High School Coach

[Camel Toe Drag]

The high school coach in our community put together a summer program (AAA) for Squirts/Peewee's by invite only. The program did not invite any of the kids that go to private schools or C and most of B players.
Not looking to turn this into a private school bashing thread but would like the opinion of some great hockey minds!
Right or Wrong?

[Bleed Maroon and Gold]

Sounds right to me. I have heard of associations usually the bigger ones that once a player gets to the Bantam levels have been told if they are enrolled in a private high school they are unable to make the top teams within that assocation.

If I was a high school coach I would want to develop the talent that will be going to the public high school. This is tough to do at Pee Wee and Squirt. A pee wee or squirt age player may go to a private school but may end up going to the public school. Tough choice but if I was the high school coach I would look at doing something similar if possible.

[bestpopcorn]

We had a few parents get together and field a triple A team. They invited who they wanted. It may have been based on talent, relationships, money... whatever. People got sore. It was a private bunch doing something on their own time for fun.

That is one of the joys of AAA. You get to pick.

At which point does a high school coach get to be a private person?

[observer]

Seems unusual but don't worry about it.

First, except for the laregest associations, there are rarely more than 3-4-5 AAA players in one association sharing the same birthyear. And second, from my experience, AAA is about getting out and mixing with other top kids from other associations as we all see enough of our association friends during the winter season.

[hockey8543]

Sounds right to me. I have heard of associations usually the bigger ones that once a player gets to the Bantam levels have been told if they are enrolled in a private high school they are unable to make the top teams within that assocation.

If I was a high school coach I would want to develop the talent that will be going to the public high school. This is tough to do at Pee Wee and Squirt. A pee wee or squirt age player may go to a private school but may end up going to the public school. Tough choice but if I was the high school coach I would look at doing something similar if possible.

I thought associations are not a feeder program for high schools.

[Bleed Maroon and Gold]

[quote="hockey8543"][quote="Bleed Maroon and Gold"]Sounds right to me. I have heard of associations usually the bigger ones that once a player gets to the Bantam levels have been told if they are enrolled in a private high school they are unable to make the top teams within that assocation.

If I was a high school coach I would want to develop the talent that will be going to the public high school. This is tough to do at Pee Wee and Squirt. A pee wee or squirt age player may go to a private school but may end up going to the public school. Tough choice but if I was the high school coach I would look at doing something similar if possible.[/quote] I thought associations are not a feeder program for high schools.[/quote]

When have I ever said that?

[urban iceman]

Sounds right to me. I have heard of associations usually the bigger ones that once a player gets to the Bantam levels have been told if they are enrolled in a private high school they are unable to make the top teams within that assocation.

If I was a high school coach I would want to develop the talent that will be going to the public high school. This is tough to do at Pee Wee and Squirt. A pee wee or squirt age player may go to a private school but may end up going to the public school. Tough choice but if I was the high school coach I would look at doing something similar if possible.

I thought associations are not a feeder program for high schools.

And sometimes for other High Schools!!!

[MNHockeyFan]

While an AAA coach can put together his own team, and is free to take the players he wants, it does seem rather arbitrary to exclude such young kids at the squirt and peewee level because of the school they are attending. Heck, when I was that age I attended a private school but ended up going to a public high school. Wouldn't the coach want to try to attract those private school kids and possibly influence them on which high school they end up going to?

On a different note, at what point does this fall under the definition of recruiting? If a private high school coach did the same thing, and invited only kids that he thought he could influence to play for his program, would that be viewed any differently?

[PuckU126]

So if my kid goes to a private middle school or just a private school in general, he cannot make the A Bantam team.

Hmm, I never knew youth hockey associations were so open about and allowed to discriminate against certain children.

[justme]

So if my kid goes to a private middle school or just a private school in general, he cannot make the A Bantam team.

Hmm, I never knew youth hockey associations were so open about and allowed to discriminate against certain children.

Hope you don't live Cottage Grove, the high school coach helps pick the A teams

[mulefarm]

So if my kid goes to a private middle school or just a private school in general, he cannot make the A Bantam team.

Hmm, I never knew youth hockey associations were so open about and allowed to discriminate against certain children.

Hope you don't live Cottage Grove, the high school coach helps pick the A teams

People complain when the HS coach isn't involved, and people complain we the HS coach is involved.

[WarmUpTheBus]

The high school coach in our community put together a summer program (AAA) for Squirts/Peewee's by invite only. The program did not invite any of the kids that go to private schools or C and most of B players.
Not looking to turn this into a private school bashing thread but would like the opinion of some great hockey minds!
Right or Wrong?

Private school grade scoop kids sometimes go to public high schools and vice versa. If the HS coach had any foresight he/she should invite all based on talent if trying to build for the future.

[thestickler07]

I don't understand why you would burn bridges in a youth association like that, but I don't really have a problem with it.

I wouldn't turn my back on a young kid that just wants to develop and play hockey. Who knows what can happen in a year?

Maybe playing with all his public school friends on a Bantam team for a year could change his mind, these are teenagers and kids we are dealing with after all.

[DustytheDuster]

So if my kid goes to a private middle school or just a private school in general, he cannot make the A Bantam team.

Hmm, I never knew youth hockey associations were so open about and allowed to discriminate against certain children.

Hope you don't live Cottage Grove, the high school coach helps pick the A teams

And yet.... Doesn't seem to be helping either side

[Juggernaut]

You can't blame the HS coach, he has to develop for his program. In todays environment he gets fired for not winning. There are private HS coaches out there building their programs through other AAA programs i.e.. Blades coach. There are plenty of other AAA programs out there find one.
As for being excluded from the Bantam A team, go talk to your Private HS coach, there are plenty of kids that faced this situation and played on their JV teams.

[goldy313]

My fear would be that he just turned a bunch of kids and families away from hockey, the kid playing A squirts may not be an A bantam while the B or C squirt maybe a very good player come bantams. The coach is running the risk if picking his high school team 6 - 8 years in advance, or at least the perception that he is picking it.

What happens to the kids who don't want to be on his team because they play baseball or have other commitments?

Is this coach a teacher in the district?

[justme]

So if my kid goes to a private middle school or just a private school in general, he cannot make the A Bantam team.

Hmm, I never knew youth hockey associations were so open about and allowed to discriminate against certain children.

Hope you don't live Cottage Grove, the high school coach helps pick the A teams

People complain when the HS coach isn't involved, and people complain we the HS coach is involved.

I agree with your statement but the high school coach shouldn't make it well know that he will not pick a certain player because his bother went to a certain school. If the high school coach truly loves the game of hockey he shouldn't prevent a A player from playing at the A level.

[barry_mcconnell]

There is the implied "so your kids want to play high school hockey someday uh? make check payable to coach whatshisnutz"

Keep those cashed checks around for when JR makes it to HS. If you've paid the coach enough money to buy new snowmobile I think your kid should get a spot.

[duluth dave]

Obviously the team should be based on talent and skill level. Unfortunately parents and hockey politics get in the way.

[Juggernaut]

If the true intention of the summer team is win, then the coach should pick the best players regardless of where they intend to go to school. If the intention is to prepare the kids that will play for his highschool then he should only pick players that will attend that highschool. It's summer hockey, he has the right to do what he wants. That may not feel good to everyone but the coach has to look out for his program first.

[Better Dead Than Red]

The high school coach in our community put together a summer program (AAA) for Squirts/Peewee's by invite only. The program did not invite any of the kids that go to private schools or C and most of B players.
Not looking to turn this into a private school bashing thread but would like the opinion of some great hockey minds!
Right or Wrong?

You should name the association and then this thread will get really interesting.

In order to stop kids from going to private high school, writing them off in squirts and pee wees does not seem like a good strategy. Maybe he should invite the private school kids and show them how he could develop them.

Association based AAA teams are generally not successful even at the open level, so good luck with that.