AAA Hockey What to ask?
Moderators: Mitch Hawker, east hockey, karl(east)
AAA Hockey What to ask?
See my last post for update.
Last edited by mnhcp on Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:45 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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OnFrozenPond
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Educator29
- Posts: 53
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square corners
- Posts: 10
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mnhcp,
This is a great idea. Some folks have been burned badly by certain AAA programs (not all), and I think we should all share info so that we make informed choices. There are some very good AAA programs out there, but there are some bad apples, too. Perhaps if we share our collective knowledge as consumers, the bad apples will either clean up their respective act or go out of business. Here are a few additional questions to consider:
1. Do you allow kids to participate in practices, scrimmages and tournaments for free in an effort to entice them to sign up for your program?
2. If you do allow kids to sample your program for free, do you allow those kids to have more shifts and ice time than kids who are paying for your program?
3. Do you bring in kids for tournaments (who are playing for free) and place those kids on the first or second lines while other kids who are fully paying for your program are relegated to the second or third lines?
4. Do you select kids as tournament players, collect money from their parents based on the tournament player rate and then allow your coaches to decide that they are only going to skate 13 skaters in a tournament, not 15, but the remaining two skaters should dress and sit on the bench for the entire tournament?
5. Do you provide socks to go with the team's jerseys? Admittedly, this is a small thing, but when you're paying almost $2,000 for the privilege of playing AAA hockey, you should at least get socks to go with the jerseys.
6. How many parent coaches are on each team?
7. What was the win/loss record of your team last year?
8. Do you play in open or invite tournaments?
9. How do your coaches communicate with your parents?
10. Do you provide end-of-year evaluations to your parents asking for their input on your coaches and the value of your program?
11. Does the head coach serve as a head coach during the winter hockey season? If so, at what level? What was the head coach's win/loss record in winter association hockey?
12. Does the head coach sit down with each player at various times and verbally tell the player what he or she needs to improve upon to move to the next line or a different position?
This is a great idea. Some folks have been burned badly by certain AAA programs (not all), and I think we should all share info so that we make informed choices. There are some very good AAA programs out there, but there are some bad apples, too. Perhaps if we share our collective knowledge as consumers, the bad apples will either clean up their respective act or go out of business. Here are a few additional questions to consider:
1. Do you allow kids to participate in practices, scrimmages and tournaments for free in an effort to entice them to sign up for your program?
2. If you do allow kids to sample your program for free, do you allow those kids to have more shifts and ice time than kids who are paying for your program?
3. Do you bring in kids for tournaments (who are playing for free) and place those kids on the first or second lines while other kids who are fully paying for your program are relegated to the second or third lines?
4. Do you select kids as tournament players, collect money from their parents based on the tournament player rate and then allow your coaches to decide that they are only going to skate 13 skaters in a tournament, not 15, but the remaining two skaters should dress and sit on the bench for the entire tournament?
5. Do you provide socks to go with the team's jerseys? Admittedly, this is a small thing, but when you're paying almost $2,000 for the privilege of playing AAA hockey, you should at least get socks to go with the jerseys.
6. How many parent coaches are on each team?
7. What was the win/loss record of your team last year?
8. Do you play in open or invite tournaments?
9. How do your coaches communicate with your parents?
10. Do you provide end-of-year evaluations to your parents asking for their input on your coaches and the value of your program?
11. Does the head coach serve as a head coach during the winter hockey season? If so, at what level? What was the head coach's win/loss record in winter association hockey?
12. Does the head coach sit down with each player at various times and verbally tell the player what he or she needs to improve upon to move to the next line or a different position?
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fastncrash
- Posts: 345
- Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2009 9:42 pm
AAA Questions...
It was pretty simple for me...
1) ALL, of the Coach's at all Levels are either current (Active) Jr., NAHL, USHL, or Collegiate Coach's, or have playing experience at those levels. The Assistant Coach's all have a specialty which they can actually add something to the skaters growth, and development.
2) The ENTIRE regularly planned AAA Season cost, $695.
3) They only invite "Pre-scouted" kids who all have a legitimate chance to make the team. Only about 20 are asked to tryout, 15 make the team, and 5 are alternates who can make the team by getting better during practice weekends, or someone else being asked to leave the team. NO Open Tryouts.
4) Practice WEEKENDS. One weekend before the Tournament, we practice 3-4 sessions in two days (Sat, Sun) and you play the Tournament the following weekend. NO, 2-3 times a week all Summer long, so your kid has plenty of time to BE A KID.
Plenty of other benefits to this program. I'm glad my Son was given the chance to play, and I'm certianly glad I had the wisdom to look into it before I fell for the Thousands of Dollars, "Hockey Factory" route.
1) ALL, of the Coach's at all Levels are either current (Active) Jr., NAHL, USHL, or Collegiate Coach's, or have playing experience at those levels. The Assistant Coach's all have a specialty which they can actually add something to the skaters growth, and development.
2) The ENTIRE regularly planned AAA Season cost, $695.
3) They only invite "Pre-scouted" kids who all have a legitimate chance to make the team. Only about 20 are asked to tryout, 15 make the team, and 5 are alternates who can make the team by getting better during practice weekends, or someone else being asked to leave the team. NO Open Tryouts.
4) Practice WEEKENDS. One weekend before the Tournament, we practice 3-4 sessions in two days (Sat, Sun) and you play the Tournament the following weekend. NO, 2-3 times a week all Summer long, so your kid has plenty of time to BE A KID.
Plenty of other benefits to this program. I'm glad my Son was given the chance to play, and I'm certianly glad I had the wisdom to look into it before I fell for the Thousands of Dollars, "Hockey Factory" route.
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hockey_is_a_choice
- Posts: 239
- Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2008 10:48 am
AAA HOCKEY: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
PROGRAM/TEAM PHILOSOPHY, LOGISTICS AND COST
1. What is your program/team philosophy?
2. What assurances do I have that you will keep your promises to me and my child?
3. Does you program carry insurance?
4. Does your program have a policy manual? If so, can I review the manual before I commit to the program?
5. How do you decide whether to keep or release a coach?
6. Have you ever folded a team midway through the summer? If so, why?
7. How many years has the program/team been in existence?
8. Are you an open or invite team?
9. What was the team’s win/loss record last year?
10. How many kids will be on the team? Do you have practice players?
11. How many goalies are on the team?
12. Do you shorten the bench for tournaments or do you roll the lines?
13. How will you determine lines and the position my child plays?
14. Do you select kids as tournament players, collect money from their parents based on the tournament player rate and then allow your coaches to decide not to play those players or play them for a few shifts in a game?
15. Do you allow kids to play on more than one AAA team? If not, why not?
16. If you are a girls’ program, what are the birth years of the girls on the team?
17. What has been the attrition rate of players and coaches in every year that you have been in existence as a team?
18. If there has been a lot of turnover, please explain the reason therefor.
19. How many practice hours of ice?
20. Is the number of ice hours a reduction or increase from last year? If so, why?
21. Which arena or arenas do you purchase ice from?
22. Do you have a dryland program? If so, please describe the program?
23. Do you give the players homework?
24. Do you have special skills’ sessions for players and/or goalies? If so, please describe.
25. How many scrimmages and/or games?
26. How many tournaments (in or out of town)?
27. Has the number of tournaments increased or decreased from last year? If so, why?
28. When will the tournaments occur?
29. Will the team take most or all of the summer off for other sports?
30. Will practices, games and tournaments be scheduled in advance of committing to your program?
31. Will practices be scheduled to occur on weekends or set nights during the week?
32. What are the consequences for missing a practice or practices?
33. What are the consequences for being late for a practice?
34. How much does your program cost? Will there be extra expenses? Is this year’s price an increase or decrease from last year? Is there a payment plan?
OUTSIDE PLAYERS
1. Do you allow kids to participate in practices, scrimmages or tournaments for free in an effort to entice them to sign up for your program?
2. If you do allow kids to sample your program for free, do you allow those kids to have more shifts and ice time than kids who are paying for your program?
3. Do you bring in “ringers” to help you win? If so, do the ringers pay to play in the tournament(s)?
APPAREL AND EQUIPMENT INCLUDED IN ORIGINAL FEE
1. Do you provide jerseys for the kids to keep?
2. If so, do you provide home, away and practice jerseys for the kids to keep?
3. Do you provide socks to go with the team's jerseys?
4. Do you include any other apparel or equipment in the original fee?
COACHES
1. Who are the coaches? Do you have bios available?
2. Parent or nonparent coaches?
3. How many parent coaches are on each team?
4. Have you run criminal background checks on your coaches?
5. Have any of the coaches been relieved of their coaching duties by another program?
6. How do your coaches communicate with parents?
7. Do you provide end-of-year evaluations to parents asking for their input on coaches and the value of your program?
8. Does the head coach serve as a head coach during the winter hockey season? If so, at what level? What was the head coach's win/loss record in winter association hockey? Do you have evaluation forms available for the coaches from their respective hockey associations?
9. Does the head coach sit down with each player and verbally tell the player what he or she needs to improve upon to move to the next line or a different position?
10. Will you be developing the CORE players equally or differently than the others?
CURRENT AND FORMER FAMILIES
1. Are you willing to provide me with the names and telephone numbers of current and former families so that I can contact them to discuss your team and coaches? If not, why not?
2. If so, consider asking current and former families what they liked or dislikes about the program, team and coaches?
3. If you are a former family, why did you leave the program/team?
4. Would you recommend the program, team or coaches to other families?
PROGRAM/TEAM PHILOSOPHY, LOGISTICS AND COST
1. What is your program/team philosophy?
2. What assurances do I have that you will keep your promises to me and my child?
3. Does you program carry insurance?
4. Does your program have a policy manual? If so, can I review the manual before I commit to the program?
5. How do you decide whether to keep or release a coach?
6. Have you ever folded a team midway through the summer? If so, why?
7. How many years has the program/team been in existence?
8. Are you an open or invite team?
9. What was the team’s win/loss record last year?
10. How many kids will be on the team? Do you have practice players?
11. How many goalies are on the team?
12. Do you shorten the bench for tournaments or do you roll the lines?
13. How will you determine lines and the position my child plays?
14. Do you select kids as tournament players, collect money from their parents based on the tournament player rate and then allow your coaches to decide not to play those players or play them for a few shifts in a game?
15. Do you allow kids to play on more than one AAA team? If not, why not?
16. If you are a girls’ program, what are the birth years of the girls on the team?
17. What has been the attrition rate of players and coaches in every year that you have been in existence as a team?
18. If there has been a lot of turnover, please explain the reason therefor.
19. How many practice hours of ice?
20. Is the number of ice hours a reduction or increase from last year? If so, why?
21. Which arena or arenas do you purchase ice from?
22. Do you have a dryland program? If so, please describe the program?
23. Do you give the players homework?
24. Do you have special skills’ sessions for players and/or goalies? If so, please describe.
25. How many scrimmages and/or games?
26. How many tournaments (in or out of town)?
27. Has the number of tournaments increased or decreased from last year? If so, why?
28. When will the tournaments occur?
29. Will the team take most or all of the summer off for other sports?
30. Will practices, games and tournaments be scheduled in advance of committing to your program?
31. Will practices be scheduled to occur on weekends or set nights during the week?
32. What are the consequences for missing a practice or practices?
33. What are the consequences for being late for a practice?
34. How much does your program cost? Will there be extra expenses? Is this year’s price an increase or decrease from last year? Is there a payment plan?
OUTSIDE PLAYERS
1. Do you allow kids to participate in practices, scrimmages or tournaments for free in an effort to entice them to sign up for your program?
2. If you do allow kids to sample your program for free, do you allow those kids to have more shifts and ice time than kids who are paying for your program?
3. Do you bring in “ringers” to help you win? If so, do the ringers pay to play in the tournament(s)?
APPAREL AND EQUIPMENT INCLUDED IN ORIGINAL FEE
1. Do you provide jerseys for the kids to keep?
2. If so, do you provide home, away and practice jerseys for the kids to keep?
3. Do you provide socks to go with the team's jerseys?
4. Do you include any other apparel or equipment in the original fee?
COACHES
1. Who are the coaches? Do you have bios available?
2. Parent or nonparent coaches?
3. How many parent coaches are on each team?
4. Have you run criminal background checks on your coaches?
5. Have any of the coaches been relieved of their coaching duties by another program?
6. How do your coaches communicate with parents?
7. Do you provide end-of-year evaluations to parents asking for their input on coaches and the value of your program?
8. Does the head coach serve as a head coach during the winter hockey season? If so, at what level? What was the head coach's win/loss record in winter association hockey? Do you have evaluation forms available for the coaches from their respective hockey associations?
9. Does the head coach sit down with each player and verbally tell the player what he or she needs to improve upon to move to the next line or a different position?
10. Will you be developing the CORE players equally or differently than the others?
CURRENT AND FORMER FAMILIES
1. Are you willing to provide me with the names and telephone numbers of current and former families so that I can contact them to discuss your team and coaches? If not, why not?
2. If so, consider asking current and former families what they liked or dislikes about the program, team and coaches?
3. If you are a former family, why did you leave the program/team?
4. Would you recommend the program, team or coaches to other families?
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Toomuchtoosoon
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bananastick
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PoniesDad45
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trippedovertheblueline
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Mustache Fan
My son trained at competitive edge prior to joining the monopoly this past year. I was very happy with their facility training to where I thought it was well worth the money. So to me joining the monopoly was great because you get the training at a better rate than you can get usually plus a bunch of icetime. To me it is a great deal. On the other hand it is more expensive than some, but if you are like me and would do training with them anyway adding icetime and a bunch of tournaments for a bit more is a great option.trippedovertheblueline wrote:anyone have experience w/ monopoly? Heard it is overpriced and not well run from the top? Anyone have experience with this program? thanksPoniesDad45 wrote:Now we have it!bananastick wrote:Isn't the most important question, "who do I make out the check to?".
That is my experience, granted it is only one year worth.