Squirt and PeeWee 2024-2025

[James Gatz]

I keep hearing that Covid most impacted the 2012-2015 birth years (with 13/14 the most).  From talking with friends with interest in these age groups at various organizations it does seem like there are fewer athletes in the cohort.  Several have said their organizations are fielding fewer teams than usual.  Is everyone seeing the same thing?  For the good of future 16U hockey, I hope the organizations find a way to keep kids in the sport.  If attrition happens at the same rate, it could be bleak for a couple years as this bubble move through the age groups.  

[forbin]

I haven’t noticed that significant of a drop in number of teams at those age groups. I have noticed a pretty substantial lack of goalies though. 

[Duck Bill]

I'm not sure about other organizations, but I heard North Pittsburgh is only fielding three squirt teams this year.  Was four last season and five the season before that.  I think Covid definitely has had an impact, as the 2012-2015 birth years would have been learning to skate or were early mites at the time.  Very formative years when the rules at the rinks were nuts and hockey was labeled a super-spreader.

[dazedandconfused]

They probably just kept an extra team's worth of players in the house league. And that could be for one of two reasons.

The next group wasn't ready for travel hockey so their development is being prioritized, which is good.

They have a capacity in house league that they will reach no matter what in order to maximize $$$.

But if those numbers are down, then so would I expect are most others.

[Nogoals.]

Numbers are definitely down at North Pitt. 
150 skaters tried out at 12u this year. 
Only about 60 at 10u. 

[aaaahockey]

Organizations ebb and flow. I haven't seen a major decline much at the three organizations I'm most familiar with. I would also point out that we are moving outside the double Stanley cup window and the Penguins are on the decline.  That means less people watching, interested, and participating in the sport.  Kids starting the sport today weren't alive when the pens won their last cup 

[forbin]

@aaaahockey that’s an excellent point. I’m sure the youth hockey numbers have skyrocketed in places like Vegas and Florida due to recent NHL success. 
I believe most of the orgs in the south hills saw similar tryout numbers as years past at the 12U and 10U ages. 

[Carl Racki]

Inflation, cost to play I am sure won't help things.  

[nemesis8679]

How about ridiculous travel with a young kid when you might have other kids with other interests and don't want to spend the money or drag the whole family along/leave half the family at home all weekend while you drive 4 hours to Buffalo to play some team equivalent to what you could play within an hour of your house.

[hockeydadx3]

18 hours ago, forbin said:

I haven’t noticed that significant of a drop in number of teams at those age groups. I have noticed a pretty substantial lack of goalies though. 

Definitely a goalie shortage for the 13s and 14s. Could eventually be a good thing though. Kids that go in goal too early lack the skating skills they need. I am sure the goalie numbers will increase over time. 

[Duck Bill]

1 hour ago, hockeydadx3 said:

Kids that go in goal too early lack the skating skills they need. I am sure the goalie numbers will increase over time. 

100% kids will sometimes specialize too early.  Although I'm not sure numbers will increase over time if there aren't already kids who at least play goalie part of the time at the late squirt/early peewee years.