Advice on PW vs Bantams

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gopherpuck516
Posts: 245
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2011 11:59 am

Advice on PW vs Bantams

Post by gopherpuck516 » Tue Jul 11, 2017 9:24 am

My son just turned 13 in July and is heading into 8th grade as a second year peewee. His coach this past season told me several times "he needs to play Bantams next year so he will have 3 years of HS hockey."

My response to this has been we'll worry about HS hockey when he gets there and I'm only concerned with what's best for his development right now. Each kid is different, but my son isn't a star where he needs to move up to be challenged. He's been improving a lot the last few years and my opinion is a move up to Bantams will stunt that improvement if he's not ready.

Am I missing anything? Is there a reason he should move up this year other than "3 years of HS hockey?" Thanks in advance for any further insight.

MWS coach
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Re: Advice on PW vs Bantams

Post by MWS coach » Tue Jul 11, 2017 11:11 am

gopherpuck516 wrote:My son just turned 13 in July and is heading into 8th grade as a second year peewee. His coach this past season told me several times "he needs to play Bantams next year so he will have 3 years of HS hockey."

My response to this has been we'll worry about HS hockey when he gets there and I'm only concerned with what's best for his development right now. Each kid is different, but my son isn't a star where he needs to move up to be challenged. He's been improving a lot the last few years and my opinion is a move up to Bantams will stunt that improvement if he's not ready.

Am I missing anything? Is there a reason he should move up this year other than "3 years of HS hockey?" Thanks in advance for any further insight.
First there is not a right or wrong answer and you know your son the best. The thought process by the HS Coach is that being a Junior for your first year of HS is a tough position to be in to start HS hockey. The first year in the HS system is an adjustment for every player. Having an additional year to make that adjustment puts the player in a better position to contribute as a junior or senior.

Jeffy95
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Re: Advice on PW vs Bantams

Post by Jeffy95 » Wed Jul 12, 2017 8:50 pm

gopherpuck516 wrote:My son just turned 13 in July and is heading into 8th grade as a second year peewee. His coach this past season told me several times "he needs to play Bantams next year so he will have 3 years of HS hockey."

My response to this has been we'll worry about HS hockey when he gets there and I'm only concerned with what's best for his development right now. Each kid is different, but my son isn't a star where he needs to move up to be challenged. He's been improving a lot the last few years and my opinion is a move up to Bantams will stunt that improvement if he's not ready.

Am I missing anything? Is there a reason he should move up this year other than "3 years of HS hockey?" Thanks in advance for any further insight.
If he's ready, He can still play three years of High School regardless of what he does this year. I think your "worry about High School when he gets there" is spot on. You have no idea what kind of player he will be until he goes through puberty. Put him where he will have the most fun until then. If he's not having fun, then the rest doesn't matter.

moosepaw
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Post by moosepaw » Wed Jul 19, 2017 8:09 pm

I would take a long hard look at where he fits in, typically if he will be a junior after he is done with bantams u can smell the gas chamber like you can smell a charcoal grill on a weekend. I think at this point it is probably to late to hold him back and have him do a grade over. Get to know the guy at play it again sports real well hopefully he will give you top dollar for the gear. The money you saved on day care sending him early will pay dividens when he is a junior and senior. I agree with the other guys if he can't play with the guys right now hot good. Basically he has to compete with kids that are in the freshman and sophomore class, if he not in the top 9 Fwds and too 4-5 def along with any good player that he is currently will give you an idea of where he will end up.


Not a good situation you put your son in but there is more to life then hockey, beer, girls and a job at McDonald's.

All the best.

gopherpuck516
Posts: 245
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2011 11:59 am

Post by gopherpuck516 » Wed Jul 19, 2017 9:15 pm

"I think at this point it is probably to late to hold him back and have him do a grade over." Man I really hope that was sarcasm. Although he's one of the youngest kids in his class he's in many advanced classes. He's exactly where he should be in school. No regrets there. Just want to make sure I'm covering all angles, so I appreciate the responses, even the sarcastic ones. My decision for next year will come down to which level he'd develop better and my thinking is playing PWAA would help development better than likely the second tier Bantam team. Continual development could then lead to Bantam AA in 9th grade and potential option to play a second year of Bantams or HS hockey as a 10th grader, similar to what Jeffy95 described.

blueline_6
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Re: Advice on PW vs Bantams

Post by blueline_6 » Thu Jul 20, 2017 10:08 am

gopherpuck516 wrote:His coach this past season told me several times "he needs to play Bantams next year so he will have 3 years of HS hockey."
He can play one year of bantams as a 9th grader and still play 3 years of HS hockey, lots of kids with July/August b-days do it. And lots of kids with July/Aug b-days move up to get two years of Bantams. Depends on the kid, the local hockey situation, number of kids in the high school program, etc. Nobody here knows your situation as well as you do, go with your gut.

The Exiled One
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Post by The Exiled One » Mon Jul 24, 2017 1:46 pm

Better to be a puck carrier than a puck chaser.

yesiplayedhockey
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Post by yesiplayedhockey » Mon Jul 24, 2017 2:23 pm

My advice...Have fun at pee wees for one more year....Benches get short at the Bantam level.

Then have him play one year of Bantam as a 9th grader (versus playing JV). Come 10th grade he will be a lot more prepared for the HS game.

nahc
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Post by nahc » Mon Jul 31, 2017 12:01 pm

I'd have your son be exposed to a checking league during the summer. Checking beginning at Bantams is a HUGE deal............

Crusty
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Re: Advice on PW vs Bantams

Post by Crusty » Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:55 am

Jeffy95 wrote:
gopherpuck516 wrote:My son just turned 13 in July and is heading into 8th grade as a second year peewee. His coach this past season told me several times "he needs to play Bantams next year so he will have 3 years of HS hockey."

My response to this has been we'll worry about HS hockey when he gets there and I'm only concerned with what's best for his development right now. Each kid is different, but my son isn't a star where he needs to move up to be challenged. He's been improving a lot the last few years and my opinion is a move up to Bantams will stunt that improvement if he's not ready.

Am I missing anything? Is there a reason he should move up this year other than "3 years of HS hockey?" Thanks in advance for any further insight.
If he's ready, He can still play three years of High School regardless of what he does this year. I think your "worry about High School when he gets there" is spot on. You have no idea what kind of player he will be until he goes through puberty. Put him where he will have the most fun until then. If he's not having fun, then the rest doesn't matter.
Jeff95 is spot on with his response. If he's that good he can be the man on the PWAA team which would be FUN, if he makes the HS team, probably playing JV or a few shifts on the 3rd line of varsity, NO FUN. Probably play more games at the PWAA level also then HS

gopherpuck516
Posts: 245
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2011 11:59 am

Post by gopherpuck516 » Sat Sep 02, 2017 10:37 am

This is a very good article that sums up much of what others have posted in this thread. I love O'Leary's statement that every season should be a battle, and whether you're on PWB2 or Bantam AA, as long as you're playing at the right level for you and working your butt off you can and will improve.

http://www.minnesotahockey.org/news_art ... =hootsuite

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