Phase out of JV teams?

[MNHockeyFan]

I feel it would be a very bad idea to eliminate JV and the opportunity it provides for many who might want to play for their HS even if it isn't varsity.

I agree too.

One other point in all of this is that JV provides additional flexibility for individual players who want to continue playing, either for their school or their youth program. It also serves communities well - some have plenty of players to field U14A/B teams plus maybe a 16/19 team AND JV, while others have fewer players and therefore fewer teams. The point is that each community and their school(s) figures this out and decides how many teams they can have and at what level. I think the goal should be to keep as many girls playing as possible, as it's the best way to grow the sport.

I do think that in all cases younger girls (7th-8th graders who are U14 eligible) should be allowed to go back to their U14 team if they do not make varsity and are not interested in playing JV. Some communities do not allow this, I suppose mainly for their own selfish reasons. Then there are those players (as brookyone mentioned) who mainly just want to keep playing, and prefer being a part of their school team and with their friends in a not-so-competitive environment.

I would hate to see the closing out of the JV option, and in fact I would like to see JV teams get more recognition, including the possibility of having their own playoffs and state tournament, which would give all involved extra motivation and something to look forward to.

[hockeya1a]

The other side of the story would be where would the line be drawn?
If it is hockey now would Basketball, Volleyball or Softball be next,
I do not think that this would be in the best interest of the girls to eliminate
any JV program.

[ice29]

This may be a stupid question, or at least appear to be as much to some, but what about a girl(s) who isn't highly skilled, may never develop to anything other than average skill at best, doesn't care, doesn't want or plan to play beyond her high school years (except perhaps for recreation) but wants to have some fun, stay fit, participate in athletics / activities outside of academics, meet new people, make friends...have some fun etcetera etcetera? Isn't a high school JV team the best.

This is the only honest, truthful, and unbiased thread on the whole site. I applaud everyone for offering answers with only Girls Hockey in mind! This has been enlightning and refreshing to read, I hope that others who read this thread would respond in other threads with the same respect that everyone has given here.

I have one last thought - Minnesota as a state is recognized as a Hockey Power and this recognition is based on the State High School Hockey Tourney. Some states use their amatuer associations as the spotlight for the best players in that state. I personally would like to see the best Players in an area play for their High School Varsity and JV teams first and use the amatuer levels of play (12U,14u or 19U) for the players who need improvement. I think that JV teams should be the best 14 to 18 yr. olds that an area can put on the ice. I would hope that Minnesota Hockey or USA Hockey would not try to displace players from the HS programs to benefit the future of their Associations. I realize that best players are playing HS Varsity, but let's keep JV hockey at the some level of play.

[Cowboy1]

If you want to improve your odds of beating Crox just set up a JV game before the Varsity game and that will imporve your chances. Crox plays all the JV games with half of their Varsity players just to field a JV team. All Crox Freshmen on the Varsity play 1 period of JV. These are not bench sitters either but starters. Some play the 3rd period of JV and then get a small break and are right at it for 3 periods of intense Varsity action. If they were older that might be OK, but we are talking about Freshmen who really aren't developed enough physically to have the stamina for 4 periods of High School hockey. A player learns in practice not during games, so Crox playing their Varsity players for JV games does nothing but tire them out for the Varsity games just for the sake of fielding a JV team, to me that makes no sense and only hurts the Varsity team. To have Varsity players playing JV with players who are playing hockey for the first year isn't helping anyone but the other teams. Crox plays some of their best games when there is no JV game.

[hockeya1a]

There are a lot of schools that have players play on both Varsity and JV
Just to name a few Holy A, Chaska, Farmington, Shakopee, NP, MWT, Austin and I could go on and on
When you have programs that are not huge like the EP and Edinas.

it is hard to not to have floater players when the numbers do not dictate two full teams,
you are only allowed to play 4 periods and sometimes the floater girls only get a few shifts per period in the Varsity game. and they do also learn from games

[chickendance]

U14 experience is different than JV experience. When I have watched teams with 8th graders not having played any U14 on a varsity and JV team, they are not even close to where they need to be. Understand there are always those few exceptions. It takes special coaches that can truly help a kid develop as a player and person under those circumstances.

We have the JV and V programs eliminating U14 teams locally, just so they have enough kids to field a team. Meanwhile these kids are making a leap (U12 being their last experience to a highschool level) that they are mostly not ready for (physically, emotionally, and skill). Practice, locker room, and all that goes with it on JV teams that have girls ranging from 13 to 18 years old. Then add coaches in many programs that are really the varsity assistant and oh by the way your also the JV head coach.

Then add in the JV teams that have the floaters playing both JV and Varsity.

Even one year of U14 shows on the kids.

[State Champ 97]

Bemidji plays some varsity players on JV too because of numbers. Most of the girls use it to work on some aspect of their game at a slower pace or as a bit of an extra warmup. Bemidji does not take from their 14U team to field the JV. If a freshman is 14U eligible and does not make the varsity squad they are encouraged to play with the 14U team.

[chickendance]

That was true at the schools that now do steal from their U14 to field the JV. Remember that's a numbers game. Bemidji has numbers for the moment.

I doubt any of the girls in Bemidji are making the choice to play both to work on aspects of their game at a slower pace or as a warm up. That's a coaches decision primarily.

[bigred]

Phasing out JV makes no sence at all. Not everyone has the $$$ to keep playing youth hockey. Some kids just play for fun, some kids play on both JV/V for extra play/ice time. JV kids get practices after school, and bussed everywhere. Not every 10-12th grader is good enough, or numbers support them playing V, and they are too old for U14. U19 teams are spread out too far and very tough for most kids to get to practice games.
JV is important for every sport, at every school.

[gohome]

one thing we need to try to remember, girls hockey is young. I look at the numbers we have now in 6u, 8u, 10u, and even 12u, it is almost 2 time as big as it was 2-4 years ago. we just have to ride out the course the best we can so these kids have a good chance to play when they get older and that is not too far off. I know some schools are lacking now, but in a few years i believe more school will have to field a JV team. Just because of the numbers. an other think is high school sports are grades 10, 11, and 12. 3 years of kids, 6u 8u 10u 12u and 14u are 2 years or grades.