rankings that talked about junior hockey this past year if you are interested. The showcases and tournaments you can try. That all adds up, as well. The scouts for drafts and USHL/NAHL, they've earmarked kids playing top AAA or prep schools at age 14. They aren't looking at your kid playing Vengeance, Icemen, or independent AA or whatever. Vengeance's junior team is Tier III pay to play. Esmark feeds into a different Tier III pay to play. Different threads on this forum have talked about how many pierce high level college. (Not much at all, and not the levels I think most parents are thinking of when they start down this path.) I think it would be a good thing for parents to educate themselves early. To play a sport in college is different than I thought, but particularly ice hockey. I don't see anything wrong with playing Tiger III juniors in certain circumstances, so long as you understand that it is very expensive and it is about as likely to get you to NCAA Div I and the NHL as faux AAA. Or scholarship money. That's why the advice is to spend that money on actual college tuition. It's fairly normal for kids to take a gap year, even those not playing hockey. School is expensive. Let your kid mature a bit more. If they don't know what they want to study. But they need to take some classes, too. Basically...let them delay growing up if you want that. And, as always, get the grades, kids.