HS sports are different than club. Playing a big rivalry game with kids you've known since Kindergarten against kids you've faced since 4th grade with big stakes is different. When a HS has a reunion every decade the football guys reminisce about football and the basketball guys reminisce about basketball. What do the Little Caesar's players do...call out for Sausage with extra cheese and get on a conference call?jancze5 wrote:O-town... I think you missed my point. I agree with 98% of what you say...it's just the 2% part of downplaying the AAA experience vs the Minnesota Hockey experience. You seem to think that kids who play AAA hockey don't have the same memories of hockey that you had as a kid growing up in Edina and playing in the state tournament and on into college. My side is that they do.
Worth mentioning is that youth hockey experiences are different for everyone and so are those at AAA. Certainly the kids from LA that won the Pee Wee title see things differently than the kids they beat in California and certainly the kid that got cut might have an even different tale to tell. My youth hockey path was mine and someone else may have different memories.
I'm sure lots of kids don't look back at youth or HS hockey with fondness.
My apologies if I've implied I don't think kids do have positive AAA experiences. That certainly isn't the intent. I have offered balance. One reason to offer Tier I in Minnesota is "so kids can go to Nationals". I just want to be sure people know what that means.
When your kid buries the gamewinner in OT to take Woodbury to the HS tournament you'll know that a friend's son that does the same to advance his U18 AAA Midget team to nationals can't possibly relate. Those following hockey around your age group in that town will remember that goal forever.
