So what do you think youth hockey should go by for age? POLL

U.S.A.hockey · Post by **U.S.A.hockey** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 9:39 pm

LETS VOTE

codemanh · Post by **codemanh** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 9:25 pm

Preferably birth year. Easy to figure out and would be easier for an association to run a summer AAA program to keep kids playing together. Grade would just be dumb because you get kids held back, skipping grades etc.

old goalie85 · Post by **old goalie85** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 8:04 am

In forest Lake we use grade for football, and it works just fine. Why not hockey?

JSR · Post by **JSR** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 9:58 am

We use grade for football where we live as well and I hear quite a bit of griping about it from parents. It's usually from parents who did not hold their kdis back grumbling about the "huge" kid who was held back playing against their younger kids. In soccer we use birth year and I never hear anyone grumbling, in hockey we use birth year and also no grumbling. Just my two cents of what it's liek where we live, nothing mroe nothing less.

Benito Juarez · Post by **Benito Juarez** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 10:07 am

September 1st.

BadgerBob82 · Post by **BadgerBob82** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 10:40 am

We use grade for football and baseball. My son played against a boy two grades behind due to severe learning disability. Was very interesting watching the boy drive to the field as an 8th grader. Physically ready to play HS football. Yet competing against 13 year olds. Yep, MN Hockey should consider using grade in school!

U.S.A.hockey · Post by **U.S.A.hockey** » Wed Sep 08, 2010 6:01 pm

With AAA hockey going by birth year I though this would have a commanding lead. More like going with grade than I would have suspected.
No surprise July 1st cut off is last.
To close to call though.

BadgerBob82 · Post by **BadgerBob82** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 8:34 am

Interesting how June 1st isn't included in the poll?

BadgerBob82 · Post by **BadgerBob82** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 8:37 am

Would also be interested to know what method of verification could be provided for grade of school? Birth Certificates seem like a handy way to verify players are in the proper level. (Except for Chinese gymnastics)

old goalie85 · Post by **old goalie85** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 9:15 am

How many people really hold kids back for sports? Give me a break!! If they do there's nothing you can do about it , and the kids have to play those kids at the varsity level anyway. I can't wait to get my five out of the house and on the bus. Who would keep the kids around any longer than you had to?

JSR · Post by **JSR** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 9:27 am

old goalie85 wrote:How many people really hold kids back for sports? Give me a break!! If they do there's nothing you can do about it , and the kids have to play those kids at the varsity level anyway. I can't wait to get my five out of the house and on the bus. Who would keep the kids around any longer than you had to?

PRactically no one admits it but my father in law is a superintendent of schools and he'll tell you that actions speak louder than words and MOST of the kids he sees beign held back are not being held back for academic reasons. His words, not mine.

Pioneerprideguy · Post by **Pioneerprideguy** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 9:30 am

JSR wrote:
old goalie85 wrote:How many people really hold kids back for sports? Give me a break!! If they do there's nothing you can do about it , and the kids have to play those kids at the varsity level anyway. I can't wait to get my five out of the house and on the bus. Who would keep the kids around any longer than you had to?
PRactically no one admits it but my father in law is a superintendent of schools and he'll tell you that actions speak louder than words and MOST of the kids he sees beign held back are not being held back for academic reasons. His words, not mine.

How many did he indicate were for sports? How many for emotional reasons? How many for behavioral reasons?

BadgerBob82 · Post by **BadgerBob82** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 9:47 am

PPG: Didn't you go to your kid's Pre-K screening session? I did. The first topic we discussed before they even evaluated our August B-day kid was our thoughts/concerns on entering on time vs. holding back. Now we are only talking 7 years ago, not 27 years ago. His reading, math, spacial, launguage, social, emotional, hearing, sight EVERYTHING was above average and the "school" evaluation stated he was eligible to start school. Then the discussion came back to holding him out. Sports was never brought up. Being the youngest in his grade was, being the shortest kid was, being the last kid to get a driver license was, being young entering college was, falling behind in learning in secondary school was. In the back of my mind was sports, because I knew plenty of people that had done it with my older kids age group. So the school left it to us, and advised to make our decision and not look back. We put him in school and all has been OK. Except, he is now falling behind in MCA scores for Math and Reading. Is barely on the average line, while he was pretty high in the 1-5 grades.

To the minority of the people that held their kids out of school. If hockey was your deciding factor, you knew of the July 1st cutoff, so don't try to change it now for your benefit. The 98% that didn't hold back don't really care about your little corner of the world.

Pioneerprideguy · Post by **Pioneerprideguy** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 10:07 am

Badger,

You are a tool. I'll let you speak for your child as long as you allow me to speak for mine. Never once did I question your decison when to start your child's education and now you take a shot as to the process we used in deciding ours? Classy.

BadgerBob82 · Post by **BadgerBob82** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 10:57 am

PPG: I don't think you have given the basis for your reasoning? Nor have I insulted you for your reason, since I don't know what your reason was.

I am sorry you are so sensitive that when less than 2% of a population group want to change a rule for their benefit, the 98% should have a voice in the matter.

Pioneerprideguy · Post by **Pioneerprideguy** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 12:27 pm

Bob, go back and take a look....I've posted my situation more than once. My interest in this issue is genuine & I realize I may be in the minority of the people as to why I am looking for a change. I initiated this topic and the information discussed has been informative, entertaining, and passionate....and sometimes ridiculous. It's all good.

timcorbin21 · Post by **timcorbin21** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 3:01 pm

birth year seems to make the most sense. it matches the kids up in strength, size, coordination and common sense. I think this is more important with hockey because not only is hockey a contact sport its also fast and played on an unforgiving surface.

(at least as well as you can). It also works with the other states and AAA. I see more hockey played at AAA or out of state games than other sports.

lastly birth year doesn't discriminate if your born in 2001 it doesn't matter if you got held back or jumped ahead. and it doesn't matter when the school cutoff is.

ALSANITI · Post by **ALSANITI** » Fri Sep 10, 2010 9:08 am

As someone not from the great State of Hockey, it seems like more of a status thing for MN Hockey. Like you are telling the rest of the hockey world, "forget you, we will run things our way and we don't care what the rest of the country says!!" The rest of the country must just be plumb crazy for using birthyears.

In all seriousness, birthyear is really the only thing that makes sense. It takes all the variables out of play. Yes, would there be some kids affected for a year or two during the transition, but after that, everyone would be on the same playing field. I hear the argument of High School hockey being affected. How do the other states make it work (ie. Michigan, Mass. etc.). Somewhere along the line, someone has to bite the bullet, make the change, and deal with the headache that will last for a year or two.

Just a humble out of stater opinion.

zigima · Post by **zigima** » Fri Sep 10, 2010 12:38 pm

July 1st!

I have an August birthday son that was held back and don’t want it changed.

In our association we have a gray zone that allows kids born in July and August the choice of playing up or down. All his life he has played with his group of friends that are older. A move to birth year, grade, or even June 1st would force him to play down.

Pioneerprideguy · Post by **Pioneerprideguy** » Fri Sep 10, 2010 1:13 pm

zigima wrote:July 1st!

I have an August birthday son that was held back and don’t want it changed.

In our association we have a gray zone that allows kids born in July and August the choice of playing up or down. All his life he has played with his group of friends that are older. A move to birth year, grade, or even June 1st would force him to play down.

I realize you are new here and want to inform you, nobody will be forced to play down. Your son will be allowed to continue playing with his friends. A move to June 1 would just allow more kids the same experience.

zigima · Post by **zigima** » Fri Sep 10, 2010 2:26 pm

You would be right, if our association extended the gray zone period. Which would make sense in order to bridge the gap between a June 1 hockey cutoff and Sept 1 school grade cutoff.

But not, if they only shifted the 2 month gray zone to June and July then he would be forced to play down.

Why don’t more associations implement a gray zone?

jBlaze3000 · Post by **jBlaze3000** » Fri Sep 10, 2010 4:13 pm

timcorbin21 wrote:birth year seems to make the most sense. it matches the kids up in strength, size, coordination and common sense. I think this is more important with hockey because not only is hockey a contact sport its also fast and played on an unforgiving surface.

(at least as well as you can). It also works with the other states and AAA. I see more hockey played at AAA or out of state games than other sports.

lastly birth year doesn't discriminate if your born in 2001 it doesn't matter if you got held back or jumped ahead. and it doesn't matter when the school cutoff is.

Picking teams by birth year has proven to discriminate against those born in the latter half of the year. Not to say that you can't overcome a late birthday if you have talent, but it is far from a perfect system.

U.S.A.hockey · Post by **U.S.A.hockey** » Sat Sep 11, 2010 9:03 am

It appears since the voting has started, I can't add the Sept. 1st cut off or a June 1st cut off to the poll question. Sorry

Post by **karl(east)** » Sat Sep 11, 2010 5:59 pm

U.S.A.hockey wrote:It appears since the voting has started, I can't add the Sept. 1st cut off or a June 1st cut off to the poll question. Sorry

I just added those two options to the poll.

Of course, if you want as accurate a response as possible, you may want to just start this over, since many people have already voted without these two options available.

U.S.A.hockey · Post by **U.S.A.hockey** » Sun Sep 12, 2010 9:37 am

Thank you for adding the 2 cut off options, Looks obvious what the hockey world wants though (poll was only on here for a week).