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[MN_Hcky_Coach]

New Post: AAA Hockey is a Joke

http://mnhockeycoach.blogspot.com/2010/ ... -joke.html

-Coach

[HockeyDad41]

Tuesday, March 16
AAA Hockey is a Joke
Honestly, one thing that I cannot stand in the wonderful state of hockey that we live in are the three letters…AAA. I know the origins of the current AAA programs around the state date back to when I was a youth player and that they do provide a place for kids to play hockey all year round. But the way that coaches, parents and players look at these programs today are insanely wrong. The whole idea of “Selects” was to get the top players together from around the state to play in a year end tournament, not a summer long campaign. I am not surprised that kids are getting burnt out on hockey by the time they are bantams because they do nothing but play hockey all year round. I know from experience as a player that played on USA hockey teams that USA hockey preaches for players to be athletes and scholars, not just hockey players, so why do they play only hockey all year round.


It is disgusting to me to see all of these AAA teams and even more disgusting how intense parents are about getting their kids into AAA hockey. Come on, there are mite AAA teams, MITES. These kids can barely spell hockey but they are playing AAA select hockey. The kids can barely skate, but they are playing 150 games a year???

When parents ask for my advice about what their kids should do in the summer, it doesn’t matter what age they are or what team they play on, my first response is always “Skating School.” Now there are a ton of schools and camps that emphasis fundamental stick handling, skating, shooting and fun. These are great places for kids to skate in the summer, and guess what, they are half the cost of a AAA team and the kids almost always get more ice time. MITE AAA, come on people!

Look back at the history of hockey players in MN and you’ll see that very few of the greats were very good at all in mites, squirts or peewees and on the flip side, look at the kids your son/daughter grew up with, by the time they get to bantams and high school, the all star squirts are usually not on the ice because they are either burnt out from the AAA hockey or other kids developed and left them behind. Come on parents, can you not see that your children begin to expect to be the best, do you not hear about them bragging about what AAA team they are on, your kids are not learning to work hard, to set goals, to develop fundamental skills, they are learning to play games and that everything comes easy. Not to mention that throwing a baseball around in the back yard or riding bikes with their friends in the summer is FREE, while AAA hockey is not.

Parents I ask that you really consider the investment in AAA hockey for your kids. What are you going to say if they decide to quit playing when they get to bantams or high school? Are you going to guilt them into continuing because you spent $10,000 over the last 6 years paying for AAA teams? What if your financial advisor said, “give me $10,000 and in 6 years you might get something back, you might lose it all or there is a slim chance you might get a $40,000 return (in the form of a college scholarship)? Would you give him the money? I would guess no. My point is that there are safer ways to ensure your kid develops as a hockey player, cheaper ways. Take that money you spend on AAA hockey each summer and save more than half of it by getting your kids into fundamental camps. Take the other half of the money and invest in a savings account or lower risk mutual fund, that way you can guarantee there will be money for your kid when it is time for college. Wouldn’t you hate to say to them “sorry we can’t give you any money for college, because we spent it all on AAA hockey in hopes you’d get a scholarship?” Wow I would not want to deliver that news to my kids.

Just think about it people….Come On MITE AAA, wow.

-Coach
Posted by Minnesota Hockey Coach

Is there some other AAA hockey going on out there that I don't know about? 150 Games? Who the hell plays 150 games in one summer?

[InigoMontoya]

Most of us have read a couple of posts on this guys blog and dismissed him. You could have picked out 10 things on this posting to question; however, picking one out only gives him credibility.

[EnjoyTheShow]

these blogs are " for the birds!"