nemesis8679

16 minutes ago, Goalsanddreams74 said:

12 passenger vans 

we would rent out two of them for road trips 

Let me guess. At the players' expense?

What I would like to know is why is it so important to pay North Catholic? Whats in it for the Pens org to do that? Do they get a kickback? 

Also, I know theoretically why they want you to do excel, you get a lot of ice time and they get a lot of money. But does it ever dawn on any parents that even NHL'ERS aren't on the ice that much? That there's a point of diminishing returns when it comes to too much ice time/gym time? If everybody would use their heads and refuse to do this, then it wouldn't be a thing. But the allure of that gear bag and window sticker is enough to let it perpetuate, I guess. 

39 minutes ago, Tendymom said:

Yep, that would be my kid that got cut because we would not get on board with NC/ Excel. Logistically not feasible for our family but hey, as we were told they never cut kids for not doing Excel. 🤷🏻‍♀️ and to sweeten the experience the rest of the team knew by 5:30 who had made it but we had to reach out to the coach at 9:45 pm to get an answer. What. A. Joke.

Brutal. They're doing a real great job growing Pittsburgh hockey players out there in Cranberry. 🤷‍♂️

You mean they didn't have a bus for the players? 

58 minutes ago, No Politics said:

It is the parents.  I tell families with mite players to find a team your kid is happy on and stick with it.

Every season it's the same thing.  Some people call it "A chasing," but I call it lack of foresight, as well.  If your kid leaves a team where they are happy -- so they can play for a team with an extra A -- that doesn't mean they're locked in for life.  The next season they might not make that team, it may have been a bad experience, or the team/organization could even fold.  Then they're stuck and desperate to find a home.

Can't move down a level, though, right?

Multiply that by 80% of the folks out there, and you get what we are seeing right now.

It's absolutely stupid, and the sad part is that parents only realize they goofed after their kid's time is done and they're playing beer league.

The sadder part is that they took other kids with them.

To expand on that a bit, a lot of the teams have had a certain number of kids year over year. So each year, you have one, two, however many... that step away for whatever reason. Now the coach has X roster spots to fill. You might get one. But you're not part of that core group. Next season, if someone wants to come back, or the coach is also coaching a school team and wants to add one of them, or somebody shows up at tryouts that is better or was cut by a higher-ranked team... you're going to be in the group of players that's first to be off the team. Or you walk into your first season onto a team that's mostly all been together for years prior, and wonder why you're not getting the ice time or special teams time you had on your last team. It is what it is. 

Well, I gotta give you credit for coming here and giving your side. 

17 minutes ago, fafa fohi said:

Everything you said has zero to do with people accusing the school of covering up abuse that happened at said school.

Your trust in Catholics is about as good as my trust in so-called Christians.  

I don't trust any of them, either.

But it doesn't say much for the judgment of people in charge of the school that they thought naming it after that goof was good idea.

4 hours ago, Goalsanddreams74 said:

Team folded due to player issues. Guys no longer wanted to play road games. The schedule was terrible. Guys no longer wanted to keep the commitment they signed up for.  Etc.

Players paid $350 total for the season. That covered jerseys, practice slots, our travel, and hotels. 

Players received $500 for every sponsor sold

The last coach was fired due to the players no longer wanting to play for him. Had nothing to do with the owner.

 

It sounded like a disaster from the start. 

.

35 minutes ago, Pucks11 said:

Don't forget the Tea bagging incident in the early 2000's. That kid got PAID, blew it on drugs but paid none the less. Just happened to have happen to a local funeral home owners kid.

Don't know anything about that. 

17 minutes ago, spilledbeans said:

Did anyone else see that when they fired the last coach for calling the owner out for stealing money and got fired, all of a sudden the team went to shit and started losing fans??? I'm not defending my friend, but it seemed like he had a good thing going.

Huh. A conman stealing money. Who could've saw that coming? 

8 hours ago, fafa fohi said:

NC has a horrible track record of protecting its students?

Could you be more specific?

The problem was right in the name they removed. Removing it doesn't change the fact that they still named it after him after everything came to light. And only changed their minds when the backlash was received. Plus, the word "catholic" is still there, that's enough for me to not trust them.

22 hours ago, aaaahockey said:

Well public schools aren't much better at that. 

Perhaps things still go on, but I don't remember hearing of a school district covering up abuse by moving an offending staff member from school to school, allowing them to continue the abuse.

1 hour ago, PUCKCOVID19 said:

higher level scouts for u18aa team? lol this isn't Chicago.  highest level even looking would be a pay to play........

Or leagues that draft a ton of kids as a marketing ploy, where teams have no intentions of signing most of them and most of the kids have no intention of showing up to the camps. 

2 hours ago, aaaahockey said:

Especially considering there are 5+ public high schools in the area better than North Catholic.  Pay extra to go somewhere worse?

And you don't have to entrust your kids to an organization that has a horrible track record of protecting children. 

13 hours ago, Rewster said:

 

In any event, I’d add to this by pointing out that other “developing hockey markets” in the states are trying to model their AAA programs similarly to PPE (or vice-versa). TPH has academy’s located in FLA, AZ, Tennessee, and several places in the Midwest (Michigan, Iowa, Ohio, etc) as well. I’m not sure if it’s sustainable. But, it is occurring in other regions in the country.

As in most cases where profit is involved, the most profitable way to do something is what others follow. Not necessarily because it's a better way to do it. 

1 hour ago, zam said:

I assumed Dad coaches get paid a warm up jacket and kid plays for free.

Just depends on what the coach and the board work out. 

4 hours ago, Icebucket said:

I think 8-12 is probably pretty accurate for a new coach coming in. Some of the longer tenured coaches are up to 18k, at least from the ones I know.

That much would probably have to be at a big school.

1 hour ago, sadday4hockey said:

What's the going rate nowadays for a qualified Varsity Coach?

 

Does it differ from AAA to A?

 

 

I’d say the range is around 8k-12k

12 minutes ago, Happy Hockey Fan said:

I was lead to believe that they had to go there. But I guess there are exceptions. 

If you don't, you run the risk to be replaced by someone who will.

Peters Township and Knoch also looking for coaches.

2 hours ago, Pucks11 said:

Didn't they kick out all of the Boys Black feeder teams to build their girls program up?

Would you be happy paying all that money to play half your schedule against A/AA teams. That's not very "Elite".

More orgs are starting to offer girl's programs.

2 hours ago, Chimp Life said:

cracker of the day

☝️Crackhead of the day

I don't think the rink is that more out of the way for people than most others are depending where you live.

And AHF doesn't seem to bother Rebellion folks. Who knows. Maybe just less people to choose from.out that way. I don't think they even had any PAHL teams last season besides the one 16u team. 

1 hour ago, Pucks11 said:

Yep, because those 2 Pittsburgh kids you lost to yesterday sure do suck or maybe the one at Shattuck or even the goalie on Gilmours prep team that beat the 18u Pens this year or the 3 that were at BK this year. Just naming a few. 4 of them left Pens on their own and the other 3 never wanted to play there even though they were asked to every year. Those 2 goalies alone makes my leftovers team better.

 

But it's Pens Elite or NOTHING arrrrrrrrg!

Pucks11 is correct. Not every good player plays or even wants to play at Pens. Between not being in the club, wanting to keep playing with friends, not wanting to deal with NC or excel, not wanting/able to pay that much money, being overlooked, there's lots of reasons that not every kid plays there. And reasons maybe they aren't at whatever other orgs, too. Is what it is.

People sure do know how to take this all too seriously and suck the fun out of the game. 

3 hours ago, dazedandconfused said:

So will PIA need more that one sheet next season?

Esmark losing teams, Huskies will be hard-pressed to field any teams this season.

Maybe they could beg the Vipers to return?

Why are the Huskies having such a hard time fielding teams? I would've thought they'd be in a great position of starting something fresh. But it just hasn't taken.