Year around hockey

[Quasar]

Now that the summer hockey season is winding down, and the kids are getting all fired up about their association teams, it might be a good time to reflect on year around hockey in Minnesota.

What's your take on it?

[muckandgrind]

Now that the summer hockey season is winding down, and the kids are getting all fired up about their association teams, it might be a good time to reflect on year around hockey in Minnesota.

What's your take on it?

Gee.....here's a topic that's never been discussed and beaten into the ground a million times before.

[Quasar]

Now that the summer hockey season is winding down, and the kids are getting all fired up about their association teams, it might be a good time to reflect on year around hockey in Minnesota.

What's your take on it?

Gee.....here's a topic that's never been discussed and beaten into the ground a million times before.

Well ..I got Muck's take on it. What's yours??

[GreatOne99]

Gee.....here's a topic that's never been discussed and beaten into the ground a million times before.

Well ..I got Muck's take on it. What's yours??

He's right. Lock it up!

[HockeyDad41]

There have been some new people that have arrived since the last time this one was hauled out and kicked around. Plus maybe some people have just experienced a full year and have something to say. If they want to talk about it, what's the big deal?

[GreatOne99]

There have been some new people that have arrived since the last time this one was hauled out and kicked around. Plus maybe some people have just experienced a full year and have something to say. If they want to talk about it, what's the big deal?

Have an issue, here's a tissue.

[Quasar]

There have been some new people that have arrived since the last time this one was hauled out and kicked around. Plus maybe some people have just experienced a full year and have something to say. If they want to talk about it, what's the big deal?

Have an issue, here's a tissue.

Seems I've touched a raw nerve.. And .. If I wanted to look it up, I wouldn't have started the thread..

[Maverick1999]

You got me to bite. I think year round hockey is not good. Kids these days play WAY to much hockey. I was born and raised in Canada, and I did not start playing so called "AAA" hockey till I was a Bantam. Having the summers off to be a "kid", allowed for me to come back in the fall with my tank full and my passion for hockey at it highest. I have 3 boys now and it scares me to see how much these kids play now a days, not only the cost of it, but the chance there will be burn out and passion lost for this great sport. Playing this "AAA" hockey has really taken away from playing with your buddies and is the root to why kids leave to go to so called "greener grass". The days of playing with your buddies (who you have played with your whole life), and being the go to guy on your assocation team, are now replaced by parents trying to get their kids on the best team possible because that is where his "AAA" teammates go, instead of making them earn there way in their hockey career. I will close with this, I saw an interview the other day with Mario Lemieux, he was asked what he missed the most about being retired, and this is what he said. "I have won Stanley Cups, scoring titles and many individual trophies in my career, but the one thing I miss the most about being retired, is sitting in the locker room with my friends and buddies. The on ice stuff was great but you cannot replace the memories of being with my friends in the dressing room."

[muckandgrind]

Have an issue, here's a tissue.

Seems I've touched a raw nerve.. And .. If I wanted to look it up, I wouldn't have started the thread..

It's Ground Hog's Day all over again....

No need to look up the 50 other threads on this same topic....here's what you'll see in virtually every one of them:

- Some that think year round hockey is fine.
- Some that think year round hockey is bad.

The ones that think it's fine are those who don't think it's necessarily important that kids play multiple sports. The ones that think it's bad, think it's important that kids play multiple sports.

The thread will go on and on with neither side changing their opinion, or respecting the opinions of those who think different than them. All that happens is that both sides will continually post the same thoughts over and over and over again. And, eventually, it will veer off-course and turn into another Blades/Machine bashing thread...all hell will break loose....and the mods will lock it up.

[HockeyDad41]

When you say year round hockey, I am assuming you mean highly structured hockey such as association hockey in the winter and AAA in the summer, probably with the gaps filled in with camps and clinics.

For some kids that would definitely be too much.

I would also argue that year round highly structured baseball, basketball, football and soccer is also not such a good idea.

I don't see a problem with a kid going to the rink, paying their $5 or whatever and playing in a game of pickup hockey as often as they feel like it. Likewise with the pickup football, basketball, baseball and soccer games down at the park.

[Quasar]

Seems I've touched a raw nerve.. And .. If I wanted to look it up, I wouldn't have started the thread..

It's Ground Hog's Day all over again....

No need to look up the 50 other threads on this same topic....here's what you'll see in virtually every one of them:

- Some that think year round hockey is fine.
- Some that think year round hockey is bad.

The ones that think it's fine are those who don't think it's necessarily important that kids play multiple sports. The ones that think it's bad, think it's important that kids play multiple sports.

The thread will go on and on with neither side changing their opinion, or respecting the opinions of those who think different than them. All that happens is that both sides will continually post the same thoughts over and over and over again. And, eventually, it will veer off-course and turn into another Blades/Machine bashing thread...all hell will break loose....and the mods will lock it up.

Muck, if you've read it all,and have decided that it doesn't warrant discussion by other people on this forum, why don't you just ignore this topic.

I'm not trolling here ..I have a bantam aged grandson that is playing on three teams. two summer, and one winter. I am worried that this might be too much hockey. He doesn't think so, and his dad doesn't think so.

I just wondered how others felt about it.

If I would have wanted to start a food fight over AAA hockey, I would have used a different title for the thread.

[Cut Above]

You got another Bite here: I've never met anyone who played summer hockey not be better when they came back in the fall/winter season. Proven fact.

By the way, my kid plays multiple sports.

[BadgerBob82]

I had a conversation with a couple hockey dads at football the other night. I know this is a HUGE generalization, but we named about 20 instances from our area and all fit the bill. So generalization or irony?

The year round AAA hockey kids that were brought into our discussion are all tiny kids. The range were 1994's to 1999's in our discussion as those are the kids we know. A handful play baseball and 1-2 play football. All are tiny, or were tiny at say Squirt/Pee-Wee age. A couple have shot up a bit now in HS.

Is there a correlation between year round hockey and being tiny? Does year round hockey stunt the kids growth? The conversation brought up 2 HS age kids that need the hip surgery Marion Gaborik had. Too much skating?

Having an 8 year old skate year round will allow them to exceed their peers come October tryouts. By January, not so much. I would rather have a kid place his best hockey at 18 or older rather than under 14. And certainly be excited to come to the rink at the end of February.

[Quasar]

You got another Bite here: I've never met anyone who played summer hockey not be better when they came back in the fall/winter season. Proven fact.

By the way, my kid plays multiple sports.

Yes .. I agree with that. They are improved by the time they spend on the ice.

I also think that it's a matter of intensity. How many of you have kids playing one more than one summer AAA team? and how do you feel about the expense, and the incredible commitment being made by both you and your kid?

I agree with Muck and Grind, I don't want this to turn into a screaming match about anything. I do want to know what serious people think about the state of hockey in Minnesota right now. Not last year..

And, I also would like to hear any and all intelligent ideas on how to stay sane as the game continues to change.

I have coached Squirts, Pewees, and Bantams. I am familiar with association hockey.

My opinion about that is well known..as is my opinion about so called AAA.

If I actually thought I had it all figured out, I wouldn't waste my time asking other people what they think.

Let's just say I'm curious. Thanks for all the replies so far.

[irish skater]

You got me to bite. I think year round hockey is not good. Kids these days play WAY to much hockey. I was born and raised in Canada, and I did not start playing so called "AAA" hockey till I was a Bantam. Having the summers off to be a "kid", allowed for me to come back in the fall with my tank full and my passion for hockey at it highest. I have 3 boys now and it scares me to see how much these kids play now a days, not only the cost of it, but the chance there will be burn out and passion lost for this great sport. Playing this "AAA" hockey has really taken away from playing with your buddies and is the root to why kids leave to go to so called "greener grass". The days of playing with your buddies (who you have played with your whole life), and being the go to guy on your assocation team, are now replaced by parents trying to get their kids on the best team possible because that is where his "AAA" teammates go, instead of making them earn there way in their hockey career. I will close with this, I saw an interview the other day with Mario Lemieux, he was asked what he missed the most about being retired, and this is what he said. "I have won Stanley Cups, scoring titles and many individual trophies in my career, but the one thing I miss the most about being retired, is sitting in the locker room with my friends and buddies. The on ice stuff was great but you cannot replace the memories of being with my friends in the dressing room."

Maverick, I have pondered that point many times, but it's at a point now, which came first, the cart or the horse. When you look around and you see all the other kids playing, you almost feel like you need to have your kid out there just to keep up or you'll be swept aside. When I was growing up, the change of the seasons meant the change of the sport, too. I don't know if it's good or bad. My kid seems to like it. I suppose when he tells me he doesn't want to play anymore, I'll definitely listen. Last year someone that I look up to hockey-wise told me this: "Kids don't burn out on hockey; parents burn out on hockey." I guess so far I can't argue with him. I played two sports in high school and I was average at best. All these years later I guess it doesn't really matter. It probably did when I was in school to play two sports. We'll find out in about ten years.

I have wondered this, and I'd love some input from people that know. Have the summer clinics suffered because of the year-round leagues? I know for a couple summers during the break I had my kid in Turcotte. The first year there must have been 40 kids in the clinic. The second year there were 18, I think. I was wondering if that was solely related to the nonstop league play or maybe the economy or both.

[Quasar]

Last year someone that I look up to hockey-wise told me this: "Kids don't burn out on hockey; parents burn out on hockey."

The way that's handled with my grandson is that whenever he feels like its too much, he tells his dad, and they agree to take a few days off. It works for them, but I'm not so sure the rest of the team thinks it's a good idea.

[old goalie85]

Who cares what other people think. Your grandson wants to take the night off, give him the night off.

[Maverick1999]

That is exactly my point. Do you really think it is ok to just take a night off, cause you are tired? Is that really fair to the rest of the team? Is it fair the the other teammates that are there at practice that night he decides to take off? Allowing kids to take a night off cause they are tired is a bad message to send. You are creating a message that it is ok to bail on your team.

[old goalie85]

Yes I do! The kid is on the ice year round. Do you really think the other kids have problems sleeping at night because little johnnie missed a couple practices. NO. They don't care if The coach brings in three, or four players for any given tourny. If my kids have baseball, soccer, football, whatever in the summer thats what they do. Summer hockey falls to 2nd. You probably won't understand this , but I took my FAMILY on a golf trip up north this summer and between my five kids we missed 12 practices. [ muck was right this is like chewing on yesterdays breakfast]

[Maverick1999]

If you cannot make the commitment then do not play. That is just wrong. Playing sports is also a life lesson, if I am tired and do not feel like going to work, is that ok to then?

[old goalie85]

Thats why they have child labor laws. I'm not trying to be a jerk!! just my opinion. I have five that skate and my oldest is a Jr. at f.L. I used to make him go to everything, and at this point with my younger ones 98, 00 01, 02 I tell the summer coaches who want my $$ that we will be at most,or 90% of practices but, we will miss. Take it or leave it.

[BadgerBob82]

old goalie85 has it right. The first kid (or only child) are always the main focus and the insanity is only realized when there comes a 2nd or more children. Maverick is stating the reason for burnout. Force that kid into a committment, and he will trudge through it one year, but the fun is being sucked out of it. Hockey will become a job to an 8 year old. That's what creates the "zombie face" AAA kids have in January.

[JSR]

Im with oldgoalie and badgerbob on this one. I am all for being 'committed" but sometimes it's unavoidable and sometimes KIDS need a break, they ren't adults nor should they be treated like them. THe unavoidable comes into play for instance in October our association hockey, in it's infinite wisdom, decided to start early this year and thus Tuesday and Thursday night Squirt practice is at the exact same time as Tuesday adn Thursday night Soccer practice for a two week overlap period. I told my son he is going to finish soccer because that is the in season sport and his squirt coach will have to deal with it, I am not the one infringing winter hockey on to fall sports. But guess what, I'm also taking the kids on a family vacation for a week in December, oh the horror, my son will miss three practices and two games the week we are gone, I am sure we'll look back on that vacation as the reason he never got a D1 scholarship..... LOL

[Quasar]

Im with oldgoalie and badgerbob on this one. I am all for being 'committed" but sometimes it's unavoidable and sometimes KIDS need a break, they ren't adults nor should they be treated like them. THe unavoidable comes into play for instance in October our association hockey, in it's infinite wisdom, decided to start early this year and thus Tuesday and Thursday night Squirt practice is at the exact same time as Tuesday adn Thursday night Soccer practice for a two week overlap period. I told my son he is going to finish soccer because that is the in season sport and his squirt coach will have to deal with it, I am not the one infringing winter hockey on to fall sports. But guess what, I'm also taking the kids on a family vacation for a week in December, oh the horror, my son will miss three practices and two games the week we are gone, I am sure we'll look back on that vacation as the reason he never got a D1 scholarship..... LOL

I'm in the give em a break camp too.. Perhaps when the managers of these teams set up their schedules they could leave a few more "recovery days" in the mix. I know it's difficult with the scheduling, getting the ice, setting up scrimmages,and tournaments, but inserting a few strategic rest days might be in every ones best interests.