What AA Bantam Teams for 2018-19?

[coachbombay]

Wada was a goalie, so maybe he needs a little edge work, but he knows how to coach. It's tough to compete out of artesia, but he has proven that he can. the big clubs are always stealing your talent.

[A1Hockey Fan]

Wada was a goalie, so maybe he needs a little edge work, but he knows how to coach. It's tough to compete out of artesia, but he has proven that he can. the big clubs are always stealing your talent.

Would have to agree with you CoachBombay....he has proven himself. If I am not mistaken he was the Wave Coach that won States two seasons ago, not bad for a small club I would say.

[lcadad]

Yes, Wada wave won PWAA states 2017. 

[WIPIH]

Fowlmood can your coach even demo drills? 3 turn??? Or just the 3 course luau?

No doubt that Shand focuses a lot on skill development but year after year his loaded, big, fast teams don’t accomplish much. This year OC has stolen 5 2004 Empire kids that got to ply in top flight and got great training under Brad Hamacher. Despite having all of the only 2004 So Cal top flight experienced players, OC managed to lose pretty much all games this weekend. I am pretty aure Gulls, Empire will eat OC’s lunch due to better coaching. And no we arre not playing in Bantam division and have axe to grind. I actually like Shand’s skills traning style but there two vey coaches at Bantam  , PT at Bears and Brad at Empire rest are a bit lower in terms of player development

[Knuckle Puck]

Parents who view the win column as the leading indicator of coach quality/desirability have led to much of what is wrong with the youth hockey system in SoCal.

[trans4761]

Fowlmood can your coach even demo drills? 3 turn??? Or just


No doubt that Shand focuses a lot on skill development but year after year his loaded, big, fast teams don’t accomplish much. This year OC has stolen 5 2004 Empire kids that got to ply in top flight and got great training under Brad Hamacher. Despite having all of the only 2004 So Cal top flight experienced players, OC managed to lose pretty much all games this weekend. I am pretty aure Gulls, Empire will eat OC’s lunch due to better coaching. And no we arre not playing in Bantam division and have axe to grind. I actually like Shand’s skills traning style but there two vey coaches at Bantam  , PT at Bears and Brad at Empire rest are a bit lower in terms of player development

THERE are a SHITLOAD of skill coaches out there.  That's what skill lessons are for. Very few that can manage a team and get the best of kids, fewer that can do both. Many that think they are.  A few years ago a parent  posted, "Do you want to be on a good team
Or be part of a good team ?"
Being able to show kids how to go around cones, does not make you a good "game coach "


JMO

[justanotherhockeydad]

This post is getting a bit ridiculous. It's May and no sane person should be making prediction basing on results from Carmen Starr (none of the rosters are set, for just about all teams) AND before tryouts even begin!? Crazy.

Lets discuss Carmen Starr...Wada Wave went 3-2 at Carmen Starr and lost to Kamloops (finalist) and AT Hockey Academy, pretty much a AAA team with an incredible kid (#65) that can take over at will. Bay Area Blazers are a mix bag so hard to use as a measuring stick. OC Smerud should be playing Bantam A. Saints' roster seems almost set and it's almost guaranteed that any time Wave play Saints, it will be a dogfight. Saints will be top 5 in Bantam AA.OC Shand went 1-4 and didn't appear to have a good showing, but were they really terrible? I'm not so sure. Let's look at the teams they lost to. Sparticist destroyed everyone, so no shame in losing to those guys. Kings had 2 of the better AAA kids on the roster and beat OC Shand and GSE so they were obviously tough to handle. But are those two AAA kids playing Bantam AA next year. I'm guessing no. Czech Jets beat the Kings, GSE and lost to the eventual finalists Kamloops and Sparticist, so they were another tough team. Gulls should be playing Bantam A.[/font]

No way to really compare the Wave and OC Shand basing on their results at CS. If they had played the same teams, then that's a different story. IMHO, OC Shand seem to have faced slightly tougher comp at CS...[/size]

Regarding coaches, I've had experience with Wada, Shand and Hamacher. I love Hamacher and I do think he's one of the best coaches around. While I can't speak about his Empire Bantam AA team and why his players were 'stolen' from him, I can only say that Brad always prepare his kids well for the next level, on and off the ice. I have known Shand for a bit but my kid has never played for him. However, I know kids who are now in D1, Prep Schools who tells me they would ONLY play for Shand. I think development-wise, Shand is also one of the best around and his resume speaks for itself. He teaches kids different systems and how and when to apply once patterns are recognized. Wada is younger and perhaps less experienced than Hamacher and Shand, but has always proved to have very competitive teams. His teams are always resilient and often time has the top end talent needed to finish games.

All 3 coaches above have had plenty of success. But also remember that success depends on what kids you have on the roster. A super talented kid can carry a so-so team far and sometimes even all the way. Or you could roll four 2nd lines Vegas style and have success. A coach can only do so much, it's up to the kids to want it and work hard. Wins and losses are not as important than player development. Your goal should be focused on making sure your kid will be prepared for the next level.

Lastly, nobody is 'stolen' by another team or coach. C'mon, players and families leave for various reason and really, all coaches poach players to a certain degree. Some coaches are more persistent than others. The ones that don't make phone calls are usually 5he ones that cry foul when their players leave. Happens every year and will continue to happen.[/font]

[justanotherhockeydad]

there two vey coaches at Bantam  , PT at Bears and Brad at Empire rest are a bit lower in terms of player development

I don't have any experience with PT except the brief interaction I had with him at the Prep Camp. My question is this, and is no disrespect to PT, but when you are able to attract top talent (whether is the prep school connection or not), like his last Bantam AA team and this year's supposedly AAA-loaded Bantam AA team, how do you know if success comes largely from coaching or player talent?

If your team is loaded with AAA's playing at the AA's level, I'd say you're almost guaranteed to have success, regardless who's coaching. Now if PT leads a group of kids without AAA superstars to State or beyond, then yes, he should be considered one of the top coaches.

[justanotherhockeydad]

Fowlmood can your coach even demo drills? 3 turn??? Or just the 3 course luau?

Last post of the night. To whoever posted the above... Really!? That's just uncalled for and totally not cool.

[lcadad]

Fowlmood can your coach even demo drills? 3 turn??? Or just the 3 course luau?

lose pretty much all games this weekend. I am pretty aure Gulls, Empire will eat OC’s lunch due to better coaching. And no we arre not playing in Bantam division and have axe to grind. I actually like Shand’s skills traning style but there two vey coaches at Bantam  , PT at Bears and Brad at Empire rest are a bit lower in terms of player development

Pavel Sisak at Valencia belongs in this group, as does Tomas Kapusta when he actually coaches Bantam. 

[Knuckle Puck]

Getting to Prep School is more important to some families than winning a banner. Who has better contacts and track record there than Torsson? Certainly nobody else at Bantam level. Torsson's got a great calling card considering the political mess that Midget AAA has become, leading an increasing # of kids to leave Cali each year. If the over/under for 2003s leaving the state is 3 dozen, I might take the over. Bad look for CAHA.

[justanotherhockeydad]

Getting to Prep School is more important to some families than winning a banner. Who has better contacts and track record there than Torsson? Certainly nobody else at Bantam level.

'Connection/contacts' to prep schools may be overrated IMO. I know kids that went to top prep schools who have never even spoken to PT. But to PT's credit, putting together the Prep Camp and bringing numerous prep representatives to SOCAL is a great idea. If you attend the camp and your kid plays well in front of the school reps, the schools will keep him on their radar and contact you. Trust me on that.

Again, no disrespect to PT and I know he brings a wealth of experience, but all I'm saying is that you don't need to play for the Bears to be in contact with prep and if you do your homework, keep a good record of videos of your kid's performance (to show school reps since they may have never seen your kid play before), all you need to do is pick up the phone and call prep schools and let the coaches/administration know that you're interested to visit/gather more info.

Oh it also helps if you have $25-30K laying around, cus that's the minimum it costs for prep schools per yr, and that's WITH financial aid. Otherwise, it's $40-60K per yr without assistance, according to all the school reps at Bears camp.

[trans4761]

Getting to Prep School is more important to some families than winning a banner. Who has better contacts and track record there than Torsson? Certainly nobody else at Bantam level. Torsson's got a great calling card considering the political mess that Midget AAA has become, leading an increasing # of kids to leave Cali each year. If the over/under for 2003s leaving the state is 3 dozen, I might take the over. Bad look for CAHA.

Knucklehead,
Use some mouthwash to get the tast of Peety out of your mouth. I don' know Peety personally, but I heard he' an outstanding coach.  To his credit, he found a niche that parents would eat up.  Hate to break it to you but if you want your lil Greyzky to go to prep school he can get in......as long as you open your wallet.   I know there are some schools that are the exception, but not the norm. Also, if you think you 4 foot 5 stick handler is going to improve his chances to going in the show, your as bright as a box of rocks. Even if you kid is top 10 at his $70k/ year prep school, he will most likely be playing at the Ducks adult league at 10pm on wed  night vs the guy that played Midget A and is now a $300k/year businessman.

[glilv]

Obviously, it's more important to make sure that the kids get a good education.  They are not going to major in hockey.  After all, how many will make it NHL?
They need to have a profession.
Going back to Midgets AAA level and a s..t show that it has become, not everyone can or want to play for the Kings or Ducks.  It's completely ridiculous and basically imposible trying to commute from Santa Clarita or San Fernando Valley to Orange County.
The amount of money that you spend on AAA travel is up there, possibly pretty close to a Prep School price ticket (with financial aid). 

[Fowlmood]

If you want to talk to prep schools, Coach Wada can help you with that too.  Of course you have to play for him first   Maybe this will get the AAA players to come out to his tryouts this weekend.  Coach Pete has a great marketing scheme.