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What are the limits for total number of games and scrimmages for each boys' youth level per Minnesoat Hockey? I tried to find this info in a brief read of the handbook online but couldn't find it.

demongoed wrote:What are the limits for total number of games and scrimmages for each boys' youth level per Minnesoat Hockey? I tried to find this info in a brief read of the handbook online but couldn't find it.

About 30 games less than every other state in the union.

The only limit from Minnesota Hockey that I am aware of is the 35 game limit for squirts (Handbook, Youth Rules, Section VII.H.2, http://www.minnesotahockey.org/handbook/handbook.asp).

Some associations impose their own limits (mine does, so as to maintain a specific practice to game ratio).

regardless for a 6-month season it is stupid that you can only play 35 games.

goinbardown wrote:regardless for a 6-month season it is stupid that you can only play 35 games.

It's to put the pressure on the coaches to develop the kids. An easy out for a coach with no practice plan, scrimmage. Old school that's good but at $180 an hour for ice, we expect more from the coaches. Teach them something.

so your telling me that your cool with 35 games/ scrimmages when these teams go play in tournaments where you can go play 4 or 5 (even 6) games in a 3 day span? I'm not saying to go play 60 or even 50 games but I don't think that 45 is unreasonable. I mean that's only one more tournament a 5-6 scrimmages before the season starts.

It is possible to play 50 games and develop the kids. Just a thought.

Maybe the problem is we keep using the word "development" and are only focused on the journey to Varsity instead of focusing on the fact that at age 12 the game is still FUN and you want to play games. Boo Squirt games limit, Hooray Beer!

The top AAA Squirt programs in Ontario and around the US already have 20 games and at least 2 tournaments under their belt, if they were in Minnesota they're season would be over just after Halloween. Are they not developing kids?

99.98% of all players in your town are in your adult league farm system from the time they take their spill as they enter the ice.

jancze5 wrote:Maybe the problem is we keep using the word "development" and are only focused on the journey to Varsity instead of focusing on the fact that at age 12 the game is still FUN and you want to play games. Boo Squirt games limit, Hooray Beer!

The top AAA Squirt programs in Ontario and around the US already have 20 games and at least 2 tournaments under their belt, if they were in Minnesota they're season would be over just after Halloween. Are they not developing kids?

99.98% of all players in your town are in your adult league farm system from the time they take their spill as they enter the ice.

You must be off your rocker. Fun? Kids having fun with their friends? That would simply be unacceptable. Kids should be focusing on becoming the next NHL superstar. Fun simply gets in the way.

jancze5 wrote:Maybe the problem is we keep using the word "development" and are only focused on the journey to Varsity instead of focusing on the fact that at age 12 the game is still FUN and you want to play games. Boo Squirt games limit, Hooray Beer!

I understand your post and agree with it, but I do want to point out that USA Hockey recommendations (which are seldom followed) propose a 3:1 or 2:1 practice to game ratio at younger ages, BUT each practice is supposed to have a significant component of cross-ice scrimmage play.

Kids do like to play games. However, parents like to see clocks, refs, goalies, and uniforms.

O-townClown wrote:

jancze5 wrote:Maybe the problem is we keep using the word "development" and are only focused on the journey to Varsity instead of focusing on the fact that at age 12 the game is still FUN and you want to play games. Boo Squirt games limit, Hooray Beer!

I understand your post and agree with it, but I do want to point out that USA Hockey recommendations (which are seldom followed) propose a 3:1 or 2:1 practice to game ratio at younger ages, BUT each practice is supposed to have a significant component of cross-ice scrimmage play.

Kids do like to play games. However, parents like to see clocks, refs, goalies, and uniforms.

I'll second that

Bash Brother wrote:

O-townClown wrote:

jancze5 wrote:Maybe the problem is we keep using the word "development" and are only focused on the journey to Varsity instead of focusing on the fact that at age 12 the game is still FUN and you want to play games. Boo Squirt games limit, Hooray Beer!

I understand your post and agree with it, but I do want to point out that USA Hockey recommendations (which are seldom followed) propose a 3:1 or 2:1 practice to game ratio at younger ages, BUT each practice is supposed to have a significant component of cross-ice scrimmage play.

Kids do like to play games. However, parents like to see clocks, refs, goalies, and uniforms.

I'll second that

I will also say that if parents are paying the money that they are they should see some more games.

mnhcp wrote:

goinbardown wrote:regardless for a 6-month season it is stupid that you can only play 35 games.

It's to put the pressure on the coaches to develop the kids. An easy out for a coach with no practice plan, scrimmage. Old school that's good but at $180 an hour for ice, we expect more from the coaches. Teach them something.

Great attitude to give towards volunteer coaches. Seriously, and people wonder why the guys who are qualified don't want to get involved.

Kids should be outdoor skating to develope skills unsupervised, use indoor ice for games.

Whoever thinks there should be more games at the squirt level is out of their minds. you have got to be kidding if you think more games at that level develops players - and they would have more fun. all it does is increase the cost.
If you really want to take a look at both development and fun - take a look at the European model. Europe is sending far more players to the NHL now than the US or Canada. And they don't play ANY organized games until they are over 12 years old.
Please read this correctly - ORGANIZED games. Yes they play lots of games - small group games, 3on3 games, stick handling games, all are designed to develop skills so the players have even more fun as they get older. Because... more skill = more sucess = more fun.
Playing more games at the Squirt level does nothing for these kids - it is just so mom and dad can go cheer for their kids. The kids will have just as much fun competing at every practice with a variety of different games designed to develop skills.

so i did the math. If your team starts on the beginning of October and runs through the second of April like ours and you can only play .212121 games per day. So for those who can do math that is 1 game for every 5 days if evenly spaced out. Now if you play in a tournament that means you can go weeks at a time with out playing any games, which happens to be where you find out if all this "development" that is going on in practice is actually working.

My 10 year old daughter improved 10 fold in one winter last year. She never played hockey and could hardly stand on skates at the first pracice. Was it her 1 hr of ice every 4 days in the association. NO. It was the 3 hours a night, 4 or so nights a week she spent in the neighborhood rink with her brothers skating and passing and stickhandling.

jancze5 wrote:My 10 year old daughter improved 10 fold in one winter last year. She never played hockey and could hardly stand on skates at the first pracice. Was it her 1 hr of ice every 4 days in the association. NO. It was the 3 hours a night, 4 or so nights a week she spent in the neighborhood rink with her brothers skating and passing and stickhandling.

There is a lot to be said for "play time"

jancze5 wrote:My 10 year old daughter improved 10 fold in one winter last year. She never played hockey and could hardly stand on skates at the first pracice. Was it her 1 hr of ice every 4 days in the association. NO. It was the 3 hours a night, 4 or so nights a week she spent in the neighborhood rink with her brothers skating and passing and stickhandling.

Jancze5, Your association only gets the 10U's on the ice every 4 days?! You picked the wrong city to move to when you came back to Minnesota! I see why your son played AAA. Our recreational level girls are on the ice 3 times per week and our travel teams have about 4 home hours plus their away games. Your girl's coordinator has a lot of work to do.

With that said, I also put a lot of value in pond hockey on outdoor ice. When I grew up, the 10 days of Chrstmas break really separated the players that I played with and against. Those that were outside every day made huge improvements and those that only went to practices and games stayed at the same level.