HighSchoolHockeyForums.com

I hesitate to even make this observation, but over the last year I have personally seen & heard more criticism than ever regarding how tournaments are run, who's in them, what crappy players gifts are given, what terrible game times teams have, what rinks they play at and that doesn't even touch on what is posted on this forum. I realize electronic messages of all kinds can be a convienent method to get opinions voiced. However, we all need to realize there is a person at the other end who usually is a volunteer as a tounament director, checking in teams, trying to fill a first year tournament & insuring to the best of their abilities competitive games and a good tournament experience. No one should want to blowout other teams by 7 goals just to be in the Champ game, but what about a strong pool & a weak pool to have 3-4 quality games instead of just 2? We sometimes have to work with what hand we are delt. This goes for winter hockey as well as summer AAA. I'm not saying criticism & complaints should not be made. But, the pettiness is over the top. I don't recall anyone problems with 8pm & then a 8am games in the past - we all have had them - thats why rules changed for 10hrs off & 3hrs between day games, for sanctioned tourneys. We all try to avoid it the best we can since "paybacks are a b**ch". There's my opinion, feel free to bash me if you want - I can & have taken it over the past 8yrs. I only hope that my remaining 3yrs in youth hockey will be more like the first 6.

Wait until you get to high school. things don't change, only they attack the coach and not the tournaments. have fun the your last 3 years

I think that it's gotten a lot worse because now there are an awful lot of people, paying large sums of money for bad hockey. They are committing huge amounts of time and energy and it isn't paying off and they are frustrated. I am not picking on any particular program, of course, any I've paid for have been worth every cent , but I have been in the stands and watched some low caliber hockey and I know what the other parents have paid for the experience, and than they are getting beat by kids who are from 'inferior' programs, or (for IM) kids who rarely skate and get together once in a while for tournaments. I am sure it is terribly frustrating for these parents and that's why they are acting this way, notice I'm not saying the kids are frustrated. They are playinga game and, hopefully, having fun.