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Benito Juarez wrote:

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.

I have a suggestion .. If you don't know anything about the subject ..Don't post !!

Quasar wrote:

Benito Juarez wrote: 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.

I have a suggestion .. If you don't know anything about the subject ..Don't post !!

HockeyDad41 wrote: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.

soon? i was that guy 10 years ago!

I haven't read through all the posts, so don't hang me out to dry if this is redundant. Why not just call it what it is? Summer hockey. There's a small handful of teams that are high caliber. What? Are they just supposed to play each other all the time? Then there's another group of about 20 or so ('99 level) who are fairly close to each other (just a guess). The games could go either way. Attached to all of these teams are "practice players" who are willing to pony up a fair amount of money. There's another group of teams at the next level. I don't know how many, but there's a lot of them.

So where do you draw the AAA designation? Do you just say, okay, Machine, Blades, some form of Monopoly, '96 Legacy, (I forgot, some organizations really have one or two standout teams). So at the '99 level do you just say there's three or four AAA teams, the rest are -- ??

You tell me. Personally, I like that there's a place for everyone, not just the Kool Aid drinking orange people. I know Bernie thinks the pool is getting too watered down. So what's the solution? Tell 2,000 kids they can't play summer hockey so that a handful of teams can stay strong and not get watered down?

My kid plays summer hockey. So what?

irish skater wrote:I haven't read through all the posts, so don't hang me out to dry if this is redundant. Why not just call it what it is? Summer hockey. There's a small handful of teams that are high caliber. What? Are they just supposed to play each other all the time? Then there's another group of about 20 or so ('99 level) who are fairly close to each other (just a guess). The games could go either way. Attached to all of these teams are "practice players" who are willing to pony up a fair amount of money. There's another group of teams at the next level. I don't know how many, but there's a lot of them.

So where do you draw the AAA designation? Do you just say, okay, Machine, Blades, some form of Monopoly, '96 Legacy, (I forgot, some organizations really have one or two standout teams). So at the '99 level do you just say there's three or four AAA teams, the rest are -- ??

You tell me. Personally, I like that there's a place for everyone, not just the Kool Aid drinking orange people. I know Bernie thinks the pool is getting too watered down. So what's the solution? Tell 2,000 kids they can't play summer hockey so that a handful of teams can stay strong and not get watered down?

My kid plays summer hockey. So what?

Hi Irish,

Here's a little eye opener. This weekend I was talking to my Grandson who plays year around hockey on three different teams.. I asked him who he would like to play with if he could. He looked at me, thought for a minute... then he said .."I don't care, I just like to play"!!

I think that about say's it all ....

Run him over to the made where he can get bitter. No smiling.

Quasar wrote:

irish skater wrote:I haven't read through all the posts, so don't hang me out to dry if this is redundant. Why not just call it what it is? Summer hockey. There's a small handful of teams that are high caliber. What? Are they just supposed to play each other all the time? Then there's another group of about 20 or so ('99 level) who are fairly close to each other (just a guess). The games could go either way. Attached to all of these teams are "practice players" who are willing to pony up a fair amount of money. There's another group of teams at the next level. I don't know how many, but there's a lot of them.

So where do you draw the AAA designation? Do you just say, okay, Machine, Blades, some form of Monopoly, '96 Legacy, (I forgot, some organizations really have one or two standout teams). So at the '99 level do you just say there's three or four AAA teams, the rest are -- ??

You tell me. Personally, I like that there's a place for everyone, not just the Kool Aid drinking orange people. I know Bernie thinks the pool is getting too watered down. So what's the solution? Tell 2,000 kids they can't play summer hockey so that a handful of teams can stay strong and not get watered down?

My kid plays summer hockey. So what?

Hi Irish,

Here's a little eye opener. This weekend I was talking to my Grandson who plays year around hockey on three different teams.. I asked him who he would like to play with if he could. He looked at me, thought for a minute... then he said .."I don't care, I just like to play"!!

I think that about say's it all ....

During the summer break this summer my kid was out golfing a lot with some other hockey buddies. God, it was a fantastic summer. To be a kid again. He was golfing a lot and having a good time and the two of them even dared muttered those words, "I don't think I'll play hockey next summer. I want to golf." Easy to say when it's 85 degrees out and you're ten years old and mom and dad and picking up the tab.

Fast forward to the end of the summer break break and they're back at hockey practice getting ready for their final two tournaments. He's a '99 and now they can check, although they're not great at it at this level. After the first game he came walking out of the locker room dragging his hockey bag behind him with a huge smile on his face. The first words out of his mouth were, "I forgot how much fun this is." You're right, that about says it all. I bet he'll be playing hockey next summer.

The first words out of his mouth were, "I forgot how much fun this is." You're right, that about says it all. I bet he'll be playing hockey next summer.

But are you prepared for the day when he chooses the golf course...at the end of the summer? I expereienced that this year for the first time. My son was pretty heavy duty involved in AAA for four summers. I thought he loved it. When we exited last year summer, he looked at me in the car one day and said, "Dad, you know I'm NOT doing this next summer don't you?"

The reason I say "are you preapred" is because I thought I was, then that very real moment arrived I knew I wasn't.

However I will say this summer has been refreshing. Not necassarily better but refreshing.

His Lacrosse team fee was $150 (saved me at least $2000)
He has a renewed vigor for the game now that fall camps and tryouts are approaching
He discovered that life outside the rink isn't so bad and so did I
From what I can tell so far, he didn't get worse at hockey and he will get better this winter
He actually played golf all summer long and is now asking for clubs for xmas

My only point being is there will come a time where the kid needs balance in his life. For my son it was this year, 2nd year pee wee. For others it may be bantam, high school or beyond. Everybody is different. Just make sure YOU are willing to provide and accept that balance. Many on this board preach that they are but by the very nature of most of the postings on this board, I suspect in actuality the vast majority would struggle, at least intially.

Back when my kids started hockey (last century) we did not have tryouts. We worked the phones, got some names, watched some games and invited players to play. Teams were formed in January.

To my knowledge, none of the teams were operated for profit. Only the two top teams, plus the Showcase teams (which were good) combined kids from different areas. Everyone else formed a team from their association or friends and played in the spring.

I remember being frustrated one spring because we could not find any tournament to play in and our association-based team was not good enough to compete at the International Cup, which had an outstanding field.

Times have changed.

Excellent post Jolt! The people that need to read and think about what you said, didn't.

God I miss golf. Summer hockey sucks. Maybe I can convince my kids to trade their hockey sticks for golf clubs next summer. Then I could at least participate.

Outstanding way to actually spend some time with your son or daughter. As they always say, the game teaches some powerful life lessons. Plus, it's outdoors!

JoltDelivered wrote:

The first words out of his mouth were, "I forgot how much fun this is." You're right, that about says it all. I bet he'll be playing hockey next summer.

But are you prepared for the day when he chooses the golf course...at the end of the summer? I expereienced that this year for the first time. My son was pretty heavy duty involved in AAA for four summers. I thought he loved it. When we exited last year summer, he looked at me in the car one day and said, "Dad, you know I'm NOT doing this next summer don't you?"

The reason I say "are you preapred" is because I thought I was, then that very real moment arrived I knew I wasn't.

However I will say this summer has been refreshing. Not necassarily better but refreshing.

His Lacrosse team fee was $150 (saved me at least $2000)
He has a renewed vigor for the game now that fall camps and tryouts are approaching
He discovered that life outside the rink isn't so bad and so did I
From what I can tell so far, he didn't get worse at hockey and he will get better this winter
He actually played golf all summer long and is now asking for clubs for xmas

My only point being is there will come a time where the kid needs balance in his life. For my son it was this year, 2nd year pee wee. For others it may be bantam, high school or beyond. Everybody is different. Just make sure YOU are willing to provide and accept that balance. Many on this board preach that they are but by the very nature of most of the postings on this board, I suspect in actuality the vast majority would struggle, at least intially.

Jolt
I could have written your post, only it would have been much more wordy

Just to add another perspective.....
I coach in both a summer program and a winter program. Our AAA program has never been out to make money, just cover costs, work on skill and still preserve that all important time for family, fishing, golfing etc.

We have had tryouts in the spring right after winter season ends... Some that want to pick up some other kids, have felt that we may want to consider having fall tryouts... Others of us have argued that the kids change, or at least have the potential to over the winter. The rationalle can lead an organization to want to get into early (April) tourneys and sometimes the front money is needed ahead of time. A tough call honestly.

So, with ADM and many of the sport's best coaches saying that well rounded atheletes are the best players overall...... I would lean towards having the kids play several sports to develop that inner athelete.

That said, my own son has played winter hockey, skipped spring and fall leagues, played lacrosse, football and played in this AAA sunmer hockey. Our summer program has about 25 hrs of practice and maybe three-five tourneys...

I know some will argue that development can't occur in that few practices. I might argue differently when we can concentrate on those fundementals necessary for each age group...

Just my 10 cents...

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

Seems like most everyone understands why they have these tryouts when they do. It's not just the clubs you listed, it's almost everyone. Name a couple that aren't recruiting for next year right now. If they aren't openly recruiting right now it's probably because they already have a team, only need one or two players, or are just not very organized yet.

For the people who just hate AAA hockey they always say the owners or program directors are only in it for the money or they are greedy. They never even allow for the possibility that it is done for the love of the game. Last I checked nobody was getting rich off of running a AAA team in the summer.

More and more low cost low commitment programs are starting up all over the place. Many of them are local and they allow kids to play some hockey in the summer, allow time for other sports like baseball and allow the kids to be kids and hang out with their buddies too. Maybe it's time to take another look at the AAA landscape and who knows, maybe your opinion may change a little.