Association Tryouts vs AAA Tryouts

ThePuckStopsHere · Post by **ThePuckStopsHere** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 9:53 am

New Thread, what is it with these AAA clubs holding tryouts in late September & early October do they not know most associations are right in the middle of Tryouts???

Are there actually parents out there that would take their players to both if on the same day??

old goalie85 · Post by **old goalie85** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 10:07 am

Not me. If on the same day we go to the Forest Lake try-outs. We do have a day that kids that play football will have to do both.[ assc. worked it out so tryouts are after football. last F.B. game of the day ends at 2:00]

JSR · Post by **JSR** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 10:10 am

I actually was wondering why AAA clubs up there hold tryouts for Spring?summer teams in the fall period? Makes no sense to me especially at younger ages wehre kids can make huge strides over the course of an association season. You can easily have squirts and mites who don't look good enough in the fall that are easily good enough or better than the kids who made it come spring. All of the spring/summer AAA tryouts down here are held in March after association season is done. Perhaps someone can explin the advantage of the model of doing it now up there.

old goalie85 · Post by **old goalie85** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 10:16 am

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Quasar · Post by **Quasar** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 10:47 am

JSR wrote:I actually was wondering why AAA clubs up there hold tryouts for Spring?summer teams in the fall period? Makes no sense to me especially at younger ages wehre kids can make huge strides over the course of an association season. You can easily have squirts and mites who don't look good enough in the fall that are easily good enough or better than the kids who made it come spring. All of the spring/summer AAA tryouts down here are held in March after association season is done. Perhaps someone can explin the advantage of the model of doing it now up there.

First of all AAA is misleading. At present there are about 30 summer teams at the 97 level that call themselves AAA. They are in fact everything from AAA to C. Many parents now feel that their kid has to play in the summer to compete in the winter. It is also as old goalie says, about $$$$$$$$$$

Thousands of kids looking for a team. Half of them looking to change teams. A vibrant for profit hockey culture.. Every pitch imaginable.
The early tryouts are teams looking to scoop up the undecideds and new entries. The recruiting is continuous, and goes on year around.

Yep... it's about $$$$$$$$$

ThePuckStopsHere · Post by **ThePuckStopsHere** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 11:08 am

Great dialogue so far!!

I have not been shy on this board about my distaste for AAA hockey, I’m a huge proponent of being a kid and staying and playing hockey with your buddies.

My only thought is revenue generation is why these clubs try and host tryouts so early, C’mon – Easton, Monopoly, Raging Bulls, Bauer, Iceman, Reebok, Legacy (Just to name a few that have advertised tryouts) step up and tell us why you are hosting tryouts right in the middle of the heart of association tryouts??

Convince me your greed has boundries

BadgerBob82 · Post by **BadgerBob82** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 11:23 am

It would be interesting to hear the rationalization as to why tryouts are held in the fall? The $$$ aspect is a given. Maybe they need 5 months to get the names printed on the required "team wear"?

old goalie85 · Post by **old goalie85** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 11:38 am

As we become the "LAND OF 10,000 AAA TEAMS", I wonder if the price will fall off? [supply & demand]

Quasar · Post by **Quasar** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 12:00 pm

old goalie85 wrote:As we become the "LAND OF 10,000 AAA TEAMS", I wonder if the price will fall off? [supply & demand]

Quality yes .... Price Never !!

HockeyDad41 · Post by **HockeyDad41** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 12:06 pm

Pretty soon you're going to see guys with AAA team logos on their warm up jackets hanging around squirt games in the winter talking up little Johnny's dad trying to recruit his kid.

InigoMontoya · Post by **InigoMontoya** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 12:09 pm

Most summer programs hold their tryouts in the fall because that's when the other programs are holding their tryouts. The thought is, if you don't find a kid and offer him/her a spot early, then you'll miss out on that kid to the programs that do hold tryouts early. If the parents write a check, then you get the kid locked in. In most parts of the country, tryouts for winter hockey are in the spring.

Many parents now feel that their kid has to play in the summer to compete in the winter.

They do.

old goalie85 · Post by **old goalie85** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 12:10 pm

Maybe full-time sales staffs. Paid on commission per kid, or teams filled. Bonus if you get kids that played A level assc. hockey.

Quasar · Post by **Quasar** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 12:20 pm

old goalie85 wrote:Maybe full-time sales staffs. Paid on commission per kid, or teams filled. Bonus if you get kids that played A level assc. hockey.

Well ..that's one approach ..I guess

Quasar · Post by **Quasar** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 12:31 pm

ThePuckStopsHere wrote:Great dialogue so far!!

I have not been shy on this board about my distaste for AAA hockey, I’m a huge proponent of being a kid and staying and playing hockey with your buddies.

My only thought is revenue generation is why these clubs try and host tryouts so early, C’mon – Easton, Monopoly, Raging Bulls, Bauer, Iceman, Reebok, Legacy (Just to name a few that have advertised tryouts) step up and tell us why you are hosting tryouts right in the middle of the heart of association tryouts??

Convince me your greed has boundries

If there was no benefit to so called AAA hockey, we wouldn't be having this conversation. It fills a need.. Summer hockey is the only place for C and B players to develop.. Trust me after peewees it will never happen in the Minnesota association model. So, if your connected, and your kids an A player, whats the problem??

If your kid has no chance to advance in the association, whats he to do??

We all know the answer to that ..Don't we?

Quasar · Post by **Quasar** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 12:32 pm

double post

royals dad · Post by **royals dad** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 3:47 pm

Quasar wrote:Summer hockey is the only place for C and B players to develop.. Trust me after peewees it will never happen in the Minnesota association model.

It is more likely to happen in our model than any other in the country. It is the very reason I believe in the model, we have a place for kids to keep playing and if they are a late bloomer they can still advance to their ability level. You think average ability 10 year old players have a better shot if there are no associations? I hear all the rips on association hockey but the board members I meet seem to be reasonable people with the best interest of the kids in mind, I think there a few if any boards that are not looking for volunteers. If yours is broken get involved and help fix it.

Club summer and Association winter is a system that is better than any other out there.

Quasar · Post by **Quasar** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 4:12 pm

royals dad wrote:
Quasar wrote:Summer hockey is the only place for C and B players to develop.. Trust me after peewees it will never happen in the Minnesota association model.
It is more likely to happen in our model than any other in the country. It is the very reason I believe in the model, we have a place for kids to keep playing and if they are a late bloomer they can still advance to their ability level. You think average ability 10 year old players have a better shot if there are no associations? I hear all the rips on association hockey but the board members I meet seem to be reasonable people with the best interest of the kids in mind, I think there a few if any boards that are not looking for volunteers. If yours is broken get involved and help fix it.

Club summer and Association winter is a system that is better than any other out there.

Anyone that's been around association hockey in large, and medium sized associations knows that most of the kids are pigeonholed by their first year of bantam. If they haven't made the list by then they never will. And all the talk in the world about late bloomers is just that talk. Let me say again .. The problem is not about 10 year old's . It's about 13 and 14, and the fact that everyone with any influence has been watching them since they were 8!!!

In Minnesota the solution to this to play summer hockey. That does not automatically insure that the kid will make the team in say Edina.

The solution to this everywhere else in the world is to have a choice where you play. And I'm not talking about Minnesota Made!!!

And if you think this is the best we can do ..Your part of the problem.

Quasar · Post by **Quasar** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 4:21 pm

No Political Connections wrote:I think it also has to do with competition amongst themselves. I bet (no data to support this just a WAG) that at one time they all had their tryouts in March/April time frame and then somebody decided to try to get a jump on the other guys by moving to October to "lock in" kids. Honestly I think that money plays a huge part in it but also bet that it is a matter of keeping up with the other guys in their quest for the upper level players. Nobody out there's advertising slogan is "we took the left overs".

I'd say you hit the nail on the head !!

Benito Juarez · Post by **Benito Juarez** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 4:37 pm

InigoMontoya wrote:Most summer programs hold their tryouts in the fall because that's when the other programs are holding their tryouts. The thought is, if you don't find a kid and offer him/her a spot early, then you'll miss out on that kid to the programs that do hold tryouts early. If the parents write a check, then you get the kid locked in. In most parts of the country, tryouts for winter hockey are in the spring.

Many parents now feel that their kid has to play in the summer to compete in the winter.
They do.

They do as is the parents feel that way?
or they do as in to compete in the winter?

I would say that some parents feel that way, but some kids compete just fine without AAA.

In our Association the top 2 kids in bantams do not play summer AAA, they were the top 2 PW's and before that they were the top 2 Squirts.

They don't saved $20,000.00

Quasar · Post by **Quasar** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 4:49 pm

[
uote="Benito Juarez"] They do as is the parents feel that way?
or they do as in to compete in the winter?

I would say that some parents feel that way, but some kids compete just fine without AAA.

In our Association the top 2 kids in bantams do not play summer AAA, they were the top 2 PW's and before that they were the top 2 Squirts.

They don't saved $20,000.00

Ok .. I got that about the top 2....How about the bottom 2??

WickedSlapshot · Post by **WickedSlapshot** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 4:59 pm

ThePuckStopsHere wrote:Great dialogue so far!!

I have not been shy on this board about my distaste for AAA hockey, I’m a huge proponent of being a kid and staying and playing hockey with your buddies.

My only thought is revenue generation is why these clubs try and host tryouts so early, C’mon – Easton, Monopoly, Raging Bulls, Bauer, Iceman, Reebok, Legacy (Just to name a few that have advertised tryouts) step up and tell us why you are hosting tryouts right in the middle of the heart of association tryouts??

Convince me your greed has boundries

boils down to money, and pick of the litter

Quasar · Post by **Quasar** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 5:16 pm

Sorry...Puckstopshere... I veer off course easily...

I'll try harder .. promise

Quasar · Post by **Quasar** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 5:20 pm

WickedSlapshot wrote:
ThePuckStopsHere wrote:Great dialogue so far!!

I have not been shy on this board about my distaste for AAA hockey, I’m a huge proponent of being a kid and staying and playing hockey with your buddies.

My only thought is revenue generation is why these clubs try and host tryouts so early, C’mon – Easton, Monopoly, Raging Bulls, Bauer, Iceman, Reebok, Legacy (Just to name a few that have advertised tryouts) step up and tell us why you are hosting tryouts right in the middle of the heart of association tryouts??

Convince me your greed has boundries
boils down to money, and pick of the litter

Pick of the litter for sure ...Money seems to be no object.

hockeyover40 · Post by **hockeyover40** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 5:55 pm

Scouting and recruiting goes on all year long. If players are noticed during the winter, most teams have a spot or two left to fill in the spring. In the summer, some teams invite prospects for next year to their teams practices before the AAA season is even finished in August. Some are invited to skate in a tournament to showcase theirs skills, and meet the players, coaches and families. So, tryouts sometimes are a formality.

It wasn't too long ago that only a few (maybe just one) programs had their tryouts in Aug. and Sept. That's one reason they were top programs. They got to look at the kids first and secure them for next year. Parents are told put down your down payment or lose their spot. Parents and kids wanted to be a part of these programs and paid their money. Doing it this way, there are teams that already have a full roster, or close to, for next year.

With the addition of all the programs popping up over the last few years, if you are holding tryouts for the next new birth year, like 2002, and wait until the spring, you are going to be way behind. Programs will be holding their second tryouts to fill a few spots, while you'll be trying to fill a whole roster. So, in order to compete for players, programs need to start early.

Benito Juarez · Post by **Benito Juarez** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 6:10 pm

Quasar wrote: Ok .. I got that about the top 2....How about the bottom 2??

Generally speaking, the bottom 2 are probably going to be somewhere towards the bottom with or without summer hockey.

If they want to get better they need, skating, skating and more skating not some average so called "AAA" team out to make a buck.