Minor Hockey Talks - Hockey Forum

Guest wrote: ↑Tue Apr 01, 2025 9:41 am

Guest wrote: ↑Tue Apr 01, 2025 8:21 am

Guest wrote: ↑Mon Mar 31, 2025 9:59 am

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Mar 29, 2025 9:59 am So my recommendation for any players looking to play AAA for U14 and younger

Take an honest look at your child and their skills.

Are they able to play on the top 2 lines/top4 D on the better/Mid pack AAA teams?

If not you are better off playing on a top AA team with a good coach and using the difference in fees for more ice time.

Your kid will develop more have more fun and enjoy the year more.

Remember that the bottom AAA teams are only going to have AA players with maybe 1-2 real AAA players on them

This is a losing mentality. Play at the highest level you can and you will develop faster if you choose to push yourself. The younger you can do it, the better. Its extremely difficult to break into AAA after U14. This is terrible advice.

the AAA teams at the bottom of the league tend to have poor coaching and AA quality players. These teams are not going to help your kid develop the right work ethic or habits

If you noticed i said play on the TOP AA teams not just AA

If this were true, and its not, you're still playing against top teams and gaining valuable experience you cant get in AA. Its a whole different level with a higher pace of development regardless of what level team you're on. Show me a single AA player that jumped up to a top tier AAA team, it doesn't happen. It also takes the months to catch up to the speed of the game.

Guest wrote: ↑Tue Apr 01, 2025 9:41 am

Guest wrote: ↑Tue Apr 01, 2025 8:21 am

Guest wrote: ↑Mon Mar 31, 2025 9:59 am

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Mar 29, 2025 9:59 am So my recommendation for any players looking to play AAA for U14 and younger

Take an honest look at your child and their skills.

Are they able to play on the top 2 lines/top4 D on the better/Mid pack AAA teams?

If not you are better off playing on a top AA team with a good coach and using the difference in fees for more ice time.

Your kid will develop more have more fun and enjoy the year more.

Remember that the bottom AAA teams are only going to have AA players with maybe 1-2 real AAA players on them

This is a losing mentality. Play at the highest level you can and you will develop faster if you choose to push yourself. The younger you can do it, the better. Its extremely difficult to break into AAA after U14. This is terrible advice.

the AAA teams at the bottom of the league tend to have poor coaching and AA quality players. These teams are not going to help your kid develop the right work ethic or habits

If you noticed i said play on the TOP AA teams not just AA

If this were true, and its not, you're still playing against top teams and gaining valuable experience you cant get in AA. Its a whole different level with a higher pace of development regardless of what level team you're on. Show me a single AA player that jumped up to a top tier AAA team, it doesn't happen. It also takes the months to catch up to the speed of the game.

Guest wrote: ↑Tue Apr 01, 2025 9:41 am

Guest wrote: ↑Tue Apr 01, 2025 8:21 am

Guest wrote: ↑Mon Mar 31, 2025 9:59 am

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Mar 29, 2025 9:59 am So my recommendation for any players looking to play AAA for U14 and younger

Take an honest look at your child and their skills.

Are they able to play on the top 2 lines/top4 D on the better/Mid pack AAA teams?

If not you are better off playing on a top AA team with a good coach and using the difference in fees for more ice time.

Your kid will develop more have more fun and enjoy the year more.

Remember that the bottom AAA teams are only going to have AA players with maybe 1-2 real AAA players on them

This is a losing mentality. Play at the highest level you can and you will develop faster if you choose to push yourself. The younger you can do it, the better. Its extremely difficult to break into AAA after U14. This is terrible advice.

the AAA teams at the bottom of the league tend to have poor coaching and AA quality players. These teams are not going to help your kid develop the right work ethic or habits

If you noticed i said play on the TOP AA teams not just AA

If this were true, and its not, you're still playing against top teams and gaining valuable experience you cant get in AA. Its a whole different level with a higher pace of development regardless of what level team you're on. Show me a single AA player that jumped up to a top tier AAA team, it doesn't happen. It also takes the months to catch up to the speed of the game.

Guest wrote: ↑Tue Apr 01, 2025 1:09 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Tue Apr 01, 2025 8:23 am

Guest wrote: ↑Mon Mar 31, 2025 10:41 am

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Mar 29, 2025 9:59 am So my recommendation for any players looking to play AAA for U14 and younger

Take an honest look at your child and their skills.

Are they able to play on the top 2 lines/top4 D on the better/Mid pack AAA teams?

If not you are better off playing on a top AA team with a good coach and using the difference in fees for more ice time.

Your kid will develop more have more fun and enjoy the year more.

Remember that the bottom AAA teams are only going to have AA players with maybe 1-2 real AAA players on them

Poor advice from our experience. If your child is able to crack a AAA roster, even as a 3rd liner on a weak team, accept the offer if you can afford it. The development will be better, they will be on the ice more, and they will be playing against the best teams and players in the loop. My oldest child made a AAA at u10 where he was a 3rd liner. The following 2 years he dropped down to AA so he could get more shifts and score more goals. When he went back for the u13 AAA tryouts with the same team and many of the same players he played with at u10, the group was unrecognizable. The speed and skill of the game had gotten away from him even though he was 'the guy' in AA.

Obviously there will be others where the AA experience works out for them and they can successfully transition back to AAA, but for us we regret not keeping our son in AAA and allowing him to grind it out and earn his minutes.

What would have been different? Do you think he would have enjoyed playing less minutes and losing at AAA more than he did at AA?

I think he would have continued developing alongside the other players on his AAA team, being challenged more in practices and in games by being surrounded by better competition, learned to understand and enjoy 'the process', and continued doing extras to catch up and hopefully surpass some of those players to earn more minutes. It's all speculative, but my point was that from our experience, dropping down to AA for 2 years to build his confidence did not translate to being a better AAA player - it set him back even further. Again, this is just our experience and i'm sure others have done this successfully and have differing opinions.

Guest wrote: ↑Tue Apr 01, 2025 9:41 am

Guest wrote: ↑Tue Apr 01, 2025 8:21 am

Guest wrote: ↑Mon Mar 31, 2025 9:59 am

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Mar 29, 2025 9:59 am So my recommendation for any players looking to play AAA for U14 and younger

Take an honest look at your child and their skills.

Are they able to play on the top 2 lines/top4 D on the better/Mid pack AAA teams?

If not you are better off playing on a top AA team with a good coach and using the difference in fees for more ice time.

Your kid will develop more have more fun and enjoy the year more.

Remember that the bottom AAA teams are only going to have AA players with maybe 1-2 real AAA players on them

This is a losing mentality. Play at the highest level you can and you will develop faster if you choose to push yourself. The younger you can do it, the better. Its extremely difficult to break into AAA after U14. This is terrible advice.

the AAA teams at the bottom of the league tend to have poor coaching and AA quality players. These teams are not going to help your kid develop the right work ethic or habits

If you noticed i said play on the TOP AA teams not just AA

If this were true, and its not, you're still playing against top teams and gaining valuable experience you cant get in AA. Its a whole different level with a higher pace of development regardless of what level team you're on. Show me a single AA player that jumped up to a top tier AAA team, it doesn't happen. It also takes the months to catch up to the speed of the game.

Guest wrote: ↑Tue Apr 01, 2025 8:23 am

Guest wrote: ↑Mon Mar 31, 2025 10:41 am

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Mar 29, 2025 9:59 am So my recommendation for any players looking to play AAA for U14 and younger

Take an honest look at your child and their skills.

Are they able to play on the top 2 lines/top4 D on the better/Mid pack AAA teams?

If not you are better off playing on a top AA team with a good coach and using the difference in fees for more ice time.

Your kid will develop more have more fun and enjoy the year more.

Remember that the bottom AAA teams are only going to have AA players with maybe 1-2 real AAA players on them

Poor advice from our experience. If your child is able to crack a AAA roster, even as a 3rd liner on a weak team, accept the offer if you can afford it. The development will be better, they will be on the ice more, and they will be playing against the best teams and players in the loop. My oldest child made a AAA at u10 where he was a 3rd liner. The following 2 years he dropped down to AA so he could get more shifts and score more goals. When he went back for the u13 AAA tryouts with the same team and many of the same players he played with at u10, the group was unrecognizable. The speed and skill of the game had gotten away from him even though he was 'the guy' in AA.

Obviously there will be others where the AA experience works out for them and they can successfully transition back to AAA, but for us we regret not keeping our son in AAA and allowing him to grind it out and earn his minutes.

What would have been different? Do you think he would have enjoyed playing less minutes and losing at AAA more than he did at AA?

Guest wrote: ↑Tue Apr 01, 2025 8:21 am

Guest wrote: ↑Mon Mar 31, 2025 9:59 am

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Mar 29, 2025 9:59 am So my recommendation for any players looking to play AAA for U14 and younger

Take an honest look at your child and their skills.

Are they able to play on the top 2 lines/top4 D on the better/Mid pack AAA teams?

If not you are better off playing on a top AA team with a good coach and using the difference in fees for more ice time.

Your kid will develop more have more fun and enjoy the year more.

Remember that the bottom AAA teams are only going to have AA players with maybe 1-2 real AAA players on them

This is a losing mentality. Play at the highest level you can and you will develop faster if you choose to push yourself. The younger you can do it, the better. Its extremely difficult to break into AAA after U14. This is terrible advice.

the AAA teams at the bottom of the league tend to have poor coaching and AA quality players. These teams are not going to help your kid develop the right work ethic or habits

If you noticed i said play on the TOP AA teams not just AA

Guest wrote: ↑Mon Mar 31, 2025 10:41 am

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Mar 29, 2025 9:59 am So my recommendation for any players looking to play AAA for U14 and younger

Take an honest look at your child and their skills.

Are they able to play on the top 2 lines/top4 D on the better/Mid pack AAA teams?

If not you are better off playing on a top AA team with a good coach and using the difference in fees for more ice time.

Your kid will develop more have more fun and enjoy the year more.

Remember that the bottom AAA teams are only going to have AA players with maybe 1-2 real AAA players on them

Poor advice from our experience. If your child is able to crack a AAA roster, even as a 3rd liner on a weak team, accept the offer if you can afford it. The development will be better, they will be on the ice more, and they will be playing against the best teams and players in the loop. My oldest child made a AAA at u10 where he was a 3rd liner. The following 2 years he dropped down to AA so he could get more shifts and score more goals. When he went back for the u13 AAA tryouts with the same team and many of the same players he played with at u10, the group was unrecognizable. The speed and skill of the game had gotten away from him even though he was 'the guy' in AA.

Obviously there will be others where the AA experience works out for them and they can successfully transition back to AAA, but for us we regret not keeping our son in AAA and allowing him to grind it out and earn his minutes.

Guest wrote: ↑Mon Mar 31, 2025 9:59 am

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Mar 29, 2025 9:59 am So my recommendation for any players looking to play AAA for U14 and younger

Take an honest look at your child and their skills.

Are they able to play on the top 2 lines/top4 D on the better/Mid pack AAA teams?

If not you are better off playing on a top AA team with a good coach and using the difference in fees for more ice time.

Your kid will develop more have more fun and enjoy the year more.

Remember that the bottom AAA teams are only going to have AA players with maybe 1-2 real AAA players on them

This is a losing mentality. Play at the highest level you can and you will develop faster if you choose to push yourself. The younger you can do it, the better. Its extremely difficult to break into AAA after U14. This is terrible advice.