Lucky17

Does anyone have any insight in to support/resources other USAH district leadership is providing that MidAm is not getting?

37 minutes ago, Saucey said:

Spring and summer leagues and ball hockey have allowed my boys to choose who they way to play with. They get the opportunity to play with kids/friends at a different level. Pure fun. Don't buy anyone's hype that they are elite or going to develop your kid a lot.

We've done a number of camps over the years. Make sure they go with a friend.

The biggest bang for your buck are quality individual or small group private.lessons. Pick a camp that offers something specific he wants to work on.

They need a break, mental and physical. Do a different sport. At this age, let him start weight training and dry land. Cardio like biking if interval training will help with skating stamina.

My boys were generally only on the ice maybe once a week over the summer unless they were doing a league, then twice. A camp here and there. Mine are pretty good. The foot was off the gas over the summer for sure.

100% agree with the other sports.  Try mountain biking, directly impacts the skating muscles.

4 minutes ago, hockeyisgreat said:

Lucky 17,  Did you check into the Predators?  That is some great research.  They all should put their info out.  I can't find anything on the Preds.  Seems like maybe they have a lot to hide with all their "Faux AAA" teams that are usually out of the playoffs by December!

@hockeyisgreati couldn’t find anything there.

I checked most of the big organizations around and found these

https://www.southpittsburghhockey.org/for-new-parents/
 

https://www.scirhockey.org/information/team-cost/

https://www.mlhahornets.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/1337/2021/03/Introduction-to-MLHA-Hockey.pdf

https://www.scyiha.org/season-info-docs

https://www.shaha.org/hockey101/

43 minutes ago, Wes said:

I'd be in favor of a system like this.  That way you go where you want but you can't hop all the time.

Except there is no governing body preventing hopping around between non-PAHL teams.  We know USA Hockey won’t.

2 hours ago, hockey07 said:

So if Shaha and esmark played pahl aa minor with the other 2009 by teams, would they get the same development? 

No, they would not. It would take all the teams to play in the same division to give them some element of local hockey.  Let's look at '09, if Esmark, SHAHA, Preds and Icemen all played in a division with the 3-4 top '09 teams from PAHL, it would be good, but not great competition.  It would give those teams 20 games in the area and they can round out their 50-60 game schedules with all the other AAA teams they wanted to play.  Maybe that is the role Black Bear plays in all of this, start a WPA AAA division to their league and draw those teams in.  Maybe add in Mid-State, Team Ohio, Barons to WPA?

6 hours ago, whatever said:

When you start playing local hockey a 5 years old...playing the same kids multiple times a year - year after year gets predictable and kind of boring.  I was one of those crazy parents who opted for the other A and played all over the place.  Zero regrets. 

But why not get 20 or so games around the Pittsburgh area then do your traveling.  I look at some of these schedules and the kids are gone every weekend.

This is a great post, that is the real problem than none of these teams will play each other.  They all take their teams and go elsewhere costing everyone more money. 

Ryan Smart - Meadvillle - Cornell - Devils draft pick 

Jason Lammers - Am. Pens - NA - Geneseo 

31 minutes ago, Sticktime56 said:

In my experience vegennce can compete at AAA level depending on the birth year, but I would agree not all their BY teams are true AAA. 

A look at MHR for 2008 and below would back up that assessment 

2 hours ago, Saucey said:

It's too many games for kids  We hear over and over from USA Hockey as coaches and the medical profession that it isn't good for them. 70 to 80 games are what the pros play. They do it full time and get paid.bKids need to do school, etc on top of their season. Burn out, over use injuries, etc.

Then add school PIHL schedule on top of it.

47 minutes ago, Novos51 said:

I don’t understand why more teams don’t do a hybrid of independent/PAHL. My son’s team did it for two years. Added tournaments and some home and homes. Had great season. Cost was higher of course but everyone knew that coming in. 

I think many do, but PAHL "isn't good enough".  I don't understand giving up 20 games in the area to go travel around and play meaningless games.

3 hours ago, Pucks11 said:

I thought that they only dealt with rinks that had 2 or more sheets of ice? Even with the renovations is there not still a ton of work to be done there. 

They also just bought Youngstown which has 1 sheet.  ***edit: though they could convert back to 2 I assume

16 hours ago, Deke715 said:

Officially lost any and all credibility!  Buying what the Aviators are selling???

The Renegades "dad ball" equivalent 

Keep huffing that paint thinner clonbur??????????

I don’t understand the “dad ball” reference, please explain @Deke715

4 hours ago, aaaahockey said:

Are you including travel? That makes a big difference. I could see 6-8 for all the fees etc without including the travel.  Going to be substantially higher depending on game schedules. 

Including travel, I was speaking with a parent who tracked his expenses at 16U Esmark one season a few years ago and it was $18k all-in.

1 hour ago, aaaahockey said:

https://myhockeyrankings.com/news.php?b=902

 

Looks like they will stop giving out numerical ranking numbers for first year peewee and under.  Thoughts?  Does this address some people's concern in here? 

I wonder how many teams will be “top 10” according to their parents in those age groups.

2 hours ago, hockeyisgreat said:

How about the best ones! Are there any good coaches out there?  It seems that there must be a lot more bad coaches than good ones? Why is everyone always so negative on this board? I guess there are a lot of people who had a bad experience!  More bad than good!

I think there are some great coaches in the area.  My original point was don’t be impressed just because a coach isn’t a parent.  There are many good parent coaches out there.  Also, as @Pucks11 pointed out, a “good coach” is entirely subjective. 

6 minutes ago, Pucks11 said:

I'm curious as to where Pittsburgh parents got so snooty with their kids and coaches. Some of the top organizations in the COUNTRY have parent coaches. Pens Elite, Vengeance,  Chicago,  Detroit, Boston just to name a few of the hotbed. If your kid isn't learning then maybe it has something to do with the way you raised him. Coaches fees are WAY MORE than an extra $500 because you have to pay for part of their travel and all of their hotels for the season. Some of the worst coaches in the area are coaches that don't have a kid on the team because they really don't care as long a sthey get paid. 

?the worst ones are the skills coaches that parlay a paid coaching gig in to private lessons where the kids feel obligated to take lessons from that coach.

5 hours ago, Carl Racki said:

Isn't PPE no profit?????

I don’t think excel is

47 minutes ago, Stanley PK said:

I'll be back with my son for another year as well. Other opportunities seem to come to the Esmark players quite often including my son.

All organizations are there to make money, bottom line. 

Except the non-profits….

14 hours ago, Carl Racki said:

I have seen some ridiculous coaches there at the mite age back in the day.  I guess it just depends who the coaches are and who is running it now.  

Sorry, I completely botched my previous message...

Ridiculous in what way @Carl Racki?  That could go either way on interpretation.  

How did Huskies tryouts look?  I heard a few went up to Armstrong.

3 hours ago, Carl Racki said:I have seen some ridiculous coaches there at the mite age back in the day.  I guess it just depends who the coaches are and who is running it now.  

Ridiculous is what way @Carl Racki?

I would say the same is true for every organization in the country, some coaches are better than others and it depends on who you get