MN Made Choice League 2013

Redarmy19 · Post by **Redarmy19** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 2:40 pm

jg2112 wrote: First off - the option of playing up at C Squirts I believe exists with most Associations. If the kid is big enough and (importantly) old enough like my daughter was, there's no issue with doing it in my mind.

The problem is that neither USA Hockey / MN Hockey is flexible in this regard. Full-ice is alright for some older kids but cross-ice retains its benefits for kids of any age.

And the idea folks have to spend $2,200 to get the training they feel they need is just too bad in my mind. But I'm not mocking anyone. Certainly not, just joking around.

I think playing cross-ice is just as detrimental to the top 1-3 kids as it is beneficial to the bottom 1-3 (Advanced Mites). I also think Squirt C is not a legitimate answer for the top 1-3 kids. Most 1-3 kids on an Advanced Mite team are at a lower Squirt A/upper Squirt B talent level.

I just read today that MNH was granted an exemption from the cross-ice mandate and will be allowed to play full-ice games in a "revised format", whatever that means. So it sounds like we can save this discussion for next year.

Froggy Richards · Post by **Froggy Richards** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 3:07 pm

Redarmy19 wrote:MN Made looks to come away big with the USA Hockey cross-ice mandate for Mites. Does anyone know where MN Hockey stands with this? Did they get an exemption for this rule?

The Proposed rule changes for 2013 are on the MN Hockey Website. If you click Board and then Spring Rule Change Proposals, (Or something close to those words.)

It says that they did in fact receive the exemption. They're proposing rules that say 6U Mites are half/cross ice every game with no exceptions.

For 8U they are proposing all half/cross ice games until Dec. 31st. After Dec. 31st they can play no more than 10 full ice games. Exceptions can be granted by the District Directors if they wish to play more.

There have been several threads on this in the past and the only thing people seem to agree on is that it should not be mandated either way by USA Hockey. Personally, I think 8U needs both full and half ice and it should be left up to the Associations as they know their players better than anyone else. Last year our Association was about 60/40 half/full ice and I thought it worked great, but 50/50 would probably be even better. 10 games isn't enough in my opinion. I would have liked to see more like 12-15. Allows for four to five weekend Jamborees with full ice.

I strongly believe that the number one most important thing at the Mite Level is that the kids are having a lot of fun. If they aren't having fun, then nothing we try to teach them makes one bit of difference. Our kids overwhelmingly had more fun in full ice games, which is why I would choose to err on that side. After a weekend jamboree of full ice games, they just went through the motions in their half ice games the following week because it was so anti-climactic for them. Other Associations may be different, which is why I think it should be left up to each Association.

observer · Post by **observer** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 8:06 pm

Funny. Ask any PeeWee team and they will overwhelmingly say they have more fun playing 3 on 3 on the small sheet than any other skating they do.

More fun, more sweat, more smiles, quicker decisions, quicker passing and quicker shooting. All skills that translate well to the big sheet. It's the absolute best developmental tool there is.

Froggy Richards · Post by **Froggy Richards** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 10:14 am

observer wrote:Funny. Ask any PeeWee team and they will overwhelmingly say they have more fun playing 3 on 3 on the small sheet than any other skating they do.

More fun, more sweat, more smiles, quicker decisions, quicker passing and quicker shooting. All skills that translate well to the big sheet. It's the absolute best developmental tool there is.

Wow, you've spoken to every PeeWee team in the State? Call them back and ask them if they would still love it if they were mandated to play it full time. Let us know what they say.

SCBlueLiner · Post by **SCBlueLiner** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 11:40 am

No kidding. The Pee Wees I coach love playing 3 on 3 games as part of the practice. I don't think they'd be too happy if they were forced to do it full time though.

Trash Hauler · Post by **Trash Hauler** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 11:44 am

http://www.gottalovecthockey.org/show/v ... d+Pecknold

SCBlueLiner · Post by **SCBlueLiner** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 11:52 am

Great video but nobody here is saying that cross-ice doesn't have its merits. Just that mandating cross ice with no flexibility is the issue. I like what MN Hockey is doing, blending them together for the older mites.

Section 8 guy · Post by **Section 8 guy** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 10:50 pm

The modified cross ice rules is a very good compromise, and probably the right answer for both fun and development.

Mites love full ice because its new and different, and they probably have refs and a scoreboard for the first time ever. They get to feel like the big guys for a couple of games. Then they get to Squirts and it becomes old hat, as it would if they played full ice 100% of the time in Mites. They love it as Mites, but you are just borrowing the experience from the future (squirts).

Don't confuse that with meaning 100% full ice for Mites is the right answer.

And the point that each association knows what is right for their kids is off the mark. Hockey Development is a long term process. A marathon actually. Youth hockey is full of people with very short term vision and who think winning the next squirt game is the most important thing in the world. Those with that viewpoint oftentimes don't make the best long term decisions, which are the decisions that drive development in the long run.