twoboys

On 8/9/2019 at 4:58 PM, Jack Handey said:

Well North Hills has been around a long time.  Any Huskies parents on here - what's your story?  Why not just play for Vipers?

From what I have heard the Peewee Husky team came from Butler Valley last year.  They wanted to be an 07 team and Butler Valley said no.  The Huskies said yes.  Nice kids, nice parents and nice coach.   

30 minutes ago, Chinstrap said:

NP had it set up for the 05 to be BY and the 06 to be BY. It was that way until the third night of try outs when it was rumored that the 05 team would be mixed.

 

I have no insight to the how or why.

The way it was explained to me was that 2 06 kids made the 05 team.  So, the 06 team is an 06 team but it is without two of their better players.

On 5/23/2019 at 11:25 AM, Bob Loblaw said:

The team is looking for a handful of 05/06 players to field a second team. At this point, the team, as well as a lot of other teams in pihl, are being handcuffed by the Mid-Am second year peewee rule. They can draw from anywhere, but generally draw from Catholic/private grade schools, and schools and organizations that are unable to field teams. If anyone is interested in playing, or knows anyone who might be, you can message me with questions, or contact   NCTROJANHOCKEY@GMAIL.COM

Can you elaborate on the Mid-Am second year peewee rule.  I have head rumors but nothing concrete.  Isn't it something like only 20% of the team can be second year peewee?

I agree that most parents, even parents on a house team, would be willing to pay for a "qualified" coach.  This is not just limited to parents of kids on AAA teams.  I know numerous parents that dreaded tryouts because they didn't want their child to end up with the same coach for the third year in a row.  And the kids aren't AAA or AA kids.

I do think it is unreasonable to limit a AAA team to only 3 away tournaments.  In many locations, there are only one or two AAA teams.  AAA teams are forced to travel to find games.      

4 hours ago, sadday4hockey said:

I'm confused by that. It seems more and more that the higher end teams that use more ice are moving toward SHAHA and now Lebo. I will say  that the dynamic out there with 3 locations that only have one sheet to work with has to be difficult for those organizations.

At the younger ages, SHAHA seems to have the better teams than the Preds.     

On 4/14/2019 at 9:01 AM, bb2j3z said:

Have a son born 2011, we are in Canonsburg...   we did our first year of Rink Rats mites at Printscape Southpointe and are looking to do it again this year.  He plays pretty well for his age level and we are hoping to make the red team this season in his last year in mites.   His tryouts are in 2 weeks.

Anyway he really enjoys hockey and we are looking for more ice time and instruction to improve his game.   Open to going to other rinks in the area.   We have been to RMU, Ice Castle, Mount Lebanon, South Park, and Wheeling Park for practices.

Here's what we have currently going on Printscape 3 on 3, RMU skills clinic, weekly private lesson for skating (w/o stick).    Then we are doing Rink Rats summer program, Quest 4 on 4 summer league, then one of the RMU summer camps.

Any suggestions or advice?   Maybe in the skills clinic or private instruction area as an add on.    We love hockey and are looking to improve his game and most importantly have fun!   I enjoy watching him play and being the equipment and scheduling manager.

 

I think you have a lot of hockey going on.  It is okay to say no to some things.  At some point you need to emphasize quality over quantity. 

The other thing to be aware of is that kids are starting to play full ice hockey on the side.  They will likely head to Buffalo and Rochester a few times next season to play in some AAU tournaments.  I get some parents are offended by this but most of the top mites are doing this.  This will likely have no bearing on how your son ends up at 15 but will have a bearing on which team he makes as a first year squirt.     

On 3/27/2019 at 6:01 PM, hipcheck66 said:

One of the best things that happened for my son was trying out for the Pens 2 years ago and not even making the 4th day. Lit a real fire under his tail. 

Last year he was offered Black and turned it down. He wants to make Gold and he has improved dramatically in the last 2 years. 

Not making the team he wanted with on-point constructive criticism (which we feel like we received) will drive the right kid to work hard. Did for my son. Hope it does for yours too...

Question about the on-point criticism.  How and when did you and your son receive it?  Was it comments made to him during the tryout or did you contact the PPE and ask?

23 hours ago, Eddie Shore said:

Confusing post.  You said he would love to tryout for PPE because he is more "exposed" to that team, but you live closer to Vengeance and Esmark?

You said that you don't think he is ready for PPE maturity wise, more so than skill, but your not sure he would stand a chance to make Vengeance and Esmark (with the idea that he is actually good enough)?

You do understand PPE would be harder to make than Vengeance and Esmark correct?

You also stated that he has played a year in travel hockey, yet you seem surprised that people on this board are "mean" and you and your kid will have to develop "thick skin"?  I doubt anyone on here is "meaner" that what you would have encountered in your first year of travel, especially with a goalie.  This is what "scared the pants off you", and "overwhelmed" you?  This post?  This "disheartened" you?

I think you are right, you are not cut out for this, or any youth sport if this relatively tame post did all this to you.

Good luck,

It isn't clear what age the goalie is, right?  First year travel and looking at Esmark and Vengeance.  Esmark means at least Bantams.    I would think that most decent Bantam AA teams have two goalies.  Same as PPE.  Not sure how Esmark and Vegeance treat goalies but at the PPE they pay full price.  A lot of PAHL oranizations give a discount.

By Bantams, people have a clue as to which organizations have a strong team.  If the OP has an 06 goalie and isn't up for PPE or the other AAA teams.  Try the Renegades or SHAHA.  They have quality teams that are trying to make the jump to AAA. 

On 2/4/2019 at 2:53 PM, sadday4hockey said:

Think of it in terms of sets in Mathematics. All members of the Excel Academy are not part of the PPE set, however all members of the PPE Gold set are members of the Excel Academy. Does that make sense?

All members?  Clearly, you are exaggerating.

06 is a pretty deep year.  There will be the 2 PPE teams.  A couple of AA teams trying to make the jump to AAA. 

I think the Vengeance is different in that they practice on Friday nights and Sundays.  This makes it easier for some families to make practice, particularly if you live far away.  This, to me at least, is the difference between the two organizations.  I also think this makes it easier to play a second sport in season.  I have no idea how a kid plays tackle football and hockey for the Elite.  I have been told that tackle football is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday.  Off days are Friday and Sunday. And you aren't supposed to miss practices.    

As far as travel.  I think the 08 did travel less when they played PAHL last year.  This is what the 09 did this year. 

As far as tryouts for the Vengeance, one friend's son made the 08 team this year.  So, they did take another kid.  I think there really aren't that many kids in PAHL that can make the Vengeance.  Same goes for the Elite.   The Black is a different story.  There is a difference in skating between PAHL AA kids and AAA kids.   And who knows if these kids will actually tryout.      

People have told me that North Pittsburgh has a ton of kids at both the Peewee and Squirt level.   A lot of kids get cut from the travel teams.  If you really want to play travel hockey then I would at least consider Butler Valley or another program as a fall back to North Pittsburhg.

Additionally, try signing him up for the PPE tune up for tryouts.  Not all of the PPE kids do it but some do.  If he does it then he can see up close where he stands with some of the PPE kids.   

Are the rankings relevant because the top four make the playoffs for Nationals?

You provided facts but you did so in order to make them look bad.  Am I right?

I just don't get why everyone is so quick to bash other organizations.  There are plenty of parents whose kids love hockey and want to play and practice a lot.  So, they aren't the best kids but the parents would rather have them on the ice more than other programs offer.  Maybe the parents enjoy watching their kids play hockey regardless of whether they win or lose.  More ice is better than playing video games.  The Viper Stars do have some decent coaches.  When you spend time at various rinks you quickly realize that not every coach knows what he is doing.  Let alone have the ability to "coach."   

Every organization has some teams that are lousy.  Some, have more than a few.  At least the kids are still playing hockey. 

The people that I know (parents and kids) that are on the Viper Stars are quite happy. 

On 11/21/2018 at 7:47 AM, Rico said:

There’s a big shift between a squirt or peewee defensemen who is underdeveloped at skating backwards,

 

I don't think any defensemen on the PPE squirt or peewee teams are underdeveloped at skating backwards.

I can give you positioning but not skating. 

On 11/16/2018 at 10:03 PM, Rico said:

The 08 “issue” is clear as day. You have one group of kids who are dedicated to hockey and you have another group of kids are are multi-sport athletes and/or don’t want all that’s involved with PPE. I don’t really think there’s “differences” between parents that are separating this group as much as differences in philosophy

I heard that this was the sales pitch.  Are the 08 Vengeance kids really playing multiple sports?  Or is it because the coach lives so far away that they can only get to the rink on Fridays and Sundays.

13 hours ago, Momhockey said:

I know I don’t make judgments on other children that’s for sure. Especially when I don’t know all the details.. 

I think he/she is making a judgement about your coach and not your kids.  

16 hours ago, BlckHawkDwn said:

Okay- so after getting some games into myhockey, it is safe to assume we were all correct... This organization held multiple tryouts and still had to go from organization to organization taking kids who already committed to teams.  Kids who declined the offer were still contacted multiple time to play “AAA” and be “a junior call up”! This is the most classless thing I’ve ever withnessed from a coach and organization. You really should be ashamed with all of your false promises! 

The Vengeance are ranked #132 out of #141 at Tier 1 U18- oh and that’s without adding in the 2 games that they played Gilmore and were outscored 25-3. You read that right, outscored 25-3 in 2 games. I don’t think the Pittsburgh Penguins could outscore his team by that margin. I’m talking about the NHL team and not the elite if you are wondering. 

You are forcing the parents to travel all over the country when you could have been PAHL A major black or maybe PAHL AA. The Vengeance would be ranked #55 in tier 2. 

You can’t blame 17 or 18 year old kids who are told and promised AAA and Juniors. However, the coaches knew how bad this was going to be from the jump. I hope the head coach personally apologizes to the parents he raked for a ton of money, the kids who wasted an entire year of eligibility, and the other coaches whom you have taken players rostered on another team. We can debate on here but unfortunately can’t play because from my understanding you turned other PAHL teams down because you are not USA Hockey affiliated?? Was this intentional so you don’t have to explain why AAA Johnny got annihilated but AA Jimmy? Maybe you are just rerouting the money for insurance to a friend. 

I’ve witnessed people being sentenced 10-20 for lesser crimes then you are committing as a coach and organization. 

 

 

 

They aren't forcing the parents to travel all over the country.   The parents are writing the check so they are fine with the travel.

3 hours ago, sadday4hockey said:

There's something to the other part of this. One of the daddies who spearheaded bringing them all of the 10U Minor players has been removed from the bench. That's a short marriage when you can't even make it through the first month of the season.

Not sure if I would agree that he "spearheaded" the bringing of kids to the PPE.  The way I see it is he was pretty involved in helping kids improve, securing extra ice and putting together travel teams, etc.  The kids he helped were either were or became some of the better kids in 07,08 and 09 classes.  And logically most of them made PPE teams.

I just don’t get it why some parents complain about how other parents spend their money.

I thought I heard that the PAHL teams were scheduled because some team backed out at the last minute.

Lastly if you want these kids to come back to PAHL you better make changes to your organization cause each parent of the icemen likely left because of how your teams are built and/or run.

On 8/21/2018 at 12:04 PM, Saucey said:

Can someone please tell me why it is a good thing to be able to split AA in half, talent wise? Those first year birth year teams should not be in AA unless they can hang with the talent in AA. I had the pleasure of listening to the coach of one of those teams just scream at the kids after they lost to another team of mostly older players. There is a huge difference in a year of development sometimes. I thought, gee, how fun for those kids to lose all their games and then have their coach railing on them for something that they can't control, when they could have had a competitive year in a Division below or a mixed birth year. In years past, but for their birth tear designation, a first year wouldn't have played AA that year, or would have done it on a team of mostly second years. I just don't understand this fascination with birth year. And how good is it for the older kids to play those younger birth year teams? Just don't get it. Add in the talent suck of the PPE and all  these independents, and PAHL AA has just been an uneven, watered down mess at some age groups the last few years. What does AA even mean now?

They aren't going to be in AA.  They were just initially placed in top group.  Once the placement games are completed they will be placed accordingly. 

On 8/16/2018 at 3:25 PM, mrfreeze said:

12u looks a little heavy at the top. 3 SCIR teams, 2 North Hills, 2 Foxes if they make the cut. So North hills went from no AA to possibly 2, and now huskies may have a AA, Combine that with 3 SCIR and an Allegheny team, what is going on North East of the city and is there now that much talent in that area. Add Crawford and Erie to the mix. Looks like 12u is hogging all the talent in the area. I think last year, there was 3 to 4 good team, 1 or 2 middle and the bottom was the 06 BY teams. Even if they split this in half, it has to be a major difference in talent from team to team.

 

From my understanding it is all based on where the kids played last year.  SCIR has birth year teams so basically the birth year teams all played AA hockey.  I am told it doesn't matter if it is Squirt AA or Peewee AA.  So for bracketing purposes, the 07 and 06 teams are the same because they are comprised almost entirely of AA players.  The third SCIR team has some kids that played "AAA" last year, some AA and some that played on the highest non birth year team.  The Foxes 07 team is full of former Squirt AA players.  Same goes for the Huskies.  The Viper Stars 07 team is full of former Squirt AA players and "AAA" players.  The Viper Stars 06 team is full of former AAA players.   A guess, all of the 07 teams are not going to play AA.  Not sure about the nonbirth year SCIR team.  They may squeak in.        

My boys are basically the same age as yours.  We have played AA.  Our fees have usually been over 3000.  We get two practices during the week and extra ice on the weekend if we don’t have games.  Tournament slush fund included.  There are only a few organizations we would move to due to the commute.  So, if you are gonna move South look at those or look at the ones north of you are thinking of moving there.

 PPE for Peewee is about 4500 plus travel and coaches fee.   All in around 10,000.