AAU HOCKEY

elliott70 · Post by **elliott70** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 10:21 am

Any one hear of any movement in Minnesota to establish AAU mite/squirt teams?

goaliewithfoggedglasses · Thu Sep 19, 2013 10:29 am

Minnesota Made is now an AAU affiliate. All the Mite and Squirt leagues are now under the AAU umbrella.

SCBlueLiner · Post by **SCBlueLiner** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 10:56 am

As many flaws as USAH and MN Hockey have I hope AAU gets repelled in Minnesota. Keep them out.

stromboli · Post by **stromboli** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 4:04 pm

SCBlueLiner wrote:As many flaws as USAH and MN Hockey have I hope AAU gets repelled in Minnesota. Keep them out.

Keep them out -- why? Just curious about your reasoning.

Is it because AAU is inherently bad? Or, because it may make it harder for community-based associations to field teams? Or,,,,,?

Does USAH allow AAU teams to play USAH registered teams?

If not, has AAU hockey taken enough of a foothold in other states that there's a good likelihood that teams at PW and Bantam levels would form here? Maybe just a few random teams? Maybe a club or two?

Seems to me like it would be an uphill climb for AAU to become a dominant player in MN unless there's a brewing revolt from USAH and MN hockey.

Thanks in advance (and I'll jump on the ol' interweb to see what I can learn about AAU).

[Follow up: Jumped on the interweb... Looks like there are some established teams out west and down south, all the way up through Juniors. That said, not much exists at the youth level around MN. Just don't see it taking off any time soon.]

O-townClown · Post by **O-townClown** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 8:48 pm

When folks are unhappy about something in our state they are quick to say "AAU" as if that's the panacea. It came up opening weekend with the 2 & 10 fiasco. (Seemingly every penalty was whistled 2 & 10 as the officials are getting used to every charge, board, head contact, and sneeze requiring that as a minimum.)

It is hard to connect the dots and see how it could take over. No leadership, AAU is just a sanctioning body. Same officials presumably, and there is an officiating crisis and the number of registered stripes went down for the first time ever.

Made is host to the World Mite Championship where the 8 years olds can play full ice with a black puck. Beyond that I don't see AAU taking hold.

Nationally it has picked up a good number of pay-to-play Junior teams as USA Hockey tried to hold the quality with a moratorium on expansion.

Ugottobekiddingme · Post by **Ugottobekiddingme** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 11:52 pm

Spoken like a true Floridian, Goofy likes the AAU.

JSR · Post by **JSR** » Fri Sep 20, 2013 9:06 am

I see it taking off the way that the Made is utilizing... in otherwords it COULD take off as an additional way to find ice time for kids who want it, especially high end kids...

FOr example, you have lil Johnny who plays for his association and he will still play for his association then on the days/nights he doesn't have an association deal going on he goes and plays with all his Spring/Summer AAA teammates on this AAU team... and he can do that because the courts have said he can without penalty no differently than a kid who plays basketball and hockey at the same time this kid can play MN Association hockey and AAU hockey at the same time.... so no detriment to the association model per se but a supplement to it (sort of like the Choice Leagues).... just my opinion on how it COULD work....

Froggy Richards · Post by **Froggy Richards** » Fri Sep 20, 2013 9:10 am

I think the USA Hockey Cross Ice Mandate for Mites is what opened the door to AAU thinking there was a chance to expand. Some people just don't like the mandate. U8 is a tricky group because of the talent gap from the first year to second year players. Parents/Coaches with older, more talented players want to see them play full-ice. The younger, more inexperienced players benefit more from cross/half-ice. It's easier for the best skaters to dominate on full ice and it's human nature for parents and some coaches to want to see that. Hockey parents rarely see the big picture, it's always about what they perceive is best for their player, even if they're wrong.

You can definitely tell that USA Hockey is aware of this. My inbox is flooded almost daily with e-mails from them talking about the benefits of the ADM and how USA hockey is by far the best development model for younger players, etc., etc.. This didn't happen as much last year. I think AAU is on their radar. I think this is also shown in how they made an exception for Minnesota and granted them a waiver on the mandate. I would be very surprised to see AAU get a toe-hold in Minnesota any time soon. But if they want to do a few tournaments to offer Mites a Full-Ice experience to supplement their Association Season, I see nothing wrong with that.

SCBlueLiner · Post by **SCBlueLiner** » Fri Sep 20, 2013 9:43 am

I think we can all agree that USAH has its flaws like I posted earlier. I truly believe that when it comes right down to it that USAH is about growing the game and developing players. Hockey has exploded nationwide since I played 20 some years ago. There are places that never had programs before. There are high level players coming out of places I would have never imagined in the past. USAH had a lot to do with this expansion.

AAU is not interested in growing the game. They are not interested in developing players. They are nothing more than a sanctioning body. I look at what AAU basketball is and cringe if our sport ever turned into that. That's why I posted what I did.

Does the cross ice mandate have issues? Sure. Absolutely. With any new program or way of doing things there are always kinks and issues to work out. I don't like how USAH mandated cross ice for mites in other areas of the country. But that was no reason for whole states (Michigan) to abandon all that USAH has done and flip over to AAU. So there was obviously considerable backlash. I think USAH learned from that when granting MN Hockey the waiver and I truly hope the Minnesota model for U8 is adopted nationwide.

As for cross-ice, I have Pee Wee age kids who still love to play cross-ice and half ice. To them it doesn't matter because they are playing hockey. In fact, I think some of them like it better because the confined space makes the game faster and the transition from D to O quicker. There really is no reason for Mites to be playing so many games and traveling so much too. It turns parents, and their checkbooks, off. Hockey people need to be smarter than that. Keep the costs low when at the young ages. Suck the kids in to the point that they love hockey. By the time they are older and the real expenses start to kick in the parents can't so "no" to their kid playing hockey because they love it so much. Now, keep in mind that MN is different in that there are "travel" games to be played within an easy 1/2 hour drive. In other areas of the country "travel" means driving a minimum of 2 or 3 hours one way for a game/tournament weekend, or possibly having to fly. It's a lot different.

BadgerBob82 · Post by **BadgerBob82** » Fri Sep 20, 2013 10:27 am

SCBlueLiner, that is an excellent post!

SECoach · Post by **SECoach** » Fri Sep 20, 2013 12:03 pm

BadgerBob82 wrote:SCBlueLiner, that is an excellent post!

jg2112 · Post by **jg2112** » Fri Sep 20, 2013 12:45 pm

SCBlueLiner wrote:I think we can all agree that USAH has its flaws like I posted earlier. I truly believe that when it comes right down to it that USAH is about growing the game and developing players. Hockey has exploded nationwide since I played 20 some years ago. There are places that never had programs before. There are high level players coming out of places I would have never imagined in the past. USAH had a lot to do with this expansion.

AAU is not interested in growing the game. They are not interested in developing players. They are nothing more than a sanctioning body. I look at what AAU basketball is and cringe if our sport ever turned into that. That's why I posted what I did.

Does the cross ice mandate have issues? Sure. Absolutely. With any new program or way of doing things there are always kinks and issues to work out. I don't like how USAH mandated cross ice for mites in other areas of the country. But that was no reason for whole states (Michigan) to abandon all that USAH has done and flip over to AAU. So there was obviously considerable backlash. I think USAH learned from that when granting MN Hockey the waiver and I truly hope the Minnesota model for U8 is adopted nationwide.

As for cross-ice, I have Pee Wee age kids who still love to play cross-ice and half ice. To them it doesn't matter because they are playing hockey. In fact, I think some of them like it better because the confined space makes the game faster and the transition from D to O quicker. There really is no reason for Mites to be playing so many games and traveling so much too. It turns parents, and their checkbooks, off. Hockey people need to be smarter than that. Keep the costs low when at the young ages. Suck the kids in to the point that they love hockey. By the time they are older and the real expenses start to kick in the parents can't so "no" to their kid playing hockey because they love it so much. Now, keep in mind that MN is different in that there are "travel" games to be played within an easy 1/2 hour drive. In other areas of the country "travel" means driving a minimum of 2 or 3 hours one way for a game/tournament weekend, or possibly having to fly. It's a lot different.

This is a fantastic post, one I completely agree with.

My daughter played C Squirts last year and will play 10UA this year (she's 10, but an age 9 player right now). Of course, she loves playing full-ice, but she admits to me her best development and awareness while playing small-ice games such as cross-ice.

Imagine asking 8 year olds to play soccer on an international sized field. It makes no sense. Some can do it, but many can't, and that is a great way to turn kids off to any sport.

I think the blended approach is the correct approach, and I applaud MN Hockey for showing flexibility in its ruling.

spamtownusa · Post by **spamtownusa** » Fri Sep 20, 2013 4:14 pm

jg - Just curious... does your daugher have two years of U10 eligibility left, or just one? I was bit confused by your description of her age. If she has two years left, it sounds as though you were able to have her play up and experience full-ice hockey early. How would you have felt if she didn't have that option? (Again, I'm assuming that she's a fourth grader with two more years of U10 to play.)

My daughter is in that same situation this year (turned 9 in August but is only in 3rd grade). She has already played four years of mites, yet, she will not have the opportunity to play up at U10. When you are "stuck" in an association that takes hard-line positions with no flexibility, it makes you appreciate having additional options available - whether you choose them or not.

Froggy - I agree, the final U8 year is a tricky one.

JSR · Post by **JSR** » Fri Sep 20, 2013 4:38 pm

Small area games are great. And I did not need USA Hockey to "mandate" them to make me feel that way, I embraced them years ago.... however the USA Hockey mandate went too far and even turned people like me off.... The fact is kids LOVE to play full ice games... does that mean they have to play them all the time, no, does it mean they have to play them even 50%, no, but the hard mandate that you cannot play ANY full ice games until after March 1st (here in WI) and even then you are limited to a very small number of them, well that was way, way over the top and I said it once and I will say it agin, if the USA Hockey brass truly believe that "FUN" is the most important part of the game then back off and let the kids have FUN bby letting them play some full ice games..... otherwise don't fool yourself the AAU deal will take a stronger foothold than you think.... back off some on the hardline stance and AAU will likely all but disappear.... simple as that if you ask me....

I will also say this to SECblue, your statement about parents being turned off via their checkbook etc.... I would say you are right to some degree, but on the flip side the ones railing hard against this stuff are likely the same ones that like this AAU alternative and those parents tend to be the ones where money is not a deterrent.... just sayign that somethings preach to the choir and the ones worried about the checkbook and not wanting to travel are usually not the ones that care about any of this, just sayin....

thefatcat · Post by **thefatcat** » Fri Sep 20, 2013 10:38 pm

It strikes me as weird that NTDP is in AAU stronghold MI...

JSR · Post by **JSR** » Tue Oct 29, 2013 10:09 am

I'm seeing AAU pop up in northern Illinois, it's starting this eyar with full ice mites but there are legitimate rumblings that the NIHL will defect it's entirety to AAU next year if AHIA does not loosen some of it's restrictions. It does seem to me that USA HOckey and it's affiliates have way over stepped their bounds in many areas and instead of growing the game like they had been they are now becoming the deterrent. Things like all the coaching classes and mandatory this and mandatory that just to be on the ice teaching kids a game, it's beyond ridiculous anymore, we lost 15 coaches in the last two years in our area, all of whome said they just couldn't/wouldn't do all those courses USA Hockey is mandating.... considering we are not Metro Minneapolis that is too many coaches to lose for us down here. You also have people rebeling against U8 cross ice mandates, you also have people wanting Mite, Squirt and Pee Wee national tournaments (not jsut a few people either, it's ALOT.....).... and guess what, it doesn't matter if you think they are wrong, or if I think they are wrong, or if none of this is right or wrong, the fact is there is ample demand and in our society if there is demand someone will be there to jump in and supply to the demand.... I agree with SCblue that I cringe at what AAU basketball is but guess what, if USA Hockey doesn't come around on some issues we are going to see AAU explode, there are teams in the works already around here for next year at many different age levels where kids will be offered the opportunity to play AAU hockey in addition to their associations and the high end kids will be targeted and given an option outside of AAA hockey and thsoe teams are going to call Bernie McBain and see if he can put together his MN Machine Orange team as a winter AAU team and play against our best kids and teams like the Chicago Mission will ahve an AAU aleter-ego of the same kids playing under the AAU banner so they can play other teams they normally couldn't play in the winter etc... etc... etc.... it's happening people, it's happeneing because the demand is there like it or not.....

Froggy Richards · Post by **Froggy Richards** » Tue Oct 29, 2013 11:17 am

JSR wrote:I'm seeing AAU pop up in northern Illinois, it's starting this eyar with full ice mites but there are legitimate rumblings that the NIHL will defect it's entirety to AAU next year if AHIA does not loosen some of it's restrictions. It does seem to me that USA HOckey and it's affiliates have way over stepped their bounds in many areas and instead of growing the game like they had been they are now becoming the deterrent. Things like all the coaching classes and mandatory this and mandatory that just to be on the ice teaching kids a game, it's beyond ridiculous anymore, we lost 15 coaches in the last two years in our area, all of whome said they just couldn't/wouldn't do all those courses USA Hockey is mandating.... considering we are not Metro Minneapolis that is too many coaches to lose for us down here. You also have people rebeling against U8 cross ice mandates, you also have people wanting Mite, Squirt and Pee Wee national tournaments (not jsut a few people either, it's ALOT.....).... and guess what, it doesn't matter if you think they are wrong, or if I think they are wrong, or if none of this is right or wrong, the fact is there is ample demand and in our society if there is demand someone will be there to jump in and supply to the demand.... I agree with SCblue that I cringe at what AAU basketball is but guess what, if USA Hockey doesn't come around on some issues we are going to see AAU explode, there are teams in the works already around here for next year at many different age levels where kids will be offered the opportunity to play AAU hockey in addition to their associations and the high end kids will be targeted and given an option outside of AAA hockey and thsoe teams are going to call Bernie McBain and see if he can put together his MN Machine Orange team as a winter AAU team and play against our best kids and teams like the Chicago Mission will ahve an AAU aleter-ego of the same kids playing under the AAU banner so they can play other teams they normally couldn't play in the winter etc... etc... etc.... it's happening people, it's happeneing because the demand is there like it or not.....

I can't speak for other states but I can't see this happening in Minnesota any time soon. I think the waiver for the cross/half ice mandate pretty much insured that. Had USAH not granted it, then I wouldn't be so sure. People were not happy about it and it could have definitely opened the door for another body. Did Wisconsin apply for this waiver? I can't believe you got a hard mandate of March 1st for full ice games. The season is pretty much over by then in MN. It takes kids awhile to adjust to full ice. If their only experience is two or three games of getting whistled for offsides every trip up the ice I can't see how that is positive.

I agree with you 100% on the half/cross ice thing. We all understand the benefits and realize that it should be the standard for U8 but nobody likes mandates. Every team is different. Like you said, the kids enjoy some full ice so we need to let them have it. Kids having fun at the U8 level needs to absolutely be the focus, everything else is secondary.

There are way too many positives to Association Hockey in MN for AAU to take hold in my opinion. Association Hockey will always be the best model in MN as long as our participation levels remain high. As long as the cross/half ice waiver remains in place I can't think of any other issue that would prompt a shift. The idea of a Mite National tournament is pretty ridiculous and any hockey person should know that. I can't imagine the people in position to make decisions would be for this.

I'm mixed on the coaching clinics/modules requirement. On the one hand I can see how it could scare off casual coaches and this could be a problem in other states where the pool isn't as large. Most of us mildly complain about it in MN but I've never heard of someone choosing not to coach because of it. If that's what we have to do in order to have hockey for our kids then we're going to do it. And at the end of the day, training is not a bad thing for coaches. Most of us can benefit from it. Part of it is probably because for other sports you just have to sign up and there is no training or requirements. If a sport like soccer in MN had the same requirements you would struggle to find anyone willing to do it. But Hockey here is a much different animal and people are willing to do a lot more to make it happen.

SCBlueLiner · Post by **SCBlueLiner** » Tue Oct 29, 2013 12:21 pm

Wisconsin is part of the Central District, same as Illinois. I believe Wisconsin is also mandated cross-ice at U8 with the rest of the Central District.

Most of the parents I encounter who are not happy with playing cross-ice have kids who played full ice in the summer. They have experienced the difference.

JSR · Post by **JSR** » Tue Oct 29, 2013 4:07 pm

Froggy Richards wrote:
JSR wrote:I'm seeing AAU pop up in northern Illinois, it's starting this eyar with full ice mites but there are legitimate rumblings that the NIHL will defect it's entirety to AAU next year if AHIA does not loosen some of it's restrictions. It does seem to me that USA HOckey and it's affiliates have way over stepped their bounds in many areas and instead of growing the game like they had been they are now becoming the deterrent. Things like all the coaching classes and mandatory this and mandatory that just to be on the ice teaching kids a game, it's beyond ridiculous anymore, we lost 15 coaches in the last two years in our area, all of whome said they just couldn't/wouldn't do all those courses USA Hockey is mandating.... considering we are not Metro Minneapolis that is too many coaches to lose for us down here. You also have people rebeling against U8 cross ice mandates, you also have people wanting Mite, Squirt and Pee Wee national tournaments (not jsut a few people either, it's ALOT.....).... and guess what, it doesn't matter if you think they are wrong, or if I think they are wrong, or if none of this is right or wrong, the fact is there is ample demand and in our society if there is demand someone will be there to jump in and supply to the demand.... I agree with SCblue that I cringe at what AAU basketball is but guess what, if USA Hockey doesn't come around on some issues we are going to see AAU explode, there are teams in the works already around here for next year at many different age levels where kids will be offered the opportunity to play AAU hockey in addition to their associations and the high end kids will be targeted and given an option outside of AAA hockey and thsoe teams are going to call Bernie McBain and see if he can put together his MN Machine Orange team as a winter AAU team and play against our best kids and teams like the Chicago Mission will ahve an AAU aleter-ego of the same kids playing under the AAU banner so they can play other teams they normally couldn't play in the winter etc... etc... etc.... it's happening people, it's happeneing because the demand is there like it or not.....
I can't speak for other states but I can't see this happening in Minnesota any time soon. I think the waiver for the cross/half ice mandate pretty much insured that. Had USAH not granted it, then I wouldn't be so sure. People were not happy about it and it could have definitely opened the door for another body. Did Wisconsin apply for this waiver? I can't believe you got a hard mandate of March 1st for full ice games. The season is pretty much over by then in MN. It takes kids awhile to adjust to full ice. If their only experience is two or three games of getting whistled for offsides every trip up the ice I can't see how that is positive.

I agree with you 100% on the half/cross ice thing. We all understand the benefits and realize that it should be the standard for U8 but nobody likes mandates. Every team is different. Like you said, the kids enjoy some full ice so we need to let them have it. Kids having fun at the U8 level needs to absolutely be the focus, everything else is secondary.

There are way too many positives to Association Hockey in MN for AAU to take hold in my opinion. Association Hockey will always be the best model in MN as long as our participation levels remain high. As long as the cross/half ice waiver remains in place I can't think of any other issue that would prompt a shift. The idea of a Mite National tournament is pretty ridiculous and any hockey person should know that. I can't imagine the people in position to make decisions would be for this.

I'm mixed on the coaching clinics/modules requirement. On the one hand I can see how it could scare off casual coaches and this could be a problem in other states where the pool isn't as large. Most of us mildly complain about it in MN but I've never heard of someone choosing not to coach because of it. If that's what we have to do in order to have hockey for our kids then we're going to do it. And at the end of the day, training is not a bad thing for coaches. Most of us can benefit from it. Part of it is probably because for other sports you just have to sign up and there is no training or requirements. If a sport like soccer in MN had the same requirements you would struggle to find anyone willing to do it. But Hockey here is a much different animal and people are willing to do a lot more to make it happen.

Actually if you want to coach travel teams (not just rec teams) you have to do very similar things to coach soccer. I coach travel soccer, the requirements and classes are eerily similar, in fact sometimes I think USA Hockey stole a page from USA Soccer because we've been doing this stuff in soccer longer than hockey has (yes even in MN, my cousin coaches soccer there, same requirements as here).... I don't think there is anything like that in sports like football or basketball or baseball though but I could be wrong..... I agree I grumblingly agree to do the classes because I want to help the kids but I know virtually every one of the coaches we lost down here, we don't have alot of ex-pros or ex-collegiate guys coaching down here atleast not the pool of them you have in the metro area up there and we really struggle to find coaches, we have four teams in our association (including one "A "team) currently being HEAD COACHED by parents who never played hockey a day in their life, they were just willing to do the classes and volunteer their time.... You mentioned the Mite national tourney being ridiculous, I agree, but guess what, it's already happening, AAU Hockey is hosting a Mite National tournament THIS SEASON.... it's being hosted March 6-9, 2014 in EDINA, MN........ (not so coincidently the same weekend as your State High School tournament)........ saddle up, it's going to be an interesting ride

O-townClown · Post by **O-townClown** » Tue Oct 29, 2013 6:43 pm

JSR, this makes a whole lot more sense than the "Tier I" case brought forth by several folks on this board 18-24 months ago.

We don't have any AAU in Florida that I'm aware of, but the threat of it is there and that may rein in the USA Hockey or local affiliate's actions.

edgeless2 · Post by **edgeless2** » Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:46 pm

One of the most irritating parts of this whole situation is the fact that USA hockey is jamming ADM down our throats. Has anyone read the stats that USA hockey is throwing at us about the mass approval of their plan. Every single copy of USA hockey magazine in the past 6 issues reports a large percentage of participants are squarely behind every part of the mandate. I'm sorry that this type of propaganda is necessary to promulgate the policy that has been set forth. If ADM is so popular why the need to force feed it to the general population?

SCBlueLiner · Post by **SCBlueLiner** » Tue Oct 29, 2013 10:42 pm

Not to mention the daily ADM email campaign that assaults my inbox.

Nobody can accuse USA Hockey of not getting the message out.

JSR · Post by **JSR** » Wed Oct 30, 2013 9:42 am

O-townClown wrote:JSR, this makes a whole lot more sense than the "Tier I" case brought forth by several folks on this board 18-24 months ago.

We don't have any AAU in Florida that I'm aware of, but the threat of it is there and that may rein in the USA Hockey or local affiliate's actions.

OT, you are truly right.... if you put aside the "emotions" of the traditional way of doing things for a moment, you can see the logical possible merit that this AAU stuff as a compliment to current models brings in any state, yes even MN.... I know this, I have a considerable network of hockey friends and coaches (real hockey people) and I run alot of respected programs in our area of southern WI and I know we have some serious hockey people looking at this and saying "Hey, why can't we put together an in season AAU team to play on in addition to our association teams. This could be our way of the higher end kids playing better competition in the season and we could do it for a fraction fo the cost of Tier 1 AAA hockey.....". I know at the very least I am intrigued by the idea. I mean I have a younger son too, he is a 2005, he loves playing hockey with his friends in his association but I also know based on track record he's going to be alot better than most all of his buddies and he's going to likely want to play at a high level like his older brother, the reality is where we live and the way the current model in our area works he cannot do both, but with this idea he could and I like that part of it.... I am not saying that it's "perfect" and there could be some pitfalls but these people are looking at it at all age levels not just mites..... Could be great could be the downfall of everything or it could just be another good option but neither aweful or great, no one knows yet but I defintiely see where the potential COULD be..........

nobama · Post by **nobama** » Wed Oct 30, 2013 9:59 am

AAU National Team will beat usndtp now what does that say..

speechless

Froggy Richards · Post by **Froggy Richards** » Wed Oct 30, 2013 11:00 am

JSR wrote:
O-townClown wrote:JSR, this makes a whole lot more sense than the "Tier I" case brought forth by several folks on this board 18-24 months ago.

We don't have any AAU in Florida that I'm aware of, but the threat of it is there and that may rein in the USA Hockey or local affiliate's actions.
OT, you are truly right.... if you put aside the "emotions" of the traditional way of doing things for a moment, you can see the logical possible merit that this AAU stuff as a compliment to current models brings in any state, yes even MN.... I know this, I have a considerable network of hockey friends and coaches (real hockey people) and I run alot of respected programs in our area of southern WI and I know we have some serious hockey people looking at this and saying "Hey, why can't we put together an in season AAU team to play on in addition to our association teams. This could be our way of the higher end kids playing better competition in the season and we could do it for a fraction fo the cost of Tier 1 AAA hockey.....". I know at the very least I am intrigued by the idea. I mean I have a younger son too, he is a 2005, he loves playing hockey with his friends in his association but I also know based on track record he's going to be alot better than most all of his buddies and he's going to likely want to play at a high level like his older brother, the reality is where we live and the way the current model in our area works he cannot do both, but with this idea he could and I like that part of it.... I am not saying that it's "perfect" and there could be some pitfalls but these people are looking at it at all age levels not just mites..... Could be great could be the downfall of everything or it could just be another good option but neither aweful or great, no one knows yet but I defintiely see where the potential COULD be..........

Based on what you say I can understand why this might appeal to you in your area. I am assuming that your winter Association schedule is not as intensive as ours because there is no way we could find the time for this in our area. I have a 2005 as well. Last year we practiced Mon, Tues, Thurs. League games on Wednesdays and jamborees/scrimmages or practices on Saturdays and Sundays. We had most Fridays off and that was it. There was a stretch where we had 26 days straight of practice or games. This was already too much and you could see a lot of the kids getting burnt out at times. They needed each and every one of those days off to rest physically and mentally and more importantly to do other things that healthy kids need to do.

I realize Hockey is big and we're always looking for the next opportunity to find better competition for our kids, but at the Mite level this is really alarming. I love hockey and our family has chosen to make it our lives in the winter, but when do kids get to Sled, Play in the Snow, Ski, Snowmobile, Ice Fish, Sleepovers, Birthday parties, etc? I think kids need that stuff too.

I'm only speaking in regards to Mites here. I don't have an older kid so I'm not qualified to speak on what they can and can't handle as far as scheduling, but I'm guessing Squirts would be in the same boat. I know we could easily find 25-30 top end 7-8 year olds in our area whose parents would be willing to do this but would it really be the right choice? I think not. And it would be the parents driving the bus, not the kids. Does anyone honestly think there are any 7-8 year olds out there saying to themselves, "Boy, I wish I could play even more and against high end competition?" Kids that age don't think that way. More hockey is the last thing we need at the Mite level in MN.