Saucey

Nope. But there should be some hitting. I would be ok eliminating checking entirely from the game, but it isn't, so it should happen at the right time. The fact that it happened not at all is a bit problematic to me. But go ahead, insult me.

They usually use their kids to do it. But it's clear who put them up to it.

Flipping between the three 14u games and I haven't seen a hit laid yet. ?

One year on one of my kid's teams, the coach for what I would totally consider a faux AAA team gave our goalie his card after we scrimmaged them. He said he was the only reason our team did well against them.? Good narrative, gotta tell yourself something, I guess. The crazies have no shame, and Snapchat is definitely a favorite recruiting tool. Our kid tore the card up and was like, why in the hell would I want to go play for that team? Too bad no one enforces recruitment rules around here.

I didn't take any offense. My kids get plenty of ice, but I know that isn't the case for everyone. And I agree, more could be done to use the ice creatively but I guess....once you reach a certain age and if the level of play isn't that high, you aren't going to have organizations be that concerned. Same with whoever you can find to coach those teams. It is more normal than not now to jump around. We didn't, but I feel like we are the weirdos now. Feels rare.

That's the thing, when you hit an age where you are only getting an ice touch or so a week (the programs we skate for assume you are playing high school) full ice is kind of important.

1/2 ice doesn't work as well when they get bigger. My kids hate them. Just don't feel like they get a good enough skate.

I don't understand the argument of....we tried to pull a fast one, PIHL didn't catch it, kid played all season, so thus, there should be no foul, either. I do understand....we thought we were good because we talked to someone in PIHL. But the lack of documentation to support that seems to be an issue. PIHL enforces roster violations. They do. And coaches looking for an edge look for them and report them. And guess what....your verbal conversation with an incorrect application of the rule is likely not going to override the rule. But the cop told me it was okay to run the red light... What do you really want people to do? These rules are in place because clearly, people trying to get kids on rosters has been a problem in the past. Shoot, my beer league even has these rules because people really value winning in our society, even when the event or game means.... nothing. The amount of rules professional leagues have regarding rosters is mind boggling. Every time there is a roster violation, kids are hurt. They don't set the roster, so it is always a nasty repercussion for them. That is a terrible reason not to enforce them, because then you essentially invalidate roster rules. It's also not fair to kids to not enforce them. This is exactly why the rules exist in the first place, to prevent unfairness in setting teams. In my experience, PIHL enforces roster violations. So you need to dot your Is and cross your Ts. If your program doesn't, made a mistake...it sucks. But it's the rule. WE want our kids to see that there are repercussions for rule violations, don't we?

Lawsuit? People have lost their ever loving minds. Judges don't want to be bothered with this kind of crap. Good luck, Montour.

Omg I couldn't read all of this, felt like I walked into the fourteen years old's locker room. ?

If the team formed is not the level advertised, maybe don't field it that way. I don't want to say don't try, particularly considering the continuing disaster of PPE, but for crying out loud, don't call yourself AAA when your team is largely made up of kids who couldn't crack AA. Place the kids right. Hockey is a moneyed sport with a lot of parents used to being able to buy their kids whatever they want. I have heard it. "I will spend whatever it takes because he/she wants it." But you can't buy natural athletic talent. "You want me to kill my kid's dream?" Um. Someone is going to at some point. Maybe if you had, they would have put their energy into something that is within their skill set, ever think of that? The stats of going D1 are out there and have been discussed here and naseum. The development of youth sports should not be focused on chasing something that is so rare to do. You essentially harm most children playing. There shouldn't be so many butt hurt options. Don't be fooled, most of these coaches know what they are getting.

I like Danner, too. I don't always agree with everything he says but hey, here's a weird thing, you can both like and dislike someone's various opinions. And, you know, it's an internet Board where people post anonymously, so you should....da da da....take it all with a giant grain of salt.

You see the attention Mid Am gives Tier II? That's why you shouldn't bother with the Mid Am camp. Fold in the faux AAA, too. Last year they did a little better, maybe they will put something up this week.

Your organization selects your kid. So the Icemen, for example, send whoever wants to go it would seem. Other organizations are a bit more discerning. Teams are set and the kids play games. Some teams are pretty bad. The 'sorting' process should be a little more focused, I think, more vetting. My family found it to be a huge waste of time and money.

Man, not even beloved Steelers can escape the negativity of hockey people on this Board. Anyone want to try and malign Mr. Rogers now?

I tried watching that first game. I didn't understand how Duquesne got those games, either. Why drive there for that and why did Adrian waste their time? I saw some of that Duquesne Pitt game and thought some of what you said..how is Pitt ranked so high? There could be some rivalry fueling that outcome. Players out or something. Club hockey is a nightmare to try and navigate. Adrian recruits heavily for their teams and tells you to play juniors first if you want to crack the M1 team. The hockey program is phenomenal. But the academics.....not so much. And outside of some hockey heads, who has ever heard of it? That's a problem when trying to get a job The academics need to come first. RMU's plethora of club teams help fund that school. Those teams were not shut down. But there are some good programs at RMU, academic wise. And we know Pitt is a good school. Don't pick a school based on hockey. The practice times, the travel grind, getting injured....your kid may end up not playing.

I also assumed that was someone else. I agree, he writes like someone whose first language is not English. And he is professional in his dealings with you, doesn't fit the personality to post this dumb stuff. All these arguments about best location boil down to....no matter where you locate, due to our area's difficult terrain and roads, you are going have a segment who does not come. Maybe one of the reasons Esmark does not have strong teams below 14u is ....kids start driving themselves. So mom and dad don't have to drive them all the time to PIA.

I don't really care where the Icemen play, but I do want to point out that you do not need to play 'AAA' to play in most of those leagues touted on their website as where they placed their players. Well, who knows now, since AAA is now the old AA around here. USPHL, Tier III pay to play leagues, my boy gets calls from those teams just by being a good AA and high school player. And those leagues don't lead you to Division I NCAA or the NHL. Club hockey, which there is nothing wrong with doing, but you do not need those junior teams to go do that.

Yes. They have an excellent program.

The Aviators are were you go when you can't make a team or are convinced everyone placed your kid wrong. I doubt the Renegades are worried.

No. It's too hard to get to for a lot of families. It's 45 minutes to an hour in rush hour traffic from the north, and hard driving. That amount of time on the highway is one thing, through city streets, 51 and library road is another.

Or......ha ha ha....quit chasing the extra A and just play the local league. Crazy, I know. At least until Bantam. Put resources back into what already exists. It would be so nice to have a AA league filled top to bottom with AA teams. PAHLs midget program currently has 2. It's fun to actually play school hockey and compete for a National banner in PAHL. PIHL actually has built their program up. The televised games, the social media. Don't play 80 games in a year for an independent schedule. Play school and PAHL. Really need to see what Blackbear is going to do. I think you are going to continue to see all these faux AAA teams because there are always people chasing. They think their kid has the talent and didn't make the team, they form another. But I do think that the market is poised to have a viable alternative to PPE since they don't want the local kids when it counts unless you have the cash. RMU and Sourhpointe are the best locations to do it to make it accessable for everyone around the city.

How has Vengeance helped the situation pointed out by the Mid Am link? If a parent really wants to progress their kid to high levels, the old advice seems to still remain true...get out of Pittsburgh. And Vengeance doesn't develop imo, they recruit from other programs' ADM programs and PPE leftovers.Who then leave when they get to midget to go to PPE or Esmark if they can. So critical of PPE's mites program when Vengeance doesn't even HAVE one. PPE is becoming a stopping point for out of town kids to move on in a year, it seems. It still serves a purpose, just not the one promised to local families. They seem to be making money and not inclined to change a thing. I agree it's not healthy for kids, what they are doing. Get off the hamster wheel. Find the coach your kid likes who wants to develop all the kids, with a team of good families. Privates over the summer with other sports. Get good grades. Stop giving these clowns your money, unless everything that I said you happen to find at Vengeance that year, then go ahead if you can afford it. The rah rah rah Vengeance as a viable option to PPE is just....not. ?

You know, as I read the unrelenting cheerleading posts for the Vengeance program and then occasionally from the people who crow about the success of that one SHAHA team.....here is the bottom line. No one program is 'the best'. The stuff about the Vengeance made me want to throw up a little in my mouth. Like any of these programs that spring up around here, they have sporadic success that doesn't seem to stick as the kids grow older. For every good team that they put together, there is a massive clunker. And they are more than happy to put a team together with kids who aren't AA and still slap that AAA label on. And...every single program does it. PPE as well has done it. So what is a parent to do? It is really hard, particularly if you do not know hockey. My family never bought into any of this crap. But with Blackbear moving in and everyone leaving PAHL to chase the rainbows, I have no idea what we would have done in this landscape. We could always manage to find a situation that worked for our kids. So my advice...just try to find a good coach, good families, where your kid is having fun and getting better. That is going to differ for your kid. Then find a good match for privates. Make sure they are getting better. Emphasize school. Have them get good grades. You don't buy the Powerball thinking you are going to win. Your kid has the same chance at playing in the NHL or NCAA div I as they do at winning the Powerball. So look for a match with your child over 'the best' program, whatever that means, regardless of what label whatever program is sticking on it. After all, the 'best' program may have just been the one that did the sales pitch and recruiting the best that year.

Ok , I stand corrected, a handful of people still REALLY care about PPE. ?