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Given the choice (pardon the pun)
What is recommended and under what circumstances should a kid play a 3rd year of SQ versus moving up to PW?
(some Associations allow for peer/grade level/hockey level, ie 6th grade is 1st year PW, OR they can follow MN Hockey which states if birthday is after July 1 than another year of SQ)
Thanks in advance for your comments

It really is about playing at the right level which might mean higher level Squirt vs. a lower level PeeWee primarily because there may be a better coach at the higher level.

If the level is right I suggest moving up with classmates and playing with the buds in his grade. Maybe top half of team talent wise. Ultimately those are his team mates and the sooner he skates with the group he'll play with in HS the better.

Play with their grade.. no benefit playing another year of squirts. should play with classmates and will screw him up and short him a year at bantams..

snowpuck wrote:Play with their grade.. no benefit playing another year of squirts. should play with classmates and will screw him up and short him a year at bantams..

uuuuh, no it won't.

Only play PW for a year = Two years at Bantam

uuuh, no it won't.

Only play PW for a year = Two years at Bantam



why on Earth would you play three years at squirts?? when you could play with your classmates and play at a higher level at peewees.. Makes no sense
Better to play bantams after playing two years peewees instead of three years squirts and one year peewees, who is to say he would not play two years bantams either?
Simple solution.. play with your grade
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Wouldn't he get more practice/ice time as a pee wee? That would seem to make it a no brainer.

You want to play with your grade. Otherwise you end up w/one year of pee-wee/bantam.

snowpuck wrote:uuuh, no it won't.

Only play PW for a year = Two years at Bantam



why on Earth would you play three years at squirts?? when you could play with your classmates and play at a higher level at peewees.. Makes no sense
Better to play bantams after playing two years peewees instead of three years squirts and one year peewees, who is to say he would not play two years bantams either?
Simple solution.. play with your grade
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Relax, I was just doing math.

Thanks all for your input
Makes perfect sense-
Sorry coach of SQA's next year....

Most of the time it will be the Association that will make that decision. They usually have guidelines for move up / opt ups. Sometimes bigger associations will not allow it, but little associations may. Would the child make a Pee Wee A or AA team, if so then that would be the right fit. Even if he would be a top B1 player then that would be good too. One association I know allowed a opt up to one player who already played two years at PW A and is playing Bantam A this year as a seventh grader. There were a few other kids who were 8th graders who tried opting up and were denied. Only one of those players played one year at the PW A level which is this year. They took it case by case and separated them instead of saying all or none. Seems to have worked out ok. If the child played Sq C, Sq B and could be one of the better kids on the Sq A team and be a leader, then this may be an option especially if the child would be on the PW C team. Now this is only a scenario and it may be different. By giving the details it may be a little less of a loaded question. I always like to play kids up if it is right for them. Good luck.

If you were not held back and you miss the cut off but are grade appropriate your association will let you play. i.e. you are in 6th grade bday after July 1 cutoff you play first year peewees with your grade and not second year squirts as dictated by bday after july1!!

snowpuck wrote:If you were not held back and you miss the cut off but are grade appropriate your association will let you play. i.e. you are in 6th grade bday after July 1 cutoff you play first year peewees with your grade and not second year squirts as dictated by bday after july1!!

Not always, every association is different. My above example was an actual example. Four 8th graders who wanted to play with their grade were not allowed to move up due to their age. Now this is a smaller association and the numbers game came into play on the decisions. I have also heard bigger associations not allowing the move ups as well. If they have a friend on the board they can ask them and find out the protocol.

Thats too bad never want to be the oldest on the team. Not in best interest for kid if they are serious about playing hockey and a top player.

Of those 4 kids, one is on the PW A team maybe in the top 5 and the other three are on the PW B2 team. I feel if they can move up and make an A or AA team they should be able to be moved up, and then it is a toss of the coin if they are going to be moved up to a C team. If the player is a top player, they should get moved up. It only benefits the association or the High School in the long run IMO. I know not everyone will agree with that but most opinions are different for many reasons.

Since the braintrust took checking out of PW it's essentially the same. Play up if you can.

edgeless2 wrote:Since the braintrust took checking out of PW it's essentially the same. Play up if you can.

Ding ding. Good answer.