Players striving for the NHL.

[theref]

I'm very curious to get other peoples opinions on here about some things that I've been reading. It seems that many parents/coaches/camps etc. are pushing kids to be looking at the NHL as their goal.

Now I'm not against having goals, but I'm wondering if everyone is looking at the bigger picture here. Children are born, they go to school and get good grades so they can go to college. They go to college so that they can get a job. They play sports the whole time as something to do to have fun and accumulate friends and be part of something that they may continue doing into their adulthood and may possible pass on to their children.

When did it become that kids play hockey and go to school on the side. If they play well in hockey, they may just get a scholarship to a D1 school, where if they play well there, they may get into the NHL and have a job.

I'm just wondering if we are starting to take the fun out of it and put too much emphasis on being a pro hockey player with all these camps and developing A and B teams younger and younger. I think it got lost somewhere that hockey is a SPORT for FUN and is a job for VERY FEW people.

What's everyones thoughts?

[Hobey Faker]

I don't believe it is the parents pushing kids. I think there are more opportunities and parents are supporting what the kids want.
as far as kids dreaming of the NHL or any other pro sport; this is nothing new.
I don't quite get your question about hockey not being fun; if a kid has a dream of playing in the big show; don't you think they have a passion for hockey? what is not fun about working hard enough to see results in your development? what makes you think these kids are not excelling in there education?

may be you should ask these questions:
why would anyone want to work hard for somthing that is a hard goal to reach?
why would you want to be better than average?

[theref]

Faker, I think you missed the mark with your response, which I figured the common hockey person would. I have no problem with people working hard and setting high goals or with people wanting to be better than average.

However, I am around and on the rink at least 3 hours a day and I'm seeing a difference in parents and coaches from when I played. It just seems that more emphasis is placed on "going places" with hockey than there is having fun and just enjoying the sport. I totally agree that if kids have passion that they are having fun. I see all these kids with "passion" that are never at outdoor rinks. (granted the weather hasn't been the greatest for that the last couple years) Just raises questions with me.

[Hobey Faker]

as far as kids not at the outside rink as much; I agree with you.
I think there are a couple reasons for this; one being lack of winter and
two being so many nights per week with there teams.
If associations could find a way to go with less practices but longer times
it would give players more time to go to the local out side rink and probably help with school work as well.
Both of my kids spent as much time as possible outside at the park; as they got older this was limited due to so many games and practices.
both of my kids played AAA and practiced 3 times per week 1.5- 2 hr
sessions. they both were in better condition and retained more during summer vs 4-5 1 hr sessions during the winter.

[southernfool]

I think I see your point and I agree with part of it. I do think some people (especially parents) try to live through their kids and attain goals that they want not necessarily what the kids want. Sure, the kid loves the sport but the parents have designs on them doing something more and put to many pressures on the kid. Part of that comes from the cost of hockey training being so high. My son played baseball and hockey and trust me the pressures of going somewhere with baseball is high also but the training costs are considerably less because they don't have to rent baseball fields at $190 hour.

But, I think it is important to realize that there are also a lot of players (not being pushed so hard by their parents) who have the loftier goals and there is nothing wrong with that. Sometimes the ones you notice are the loud parents that make you wonder about their motives but there are a bunch of kids that have the dream and want to go for it and I think that is great.

[northwoods oldtimer]

theref, your observations at the rink are indeed spot on for todays parents. Your quote on "going places" is very appropriate in regards to how adults view the hockey that is played at Minneosota indoor ice rinks. The game has diminished by a large margin and gone are the rinks rats of yester year. They just do not exist anymore with 55 games squirt schedules. Go to watch any level of youth and all you see is a lot "north to south" hockey. Meaning kids are bigger, stonger, faster at covering the ice but the game is too regimented for kids to develop any creativity all the way down to mite level. Programs are presuured to win at all cost in the developmental years by parents who expect results too many booard meetings and coaching altercations to state otherwise have occured around the state. Parents have lost perspective. I tell the boys I coach that you guys will have won outright if when you are coaching as adults there are no parents pressed up against that glass analysing every move little johnny makes. Think about it.. I coach football and baseball and no parents ever come to practice....ever in 7 straight years! They wait over in the parking lot and let the kids play. It is my hope these kids get to see that occur in their lifetime. Goos post theref it sparked some interest!

[Can't Never Tried]

theref, your observations at the rink are indeed spot on for todays parents. Your quote on "going places" is very appropriate in regards to how adults view the hockey that is played at Minneosota indoor ice rinks. The game has diminished by a large margin and gone are the rinks rats of yester year. They just do not exist anymore with 55 games squirt schedules. Go to watch any level of youth and all you see is a lot "north to south" hockey. Meaning kids are bigger, stonger, faster at covering the ice but the game is too regimented for kids to develop any creativity all the way down to mite level. Programs are presuured to win at all cost in the developmental years by parents who expect results too many booard meetings and coaching altercations to state otherwise have occured around the state. Parenst have lost perspective. I tell the boys I coach that you guys will have won outright if when you are coaching as adults there are no parents pressed up against that glass analysing every move little johnny makes. It is my hope these kids get to see that occur in their lifetime. Goos post theref it sparked some interest!

Agreed and respected.

[theref]

Thank you to those who understood where I was trying to go with this.

Also, 55 games in squirts? I thought they had rules against that sort of thing. That is rediculous!

[breakout]

theref, your observations at the rink are indeed spot on for todays parents. Your quote on "going places" is very appropriate in regards to how adults view the hockey that is played at Minneosota indoor ice rinks. The game has diminished by a large margin and gone are the rinks rats of yester year. They just do not exist anymore with 55 games squirt schedules. Go to watch any level of youth and all you see is a lot "north to south" hockey. Meaning kids are bigger, stonger, faster at covering the ice but the game is too regimented for kids to develop any creativity all the way down to mite level. Programs are presuured to win at all cost in the developmental years by parents who expect results too many booard meetings and coaching altercations to state otherwise have occured around the state. Parents have lost perspective. I tell the boys I coach that you guys will have won outright if when you are coaching as adults there are no parents pressed up against that glass analysing every move little johnny makes. Think about it.. I coach football and baseball and no parents ever come to practice....ever in 7 straight years! They wait over in the parking lot and let the kids play. It is my hope these kids get to see that occur in their lifetime. Goos post theref it sparked some interest!

Great perspective on youth hockey and youth sports in general. Hopefully, people like you can convince more people what youth athletics should be about.

Every time I drop off my kids at the field/rink, the last thing I say to them is have fun. They either play in the backyard rink or get dropped off at the park on the off nights and weekends. Those are great places to get away from structure and have fun.

Good thread

[6ampractice]

Northwoods, could not agree more. I have a 5 year old who just started the mini-mite program in our associaition. We would go to practice, and there would be more fathers on the ice helping out than there would be players. I have all the respect in the would for those who volunteer thier time to help with organized events in thier childrens lives, but these are the "helpers" who would simply escort thier own player through all of the cones, and around the sticks. It would not be unusuall to have 50 people watching a team of 15 five year olds skate. I also coach baseball and football for my 13 year old, and there are plenty of parents I only see at games, maybe.
As far as the dreaming goes, I tell my 13 year old to dream as big as possible, but to realize that there are more skaters in his association than play in the NHL.