are there other options other than your town hockey associan

[andre]

Just curious where kids play if their local association isn't right them. Are there independant leagues or what is out there for those kids? thanks

[SuperStar]

Not trying to be a smart guy here - But all you have to do is read this forum for a hour or so and you'll get EVERY option your looking for and then some...

[DMom]

with more arriving everyday

[observer]

The first option is to get involved with your community based youth hockey association. All hockey players have an opportunity, until they complete their bantam years, to play in their community with their neighborhood youth hockey association.

Remember, life is about serving others. Get involved with improving your community based hockey association. Volunteer to be on the board, assist with recruiting 5 year olds, be on the tournament committee, the coaching committee, the hockey development committee. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem. If you're not happy with what you're getting out then you need to put more in. It's your responsibility to be involved.

The second option might be if your community youth hockey association doesn't have an appropriate level of play for you. Minnesota youth hockey associations have a responsibility to allow kids to play on appropriate level teams. If they aren't offering them (no A or no C) then they should be willing to waive you to a/the neighboring youth hockey association in the same District for a tryout and opportunity to play with a neighboring association team. That, frankly, is the only waiver that should be allowed. Girls often don't have appropriate level teams as there just aren't as many of them so this is something they do.

Third option, move.

[nickel slots]

For the college freshman Class of '09 (per Heisenberg's), there are in the neighborhood of 30 kids from Minnesota that have verbally committed (I say "in the neighborhood" because some say '08 or '09 and some say '09 or '10). We'll throw out the Shattuck kids since they didn't just go play Tier I somewhere, they actually uprooted and went to a different school altogether. Of the remainder, 2 went to private schools (Birkholz & Mattson went to Blake & AHA, respectively), and only ONE (thus far) has left high school early to play juniors (Helgeson). ALL of them played youth hockey through their local associations (to the best of my knowledge.. if I'm wrong, I'm sure I'll get corrected real soon).

Even the two that went to private schools played youth hockey within their associations. The other that is rumored to leave early to play juniors is Lee from Roseau.

If I were a lawyer on behalf of local youth associations and Minnesota Hockey, I would rest my case. Stay home, play with your friends in the winter, play other sports and do hockey specific training in the off-season, and your odds are as good as anybody's if you're good enough.

[egf hockey1]

Fargo Forum did report that Lee was skipping his senior year to play for Dean Blaise. I heard that if it wasn't Blaise coaching the team he would have stayed and played football and hockey for Roseau his senior year.

I won't comment on if he made the right decision or not, because that is for each individual to decide, but the people I know that left early to play juniors have all regreted it.

[Tenoverpar]

Nickel Slots, possibly post of the year thus far. Great post.

[Blue&Gold]

Fargo Forum did report that Lee was skipping his senior year to play for Dean Blaise. I heard that if it wasn't Blaise coaching the team he would have stayed and played football and hockey for Roseau his senior year.

I won't comment on if he made the right decision or not, because that is for each individual to decide, but the people I know that left early to play juniors have all regreted it.

Well, I happen to know a couple who left their senior year and feel that they made the right decision. Multiple sport athletes and everything.. So you just never can make blanket statements either way, it's an individual decision.