Saucey

Precision Edges by Rich, near RMU. 4122999122.

This isn't just PAHL, it's USA Hockey, isn't it? I thought I would hate it but the kids adjusted pretty quick and now I like it. Not sure that you need a system in place, just some players who can stick handle and skate. Icing the puck is pretty mindless, I like that the rule requires the kids to think a bit to get the puck out. Automatic offsides does stink, I think Peewees can play tag up and leave that to the Squirts.

? I don't have all the answers, youth hockey, youth sports in general are a mess. Glad my kids age out soon. Get a life? I'm not the one taking the time to dissect a youth sports game on a public forum to try and convince someone from the other team that my kid's team is better than their kid's team. Look, you want to do it, you found a soulmate. PM him. No one is stopping you from having the discussion. You want to do it on a public forum, well...someone might make fun of you.

Such a rude response when I was answering a question posed by someone else. If you don't like my response, you can also choose to disregard. Also, I didn't talk about people feeling like their kid is going to the show, so you must have meant to direct that comment to someone else. I commented and care because I see what is happening in the stands with over involved parents and I want to see the sport grow. Watch people scream at refs and taunt kids. Pick fights with other parents. It's ridiculous. Listen, I am not saying anything different than what USA Hockey says. Let your kid play the game. Let your coach do the coaching. Maybe what you really meant Big Earn is that I shouldn't waste my time because people won't quit what they are doing. Let them learn the hard way. I guess I hope that someone might be interested in skipping the hard way and not dismiss what I have seen out of hand. Pause and look at what they are doing, how it might look to others or the kids. I am not trying to be holier than thou as others have intimated. I want families to stay in the sport. I have seen if a parent is too involved, that back fires with the kid. Perhaps because the discourse on this board is frequently condescending and offensive, that is another reason this type of advice is ignored. I probably have been guilty of being condescending. My hard eyeroll comes through I am sure. I will work on that.

I get annoyed with the 'Squirt' talk because parents who are this into their kids' games before the child is done with Santa are on the road to killing the sport for their kids. I don't see parents of older kids doing this, I don't remember seeing this level of obsession when my kids were younger and the advice I see posted here from those who have been around is, sit back, enjoy the ride, let the kids enjoy it. The only people who should be dissecting any youth game the way this post was doing it is a coach, and God bless if they have the time. I have witnessed an inordinate amount of crazy coming from the stands of Squirt games this season, no matter who is playing. Really horrible behavior. Happens at every level, but seems most egregious with the newbies. I am glad you are into it, hockey is so much fun, but be careful you don't suck the fun right out for your kid or you will see your kid exit quick. This behavior isn't healthy for the kids or the sport. Talk about the sport all you want, but don't obsess. Don't dissect one game like it was an NHL game because you want your kids' team to be the best in the area. Why does that matter? At nine and ten, you have a lot of hockey ahead of you, assuming your kid continues to want to play. I have seen first hand what happens to the kids of the parents who treat their games like they are going on a talk radio show. Passion dies, and the child moves on.

Maybe you guys should PM each other for your enlightening play by play argument over which Squirt team was better for this now, what, month and a half old game? I've been on this board for a while, and I've not seen anything like this. Let me solve it for you...you are not going to convince the other that your team is better. What did you do, watch game tape or Livebarn to write these posts? Let it go. Sounds like there is talent on both teams and that it was a fun game, with both teams getting something out of the experience. It is really weird to obsess so much over a kid's game. Drink some beers and move on guys. These poor kids. Must be fun riding in the back seat of your cars.

Congrats on your win, hope you enjoyed our city! As to your question, there are a lot of aggressive teams out this way, more so as you go north into Canada and New York, and particularly after they hit Bantam and the testosterone kicks in. If you continue to travel to play, you need to prepare your players, there is still a lot of old school hockey being taught and played, although the shift to skill is happening. Sounds like they did just fine, putting the puck into the net instead of retaliating.

But that has been my point, this BY does not have the number of 2005s to make it feasible. Historically, Western PA has not had the numbers to do the BY model right. People look at states like Michigan and Canada, who have a very different hockey landscape than ours and say, we should do it like that. To make a minor division this year, they had to have some mixed BY teams in the division. Makes no sense to have done this in this BY, and only this BY. And should it be just BY, or BY and similar skill as well? Age over skill? It was just dumb. The 04s playing in this division, is it good for their development? Or is it better for small organizations to say they have a AA team? Maybe the numbers are changing to make BY a viable model. But there are few 05s around here, and that is not changing. When the PE black team is recruiting from local AA programs just to fill roster spots, there is not enough local talent in that year.

I think there are others. There are not enough 05s to make a whole division, so you could field a team so long as you were majority 05s. Made lots of sense.

Also interesting to see Allegheny with one win. Wasn't the push to create this bracket so that they could have a AA team? PAHL seems to be moving away from proper placements to just placing teams where they request. I don't understand the huge divisions in lower levels, either, no way you can make even competition with 16, 17 teams. No wonder teams would rather schedule independently.

Yes. Yes, they can. Just go listen to the parents carry on at a squirt game, doesn't matter who is playing or where. PAHL is just as bad, not just the independent teams have this malady. Everyone's kid is going to the show around here. Best eight year old goal tender in the country, that was a part of this thread, yes? ??

This thread is crazy. Come back with your in depth analysis after your kid hits puberty. Squirts. ??

Western PA was well represented!

And I am not blaming refs, this is consistent across the board and appears they have been instructed to call games in a specific manner.

Which bantam division? Across the board, it seems it is hard to earn your FPP this season. Perhaps checking should just be removed from the game entirely.

In looking at PAHL games in the various 14u divisions, I noticed that many teams did not earn their FPP. Is this unusual? Is it adjusting to checking or just the hormones kicking in? Does that improve over the season?

It is up to the home team to input the results from home. Have to do it within 24 hours of the game. Rinks do not have anything to do with it. Scores will likely not be as readily available for a while as a lot of people have to learn this new system.

At 12u, in order to get those games, the Pens Elite has a team this year playing under Artic Foxes' banner in the boys division. A Major Gold. Are those parents paying for PAHL and Pens? That is a lot.

I am not a fan of these organizations, but I do find it refreshing that after they formed their team and saw the talent level they attracted was not AAA, they didn't continue to call themselves AAA. If you want to travel all over the country and pay a premium for AA hockey, more power to you. In my experience, the families who want to do that are a pia on a PAHL team who does not want to travel like that. Although I just hate that PAHL gets so watered down as a result of these players leaving.

Heard Foxes 07 by team lost to NP 1 team 9 to 1. Don't know if that was scrimmage or placement.

The Vengeance program didn't develop the Squirts, those players were recruited from other organizations. And...they are Squirts. If they are still good at 14 and still playing at that program, then boast. They have talent on the teams. But their coaches double shift players and play systems, which USA Hockey says is a no no for long term development. The program seems to be focused on wins over long term development of all players. And playing as Vengeance for tournaments and under the Renegade banner for PAHL was confusing. What was the point of that? Jury is still out. Not going to bring my kids there or recommend a program because they have good Squirts who came from someone else's mite program.

Headed to Cleveland soon for a tournament, where do you recommend having a team dinner on a Saturday night? Staying in Beachwood.

The Pennsylvania Department of State Corporations Bureau website has them listed as a nonprofit corporation. According to an Attorney General publication, they must provide info to members based on their Articles of Incorporation, which can be ordered from the Corporations Bureau if you can't get a copy from BV. (The Articles should also define 'member'.) If they are also a federal 501(c), there are probably more rules governing them. Good luck!

They know where every kid played the year before. So for this division, BY determines the AA label, not skill. They are allowing teams to have 04s, so long as you are mostly 05s. And half the teams you mentioned aren't playing PAHL. This is why Western PA can't, at least in most of these birth years, (2005 is a low birth year) do this. Not enough AA talent left in PAHL to do it properly. Why do this only in Bantam and for a low BY? Makes 0 sense.

If the 05s are on a team of 05 s, I think that is the point of the AA Minor, doesn't matter if they can hang in AA major. I thought the Vipers 05 were playing independent, but not sure, check the PAHL grouping play in list, if a Vipers team is listed in the second group one, probably them. There is so much talent in the 04 BY, and with the ones who left PAHL last year to play Icemen returning, I think you can expect quite a few good teams. That birth year is always fun to watch.