Bantams trying out for varsity

[F14]

Head varsity at many programs with very few kids (20-30 skater max trying out), often actively encourage Bantams to take the 3 days and tryout. Some youth associations have bylaws that don't allow a player to TRYOUT under any circumstance. Many of these youth associations have more lax bylaws that let players on Bantam teams tryout.

I can't speak for large associations generally, but if they have 80 players trying out in grades 10-12, they don't need Bantams under any circumstance unless they are playing first two lines of varsity in my opinion.

For the smaller associations, coaches often don't want players REPEATING the same level of youth hockey for a second year in a row and would (BB1 usually) and want them to play jv/varsity.

As a parent who went through this with my son, I think you take the 6 weeks play with your Bantam team, go through the tryout, and if nothing else you have spent 3 days being seen against the Juniors and seniors. You get plenty of ice with Bantams and then practice

EVERY DAY with HIGH School players. A lot of Bantam A players in 9th graders don't realize that 11th and 12th graders generally were higher classification players and are bigger and stronger.

If you are on a Youth team with NO Goalie Coach (as is often the case), and your High school program has a full-time goalie coach, that is another huge positive variable towards playing as a 9th grader.