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Maybe one of pgh’s biggest money grabs


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Was at the ol’ ice castle today, I may have found the biggest money grab team in pgh history!!!!! Along with the biggest group of extra “A” (with this team maybe two extra “A’s”) wanna be parents!!

 

the U15 (2004) “AAA” pgh predators! What a train wreck! This team would be hard pressed to play with a pw AA team. Players that can’t skate, can’t shot, can’t pass & I’m talking about every kid on the ice! The speed was also extremely slow. 

 

While talking with a parent on the team, I ask about their fee’s. Mind blown! Outside of the normal predator fee’s, team fund, etc each family has to pay a $800 coaching fee to Gary and $300 gym membership! They could not get on the ice this week for “camp” unless that money was first payed, a parent forgot his checkbook the first day and had to hurry to have his wife rush CASH down. 

 

 

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So we found the extra “A” dad’s! 

 

There is no “AAA” talent on that team let alone “AA” for that age group. I watched them practice for an hour today. 

 

Yes real “AAA” hockey is not cheap, key word “real”. 

 

 

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Have to agree with whome here. This team will be in the bottom 10% in the country at AAA. 04 Preds are a mess. Some went to Lebo's AA team and one went to the Icemen. Not saying they are AAA players either but they would have been top players on the Preds.

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1 hour ago, discodan said:

they would have been top players on the Preds.

So an unintended consequence is that this kind of move weakens local PAHL hockey.  That's unfortunate,  last year's '04 Preds steadily improved over the season and showed they belonged and could compete at AA.  

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6 hours ago, Seejay784 said:

I know 4 kids on that roster that are legit AAA players, not sure about the rest.

Talked to someone today who really knows 04’s well. Was told this team is the running joke in Pittsburgh hockey right now. Most of these kids didn’t make Pahl AA or A major black teams so their daddy’s found a “AAA” team for them.  Some of these kids were in Pahl a minor last season. Mostly everyone that tried out made the team. 

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4 hours ago, dazedandconfused said:

That's a hell of a payday for the Coach. I say more power to him. If he can convince those people to pay him $16,000 good for him. That's why they call it Capitalism. You CAPITALIZE on an opportunity. In this case, that opportunity is provided by delusional parents.

Don’t forget he owns the gym to! That’s another $300x18. 

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I have also heard the horror stories about the fees that seem to be increasing at every turn.  And there is some truth to what everyone has said about this roster.  There are a few quality AAA kids on there, but the vast majority would be on a 16U A level team this coming year.  I just don't see how a roster that is about 60% comprised of kids at mid AA level teams, and some A level teams can join forces and all of a sudden be AAA?

Actually, maybe that was it.  They took the AA players, and by throwing in the few A level players that got them the extra 'A' they were looking for!

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6 hours ago, dazedandconfused said:

That's a hell of a payday for the Coach. I say more power to him. If he can convince those people to pay him $16,000 good for him. That's why they call it Capitalism. You CAPITALIZE on an opportunity. In this case, that opportunity is provided by delusional parents.

We have heard this song before, many many times.  Johnny gets cut from PPE, and the parents snub their nose at PAHL because one A is missing and AA is beneath them (not the player, the parent).  Said delusional parent then hears about so and so organization is forming a AAA team............filled with many kids that were cut from PPE but yes, that extra A is good so the parents can brag to their friends that Johnny plays AAA hockey.   

I am not dissing the players in any way on this - this is all on the parents.

Lets stop the nonsense and call these other programs what they are - glorified AA programs.  Outside of PPE ( gold in lower age divisions ) and a couple of higher age Esmark teams, there are no other AAA teams in western PA.   

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57 minutes ago, HereWithPopcorn said:

They took the AA players, and by throwing in the few A level players that got them the extra 'A'

That's funny!

I'm guessing that when parents see that their long-time AA kids can compete and hang with former PPE Black players, it's easy to make the leap that your AA kids could just as well be AAA players.  

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23 minutes ago, fafa fohi said:

We have heard this song before, many many times.  Johnny gets cut from PPE, and the parents snub their nose at PAHL because one A is missing and AA is beneath them (not the player, the parent).  Said delusional parent then hears about so and so organization is forming a AAA team............filled with many kids that were cut from PPE but yes, that extra A is good so the parents can brag to their friends that Johnny plays AAA hockey.   

I am not dissing the players in any way on this - this is all on the parents.

Lets stop the nonsense and call these other programs what they are - glorified AA programs.  Outside of PPE ( gold in lower age divisions ) and a couple of higher age Esmark teams, there are no other AAA teams in western PA.   

Problem is none of these 04’s on the predators were cut from ppe! 

 

They are kids who couldn't make esmark, icemen, Pahl AA & Pahl a major. 

 

I get your drift ppe black is just AA hockey. 

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I guess the extra A dad’s above in this thread brought this topic to the predators. Since I posted  seeing the team. No parents have been permitted to attend or watch on ice practice the past few days of camp!!! 

 

Sorry, little Johnny is not really a aaa player, or aa player or a major player!!!!

 

nothing like getting fleeced just to say “my kid plays aaa hockey” 

 

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No affiliation!

Question, is he worth it?  Paying a non-parent that only makes his money from hockey, in my mind, would probably cost more than say, a non-parent that has a day job and coaches for fun.  Loves it, good at it, but it’s extra money to him and his family.  Is he worth it?  Don’t know him or his coaching style!

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15 hours ago, whome87 said:

I guess the extra A dad’s above in this thread brought this topic to the predators. Since I posted  seeing the team. No parents have been permitted to attend or watch on ice practice the past few days of camp!!! 

 

Sorry, little Johnny is not really a aaa player, or aa player or a major player!!!!

 

nothing like getting fleeced just to say “my kid plays aaa hockey” 

 

I'm guessing that the Predators have parents who read this board, too!

Have to say that going the the trouble of closing practice - especially closing practices to parents - at a rink like the Ice Castle is a bit fishy.

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45 minutes ago, Lifelongbender said:

I'm guessing that the Predators have parents who read this board, too!

Have to say that going the the trouble of closing practice - especially closing practices to parents - at a rink like the Ice Castle is a bit fishy.

There is nothing wrong with paying $8-10K to NOT see your kid practice.

This sad story is getting worse by the day.

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On 8/7/2019 at 5:36 PM, fafa fohi said:

We have heard this song before, many many times.  Johnny gets cut from PPE, and the parents snub their nose at PAHL because one A is missing and AA is beneath them (not the player, the parent).  Said delusional parent then hears about so and so organization is forming a AAA team............filled with many kids that were cut from PPE but yes, that extra A is good so the parents can brag to their friends that Johnny plays AAA hockey.   

I am not dissing the players in any way on this - this is all on the parents.

Lets stop the nonsense and call these other programs what they are - glorified AA programs.  Outside of PPE ( gold in lower age divisions ) and a couple of higher age Esmark teams, there are no other AAA teams in western PA.   

Clearly not a AAA team.  They would be middle of the road playing AA. Could they beat the 14UAAA team at that rink?

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