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Dangle the Puck wrote:In our association the Squirt A team took 11 MM Choice skaters out of 15 skaters on the team. 6 of them are 1st year Squirts. 12 out of 15 play AAA hockey in the summer.

In case any of you are interested, my son played one year of Choice in Mites and has never been interested in playing AAA and missed making the A team.

So as this thread fades to the bottom of the page and gets fewer and fewer looks and responses. I am gathering these opinions from the posts. MM Choice league offers No significant advantage over developing within a good association. If you are on a fringe association there might be an advantage to signing your kid up for the Choice League. I was hoping that this thread would be the silver bullet that shut everyone up about MM but considering the responses and the lack of solid evidence behind the Choice sending top enders back to their association It appears Not to have delivered its promise to all. Others may draw different conclusions but I will stick with mine. BTW. I just saw a long time college college buddy at a game the other night he is a huge MM fan and his kid came back to a mediocre association this year after playing in the choice. His son mad peewee b1.

Yes - it's in the SW metro and you could probably figure out which one if you really wanted to. Here's the breakdown to the best of my knowledge:

1: 2 years Choice; AAA Blades
2: don't know
3: 1 year Choice; AAA Girls Machine
4: Goalie
5: 2 years Choice; no AAA
6: MM clinics only; no AAA
7: 2 years Choice; AAA Icemen
8: 2 years Choice; AAA Machine
9: don't know
10: 2 years Choice; AAA Icemen
11: 2 years Choice; AAA (yes, can't remember which team)
12: transferred from East Coast
13: 2 years Choice; AAA Force
14: 1 year Choice; AAA Icemen
15: Goalie
16: 1 year Choice; AAA Torspo
17: 1 year Choice; AAA Icemen

I have not encouraged year-round hockey with my son and he has said that he likes having more free time in the summer. I'm afraid he would burn-out on hockey if he didn't get the summer break so we are happy with his decision. He thought Choice league improved his skills more but was less fun than association hockey. I hope someone finds this information useful.

I was hoping that this thread would be the silver bullet that shut everyone up about MM

No you weren't. You're smarter than that.
1)There is no silver bullet in any aspect of hockey.
2)No one will shut up about MM.

Some people like it better than the alternative they are forced into; some don't. For some, the association teaches the kids to skate and puckhandle, for others mites are only given 45 minutes of 6 station ice time twice a week because "they can't handle more than that" while MM has full ice, 20-minute-period games. It's just a choice. CCM or Bauer. Some are happy they can choose.

MM Choice league offers No significant advantage over developing within a good association. If you are on a fringe association there might be an advantage to signing your kid up for the Choice League.

I think this is a pretty fair assessment.

Seems like there were quite a few kids that didn't come back after Choice Mites and went back to their associations instead. Any feedback regarding whether or not there was success making squirt A teams?

[quote]Some people like it better than the alternative they are forced into; some don't. For some, the association teaches the kids to skate and puckhandle, for others mites are only given 45 minutes of 6 station ice time twice a week because "they can't handle more than that" while MM has full ice, 20-minute-period games. It's just a choice. CCM or Bauer. Some are happy they can choose.

spot on

InigoMontoya wrote:

I was hoping that this thread would be the silver bullet that shut everyone up about MM

No you weren't. You're smarter than that.
1)There is no silver bullet in any aspect of hockey.
2)No one will shut up about MM.

Some people like it better than the alternative they are forced into; some don't. For some, the association teaches the kids to skate and puckhandle, for others mites are only given 45 minutes of 6 station ice time twice a week because "they can't handle more than that" while MM has full ice, 20-minute-period games. It's just a choice. CCM or Bauer. Some are happy they can choose.

You got me on that one.. I really do think that it is great that there is a Choice out there. I was just miffed at the promise to make Jr. into a superstar that was outlined in the original flyer. I guess it is true that all great companies rely on Marketing when selling teir product in this case a promise.

dogeatdog1 wrote:

InigoMontoya wrote:

I was hoping that this thread would be the silver bullet that shut everyone up about MM

No you weren't. You're smarter than that.
1)There is no silver bullet in any aspect of hockey.
2)No one will shut up about MM.

Some people like it better than the alternative they are forced into; some don't. For some, the association teaches the kids to skate and puckhandle, for others mites are only given 45 minutes of 6 station ice time twice a week because "they can't handle more than that" while MM has full ice, 20-minute-period games. It's just a choice. CCM or Bauer. Some are happy they can choose.

You got me on that one.. I really do think that it is great that there is a Choice out there. I was just miffed at the promise to make Jr. into a superstar that was outlined in the original flyer. I guess it is true that all great companies rely on Marketing when selling teir product in this case a promise.

It's a P.T. Barnum thing.

The choice league has been a smashing success!

Toomuchtoosoon wrote:One out of ten made PW A. Did not make a difference in their pecking order. No MM AAA players made PWA.

That is so unfair as you never once mentioned how many MM AAA players even tried out for PWA.

HockeyDad41 wrote:

MM Choice league offers No significant advantage over developing within a good association. If you are on a fringe association there might be an advantage to signing your kid up for the Choice League.

I think this is a pretty fair assessment.

Seems like there were quite a few kids that didn't come back after Choice Mites and went back to their associations instead. Any feedback regarding whether or not there was success making squirt A teams?

The sampling from this website is not large enough to offer any assessment at all! It's been a smashing success!

That is so unfair as you never once mentioned how many MM AAA players even tried out for PWA.

Four that I know of.

Toomuchtoosoon wrote:

That is so unfair as you never once mentioned how many MM AAA players even tried out for PWA.

Four that I know of.

That's convenient, ommitting such a pertinent detail but when challenged make up a number. Yeh, right.

I didn't go to MM so my kid could make A hockey. We came because it focused on the right things, the teams are balanced, and I don't have to deal with politics! Choice skaters that I know from MM ended up at B levels as 1st year players and I think they expected that and feel their kids are at the right level. I certainly would be happy to have my kid go back as a first year PW and make a B team.

thewho wrote:I didn't go to MM so my kid could make A hockey. We came because it focused on the right things, the teams are balanced, and I don't have to deal with politics! Choice skaters that I know from MM ended up at B levels as 1st year players and I think they expected that and feel their kids are at the right level. I certainly would be happy to have my kid go back as a first year PW and make a B team.

4th and long boys do we punt or call a trick play

Several go for remedial reasons.

The numbers of the kids on this SW squirt A team don't tell the whole story. Only 5 Played at MM exculsively last year. Some went there for 1 year and came back to their Association and played at a B or lower level last year. Some played both MM and Association hockey last year. There are 3 kids on C teams that played at MM in the last 2 years. This SW association lost 39 kids to MM 2 years ago, Lost 9 kids last year and this year only 4. The point is the top kids were looking for something more, the rest were hoping to achieve a dream. MM is a choice but it is not necessarily the answer. Each family has to make the decision for what is best for them.

That's convenient, ommitting such a pertinent detail but when challenged make up a number. Yeh, right.

2-3 Torspo fwds - not sure on the third
1 Torspo G
1 '99 machine/blade fwd

James B Mcbain wrote:The choice league has been a smashing success!

Don't want to beat a dead horse but since you brougt it up.. Pull out the original flyer that promoted the choice and see what it promised. That is the basis for the Thread. Success as far as a $ making venture, maybe, Success when it comes to developing top end talent as promised? I haven' seen it comming back to the association as promised. Once again I will put in my disclaimer. I am a capitalist and think that offering a product that no one else has is smart business and good for the overall well being of MN hockey. cavaet emptor!

It is a good choice for avg or worse associations, neutral for good or better. It could be somewhat of a negative if you are from a good association, if you decide to spend 2X the money for the extra ice (depends on your view). We are fortunate to have great coaching at every level, so the extra travel and costs are not worth it for our family. When one realizes that you get diminishing returns after so many structured hours, then the equation changes (100 hrs is not 2X as good as 50hrs-more like 1.2X as good.)

hockey is a game wrote:The point is the top kids were looking for something more, the rest were hoping to achieve a dream. MM is a choice but it is not necessarily the answer.

First post? Very well said.

I think the part many find/found so offensive was the bravado of the marketing message.

"Hey, we've got hockey" doesn't have quite the same wow factor as "Great players aren't born, they're MADE!"

Is the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus really the Greatest Show on Earth? I'm sure many of us have been to the circus; did we really expect to see the greatest show on Earth? My favorite Wallstreet line: "A fool and his money are lucky enough to get together in the first place."

InigoMontoya wrote:Is the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus really the Greatest Show on Earth? I'm sure many of us have been to the circus; did we really expect to see the greatest show on Earth? My favorite Wallstreet line: "A fool and his money are lucky enough to get together in the first place."

That is a great quote I will steal it and use it often... I love that we have two quotes that the league is a SMASHING SUCCESS!!!

Pre choice league my son played in his home town mites and played some aaa hockey in the summer, 1st yr squirt A team 2nd year squirt A team. Moving up too the peewee level played AAA at mm and made peewee A 1st year and 2nd year. Seeing his progress at mm he played a 2nd season at mm and made Bantam A his first year, now the rest is up to him playing his second year on the Bantam A team. I'm very pleased with mm hockey development and look forward to my son playing high school hockey next year if he want's it!!!!!!!!!!! It's his CHOICE!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks mm for all the friendships we as a family MADE!!!!!!!

Tuuk2score wrote:Pre choice league my son played in his home town mites and played some aaa hockey in the summer, 1st yr squirt A team 2nd year squirt A team. Moving up too the peewee level played AAA at mm and made peewee A 1st year and 2nd year. Seeing his progress at mm he played a 2nd season at mm and made Bantam A his first year, now the rest is up to him playing his second year on the Bantam A team. I'm very pleased with mm hockey development and look forward to my son playing high school hockey next year if he want's it!!!!!!!!!!! It's his CHOICE!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks mm for all the friendships we as a family MADE!!!!!!!

Sounds great! Your kid done great, but according to BM your kid's a failure if he plays HS Hockey. MM, according to BM, is supposed to prep your kid for Ann Arbor, then D1. Why waste your time playing HS hockey in MN?

Tuuk2score wrote:Pre choice league my son played in his home town mites and played some aaa hockey in the summer, 1st yr squirt A team 2nd year squirt A team. Moving up too the peewee level played AAA at mm and made peewee A 1st year and 2nd year. Seeing his progress at mm he played a 2nd season at mm and made Bantam A his first year, now the rest is up to him playing his second year on the Bantam A team. I'm very pleased with mm hockey development and look forward to my son playing high school hockey next year if he want's it!!!!!!!!!!! It's his CHOICE!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks mm for all the friendships we as a family MADE!!!!!!!

Sorry but he doesn't qualify for the study... this thread is about the kids that played in the choice mite and squirt league and where they landed. Sounds like he had a good experience with AAA but he most likely would have done the same playing with other AAA organizations.