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Hockey Discussions => Bantam Hockey => Topic started by: Kingdom_come on May 31, 2018, 02:36:17 PM
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Now that the dust has settled and the teams picked, which Bantam AAA major team will be top- Kings, ducks or sharks?
How will the major teams do against the 05 minors? Could a 05AAA minor team beat the older 04aaa team?
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It's hockey. On any given day any team can fluke out a win against any other. But I sure wouldn't take that bet. Too much growth between Bantam minor and major.
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Not too sure what is going on in LA LA land with the AAA teams...but I think the 05 Sharks would have a tough time against the 04s...JMHO...
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At this point I would say it's nearly a toss up. Sharks 04 struggled last season. Some of their players just didn't look ready for AAA so how they do will depend on any pickups they got and if any of their weaker returning players grow/develop over spring and summer. Kings 04 lost a few players and they play dump and chase hockey for the most part but sometimes it works as it did in the state championship. Plus they have great goaltending. 04 Ducks lost several players particularly on defense, plus losing two coaches. I'm not that familiar with the 05 teams.
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Now that the dust has settled and the teams picked, which Bantam AAA major team will be top- Kings, ducks or sharks?
How will the major teams do against the 05 minors? Could a 05AAA minor team beat the older 04aaa team?
IMHO it will be KINGS 04 group.
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Not really sure that's a fair assessment of the Jr Sharks 04's last year. They definitely had a tough first half but by the end of the year they were doing better. They took first place in the Dallas T1EHL showcase, beating both the Kings and the Stars on the way, then lost a close game in semi finals in the Vegas showcase to the Jr Blues.
The state championships were a bit of a disaster, but losing their top player to injury definitely hurt them, particularly given they played all year with a short bench.
They ended up mid-pack in the national rankings, which is probably what they deserved. The good news is they have picked up a couple of significant pieces this year and look to be improved.
California hockey at the AAA level is tough to judge when you only have 3 teams.
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ok, so the consensus is that the kings will repeat again as state champs??
also, the 05 minor teams would struggle against the 04s due to the nature/puberty factor.
since the AAA level seems to be somewhat thin with only 3 teams, would any AA bantam team be able to compete and beat the AAAs?
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ok, so the consensus is that the kings will repeat again as state champs??
also, the 05 minor teams would struggle against the 04s due to the nature/puberty factor.
since the AAA level seems to be somewhat thin with only 3 teams, would any AA bantam team be able to compete and beat the AAAs?
Again....ZERO knowledge of what is going on in LA...but knowing the very limited amount I do about the current crop of AA teams in Norcal, really only know much about the GSE North Bantam AA team--which I believe will be the top north AA team--I think both the 04 and 05 AAA teams would be able to handle the GSE North AA team. But with Larry Cahn coaching...you never know....he will get a lot out of those kids....again JMHO
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ok, so the consensus is that the kings will repeat again as state champs??
also, the 05 minor teams would struggle against the 04s due to the nature/puberty factor.
since the AAA level seems to be somewhat thin with only 3 teams, would any AA bantam team be able to compete and beat the AAAs?
Da Bears Torsson AA should be able to give them a few good games. Kicked the piss outta a lotta AAA teams last year.
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ok, so the consensus is that the kings will repeat again as state champs??
also, the 05 minor teams would struggle against the 04s due to the nature/puberty factor.
since the AAA level seems to be somewhat thin with only 3 teams, would any AA bantam team be able to compete and beat the AAAs?
Da Bears Torsson AA should be able to give them a few good games. Kicked the piss outta a lotta AAA teams last year.
That was an 03 team so they would now be Midgets and the main goalie went to Kings AAA.
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ok, so the consensus is that the kings will repeat again as state champs??
also, the 05 minor teams would struggle against the 04s due to the nature/puberty factor.
since the AAA level seems to be somewhat thin with only 3 teams, would any AA bantam team be able to compete and beat the AAAs?
Da Bears Torsson AA should be able to give them a few good games. Kicked the piss outta a lotta AAA teams last year.
That was an 03 team so they would now be Midgets and the main goalie went to Kings AAA.
That team doesn't even exist any more, so I doubt they'll kick the piss out of anyone.
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ok, so the consensus is that the kings will repeat again as state champs??
also, the 05 minor teams would struggle against the 04s due to the nature/puberty factor.
since the AAA level seems to be somewhat thin with only 3 teams, would any AA bantam team be able to compete and beat the AAAs?
Da Bears Torsson AA should be able to give them a few good games. Kicked the piss outta a lotta AAA teams last year.
That was an 03 team so they would now be Midgets and the main goalie went to Kings AAA.
That team doesn't even exist any more, so I doubt they'll kick the piss out of anyone.
Right... but word around the rinks was that a ton of kids showed up to play for Torsson... AAA/AA caliber kids... so I'd imagine they'll be pretty tough, no?
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ok, so the consensus is that the kings will repeat again as state champs??
also, the 05 minor teams would struggle against the 04s due to the nature/puberty factor.
since the AAA level seems to be somewhat thin with only 3 teams, would any AA bantam team be able to compete and beat the AAAs?
Da Bears Torsson AA should be able to give them a few good games. Kicked the piss outta a lotta AAA teams last year.
That was an 03 team so they would now be Midgets and the main goalie went to Kings AAA.
That team doesn't even exist any more, so I doubt they'll kick the piss out of anyone.
Right... but word around the rinks was that a ton of kids showed up to play for Torsson... AAA/AA caliber kids... so I'd imagine they'll be pretty tough, no?
...agree with the above...this years team will be a different animal....but you are probably correct....they will be formidable no doubt
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ok, so the consensus is that the kings will repeat again as state champs??
also, the 05 minor teams would struggle against the 04s due to the nature/puberty factor.
since the AAA level seems to be somewhat thin with only 3 teams, would any AA bantam team be able to compete and beat the AAAs?
Da Bears Torsson AA should be able to give them a few good games. Kicked the piss outta a lotta AAA teams last year.
That was an 03 team so they would now be Midgets and the main goalie went to Kings AAA.
That team doesn't even exist any more, so I doubt they'll kick the piss out of anyone.
Right... but word around the rinks was that a ton of kids showed up to play for Torsson... AAA/AA caliber kids... so I'd imagine they'll be pretty tough, no?
...agree with the above...this years team will be a different animal....but you are probably correct....they will be formidable no doubt
They will be fine (and possibly the best of the bunch, who knows) but not in the same league as last year IMO. AA generally looks pretty weak this year compared to last.
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ok, so the consensus is that the kings will repeat again as state champs??
also, the 05 minor teams would struggle against the 04s due to the nature/puberty factor.
since the AAA level seems to be somewhat thin with only 3 teams, would any AA bantam team be able to compete and beat the AAAs?
Da Bears Torsson AA should be able to give them a few good games. Kicked the piss outta a lotta AAA teams last year.
That was an 03 team so they would now be Midgets and the main goalie went to Kings AAA.
That team doesn't even exist any more, so I doubt they'll kick the piss out of anyone.
Right... but word around the rinks was that a ton of kids showed up to play for Torsson... AAA/AA caliber kids... so I'd imagine they'll be pretty tough, no?
...agree with the above...this years team will be a different animal....but you are probably correct....they will be formidable no doubt
They will be fine (and possibly the best of the bunch, who knows) but not in the same league as last year IMO. AA generally looks pretty weak this year compared to last.
agree.....
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ok, so the consensus is that the kings will repeat again as state champs??
also, the 05 minor teams would struggle against the 04s due to the nature/puberty factor.
since the AAA level seems to be somewhat thin with only 3 teams, would any AA bantam team be able to compete and beat the AAAs?
Da Bears Torsson AA should be able to give them a few good games. Kicked the piss outta a lotta AAA teams last year.
That was an 03 team so they would now be Midgets and the main goalie went to Kings AAA.
That team doesn't even exist any more, so I doubt they'll kick the piss out of anyone.
Right... but word around the rinks was that a ton of kids showed up to play for Torsson... AAA/AA caliber kids... so I'd imagine they'll be pretty tough, no?
...agree with the above...this years team will be a different animal....but you are probably correct....they will be formidable no doubt
They will be fine (and possibly the best of the bunch, who knows) but not in the same league as last year IMO. AA generally looks pretty weak this year compared to last.
agree.....
Curious... where did all those 03 Bears go? Assuming some went to prep schools... but what about others?
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13 went back east prep/academy
1 aaa
2 aa
1 no longer playing focusing on another sport.
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13 went back east prep/academy
1 aaa
2 aa
1 no longer playing focusing on another sport.
Wow. That's pretty impressive. Thanks.
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13 went back east prep/academy
1 aaa
2 aa
1 no longer playing focusing on another sport.
....mission accomplished!
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Two or three will have impressive hockey outcomes (I might be underestimating, but I might also be giving too much credit here). The rest will just be living without their parents in a situation where they unequipped to advance meaningfully in the sport. The education outcomes would be a more convincing argument if I saw more stress on it in the hockey parents that I've come across.
I'm not saying that prep school is bad. I'm just tired of seeing it advanced on the board as some kind of wonderful outcome, when really it is a step that can be forward, backwards or marching in place.
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So 13 Bears headed out of state. How many '03's in total leaving California?
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I get it... and it's quite shameful on the part of CAHA, which should be expanding the game, not limiting options and driving kids out of state due to politics. I wonder if they've ever taken a stance and explained why they thought limiting AAA was a good idea?
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I totaled 25 so far.
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I get it... and it's quite shameful on the part of CAHA, which should be expanding the game, not limiting options and driving kids out of state due to politics. I wonder if they've ever taken a stance and explained why they thought limiting AAA was a good idea?
The limiting of AAA was in response to the complaints that AAA was to watered down in CA. Just like anything, if you let the politicians decide it for sure will be more messed up than it was. The problem is that the people who were complaining are now mostly out of CA hockey and the rest of us are left to deal with the mess.
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I get it... and it's quite shameful on the part of CAHA, which should be expanding the game, not limiting options and driving kids out of state due to politics. I wonder if they've ever taken a stance and explained why they thought limiting AAA was a good idea?
The limiting of AAA was in response to the complaints that AAA was to watered down in CA. Just like anything, if you let the politicians decide it for sure will be more messed up than it was. The problem is that the people who were complaining are now mostly out of CA hockey and the rest of us are left to deal with the mess.
Who was complaining? Short of USA Hockey complaining, shouldn't CAHA just stay out of it and try to be as impartial as possible? Like any free economy has proven, if you peddle a product people don't want, people won't buy it. I'm guessing excessive meddling is a theme with CAHA, hence the Flight system.
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I get it... and it's quite shameful on the part of CAHA, which should be expanding the game, not limiting options and driving kids out of state due to politics. I wonder if they've ever taken a stance and explained why they thought limiting AAA was a good idea?
The limiting of AAA was in response to the complaints that AAA was to watered down in CA. Just like anything, if you let the politicians decide it for sure will be more messed up than it was. The problem is that the people who were complaining are now mostly out of CA hockey and the rest of us are left to deal with the mess.
Who was complaining? Short of USA Hockey complaining, shouldn't CAHA just stay out of it and try to be as impartial as possible? Like any free economy has proven, if you peddle a product people don't want, people won't buy it. I'm guessing excessive meddling is a theme with CAHA, hence the Flight system.
Have you ever heard of the Jr. Reign, aka Wildcats? Ben Frank still owes Trans money...
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Looking at the records on myHockeyRankings, last year the bears played the Sharks 03 AAA twice, losing once and tying once. They beat the Ducks, and there's no record (there at least) of them playing the Kings, who being ranked 4'th nationally would likely have murdered them. myHockeyRankings doesn't have all games of course, but it's usually pretty complete (apart from the occasional team that is rumored to actively delete or delay reporting games they don't like...)
You are what your record says you are. Despite the end of the season, the Bears were a GREAT team, and they sure seemed to be the best of the AA's in CA. Their star player was probably better than almost all the 02 AAA's. But they were almost all 03's and as a group didn't exactly stomp on the 03 AAA teams.
Just an opinion, but my kids have played AA and AAA in CA. AAA is a level above.
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I get it... and it's quite shameful on the part of CAHA, which should be expanding the game, not limiting options and driving kids out of state due to politics. I wonder if they've ever taken a stance and explained why they thought limiting AAA was a good idea?
The limiting of AAA was in response to the complaints that AAA was to watered down in CA. Just like anything, if you let the politicians decide it for sure will be more messed up than it was. The problem is that the people who were complaining are now mostly out of CA hockey and the rest of us are left to deal with the mess.
Who was complaining? Short of USA Hockey complaining, shouldn't CAHA just stay out of it and try to be as impartial as possible? Like any free economy has proven, if you peddle a product people don't want, people won't buy it. I'm guessing excessive meddling is a theme with CAHA, hence the Flight system.
Have you ever heard of the Jr. Reign, aka Wildcats? Ben Frank still owes Trans money...
Yes, I've heard BF is a bit of a huckster. However, even if his teams were weak and mismanaged, why not just let the system work it out? Why penalize an entire state for one over ambitious program? Let them pay their money and ice teams and continue to get their butts kicked. Eventually people would just stop joining his teams, right? And even if they didn't, who cares? The Sharks AAA teams aren't competitive with the Kings/Ducks, so is more regulation the answer?
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I get it... and it's quite shameful on the part of CAHA, which should be expanding the game, not limiting options and driving kids out of state due to politics. I wonder if they've ever taken a stance and explained why they thought limiting AAA was a good idea?
The limiting of AAA was in response to the complaints that AAA was to watered down in CA. Just like anything, if you let the politicians decide it for sure will be more messed up than it was. The problem is that the people who were complaining are now mostly out of CA hockey and the rest of us are left to deal with the mess.
Who was complaining? Short of USA Hockey complaining, shouldn't CAHA just stay out of it and try to be as impartial as possible? Like any free economy has proven, if you peddle a product people don't want, people won't buy it. I'm guessing excessive meddling is a theme with CAHA, hence the Flight system.
Have you ever heard of the Jr. Reign, aka Wildcats? Ben Frank still owes Trans money...
Yes, I've heard BF is a bit of a huckster. However, even if his teams were weak and mismanaged, why not just let the system work it out? Why penalize an entire state for one over ambitious program? Let them pay their money and ice teams and continue to get their butts kicked. Eventually people would just stop joining his teams, right? And even if they didn't, who cares? The Sharks AAA teams aren't competitive with the Kings/Ducks, so is more regulation the answer?
I don't know that "wanting" more AAA teams is the answer. Do you really think there is enough AAA kids to fill more teams? Sure the Bears were an exception, but from what I heard, they weren't interested in playing AAA even if they could.
So "draconion regulations" or not...I don't think more AAA teams would be a good thing...JMHO
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The issue is why kids feel the need to leave SoCal once they leave Bantams. HS is not very competitive, Tier II is only OK, and Tier I only offers two teams, despite the fact we're in a big market. It always behooves the customer to have more options, not to have a governing body manipulate the market. Meaning, CAHA should allow local teams to succeed and fail on their own merits, and let the market dictate their fate. Until USA Hockey intervenes, it seems the purge of kids out of SoCal seeking better options will continue, which is a shame.
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The issue is why kids feel the need to leave SoCal once they leave Bantams. HS is not very competitive, Tier II is only OK, and Tier I only offers two teams, despite the fact we're in a big market. It always behooves the customer to have more options, not to have a governing body manipulate the market. Meaning, CAHA should allow local teams to succeed and fail on their own merits, and let the market dictate their fate. Until USA Hockey intervenes, it seems the purge of kids out of SoCal seeking better options will continue, which is a shame.
I think it is a chicken or the egg thing. I think the reason solid AAA kids leave is BECAUSE there is not enough talent around them--they have reached the top of the pyramid, so to speak, and there is just not enough of them here to make staying worth while. I don't think it is because there is not another watered down AAA team in the next town they could join if they stayed instead.
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The issue is why kids feel the need to leave SoCal once they leave Bantams. HS is not very competitive, Tier II is only OK, and Tier I only offers two teams, despite the fact we're in a big market. It always behooves the customer to have more options, not to have a governing body manipulate the market. Meaning, CAHA should allow local teams to succeed and fail on their own merits, and let the market dictate their fate. Until USA Hockey intervenes, it seems the purge of kids out of SoCal seeking better options will continue, which is a shame.
I think it is a chicken or the egg thing. I think the reason solid AAA kids leave is BECAUSE there is not enough talent around them--they have reached the top of the pyramid, so to speak, and there is just not enough of them here to make staying worth while. I don't think it is because there is not another watered down AAA team in the next town they could join if they stayed instead.
I agree with you, but that still doesn't explain why so many AA players leave CA during and right after bantam. Several of those I know are leaving because for whatever the reason (politics, lack of room, or something else) they can't (or don't care to) break into one of the two AAA teams in Socal, so they have literally hit a dead end -- even though they might prefer to stay here longer they leave. It's a really, really sad situation when you think about it.
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I don’t think more AAA is the point. Giving other clubs the chance to have AAA is. There is no easy or perfect answer, but giving the big three the only AAA just sucks.
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There might be an opportunity in Socal for additional teams, but the GSE attempt this year seems to show that there just aren't enough players in Norcal for it (yet).
I'd be curious from those closer to what happened to know what happened with the Gulls AAA.
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The issue is why kids feel the need to leave SoCal once they leave Bantams. HS is not very competitive, Tier II is only OK, and Tier I only offers two teams, despite the fact we're in a big market. It always behooves the customer to have more options, not to have a governing body manipulate the market. Meaning, CAHA should allow local teams to succeed and fail on their own merits, and let the market dictate their fate. Until USA Hockey intervenes, it seems the purge of kids out of SoCal seeking better options will continue, which is a shame.
I think it is a chicken or the egg thing. I think the reason solid AAA kids leave is BECAUSE there is not enough talent around them--they have reached the top of the pyramid, so to speak, and there is just not enough of them here to make staying worth while. I don't think it is because there is not another watered down AAA team in the next town they could join if they stayed instead.
I honestly don't think that's why people leave - certainly not the ones I've spoken to.
If you look at a typical AAA schedule for a CA team, they only play one home and one away game against each other. 4-6 games including exhibitions out of a 35-45 game schedule. The rest of the games are with teams from out of state or out of country where the competition is just fine. The CA teams tend to be in the top half of the rankings, with most of them in the top third. Each team has stars and players that struggle, but they are all largely capable of playing at that level (thus the rankings). T1EHL membership ensures that they are playing other great teams. That part isn't a problem.
People certainly don't leave for cost. East coast private boarding schools can be as much as 65k/yr.
My sense is that the reason people leave is for exposure for scholarship/draft possibilities, and the desire for a more all consuming hockey experience. When people get really serious (delusional?) about their kids there is a fear that they will not be seen out here - that when the draft comes, or the scholarships are rewarded, their kid will go unnoticed. There may be truth to that, though I've spoken to a number of hockey people (including pro agents) that say it's not something to worry about these days, particularly at the AAA level. And the clubs are getting better at ensuring visibility, because they know that sells.
The other piece is that you cannot match the ice time and experience that you get at an eastern school. A friend of mine left for Canada with his 02 a year ago and 5 days on the ice at the school is pretty common, with a 70+ game season. Playoffs in his league are best of 5 or best of 7.
The downsides are many though. Beyond cost, I know kids that are attending high school classes literally in the back room of a rink. Not much of a high school experience. At Tahoe I guess you get the choice of the local (pretty rural) school or online. You better be damn sure its what your kid wants to do with his life. Seems like a pretty serious one-way street for a 15 year old.
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The issue is why kids feel the need to leave SoCal once they leave Bantams. HS is not very competitive, Tier II is only OK, and Tier I only offers two teams, despite the fact we're in a big market. It always behooves the customer to have more options, not to have a governing body manipulate the market. Meaning, CAHA should allow local teams to succeed and fail on their own merits, and let the market dictate their fate. Until USA Hockey intervenes, it seems the purge of kids out of SoCal seeking better options will continue, which is a shame.
I think it is a chicken or the egg thing. I think the reason solid AAA kids leave is BECAUSE there is not enough talent around them--they have reached the top of the pyramid, so to speak, and there is just not enough of them here to make staying worth while. I don't think it is because there is not another watered down AAA team in the next town they could join if they stayed instead.
I agree with you, but that still doesn't explain why so many AA players leave CA during and right after bantam. Several of those I know are leaving because for whatever the reason (politics, lack of room, or something else) they can't (or don't care to) break into one of the two AAA teams in Socal, so they have literally hit a dead end -- even though they might prefer to stay here longer they leave. It's a really, really sad situation when you think about it.
Gotcha. I don't know why AA kids are leaving...perhaps it is for the same reason. They stayed in AA because they thought it better than AAA, then, finally outgrew AA for real and they had same situation the other AAA kids face...not enough critical mass to make it worth staying. Kids leaving at such an early age IS sad...and we for one don't like to think/consider it because of the value we place on our son being with the family.
I will say this, and take heat for it I am sure, but my son had a GREAT 3 years in AA up into first year bantam last year. And last years Bantam year was the best of all of them. And that was a direct result of the Flight system. All ten teams in Flight 1 were competitive and any team could beat you on any given day--you could argue the Bears were a anomoly, but they were challenged and even beaten once. In past years a CAHA weekend was a hodge podge of weak games not worth traveling half a state away for, some real laughers and the occaisional good game. In Bantam Flight 1 last year--it worked and it worked well. I am sure others in other age groups and/or flights results may have varied...but in Bantam, it was a GREAT year.
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The issue is why kids feel the need to leave SoCal once they leave Bantams. HS is not very competitive, Tier II is only OK, and Tier I only offers two teams, despite the fact we're in a big market. It always behooves the customer to have more options, not to have a governing body manipulate the market. Meaning, CAHA should allow local teams to succeed and fail on their own merits, and let the market dictate their fate. Until USA Hockey intervenes, it seems the purge of kids out of SoCal seeking better options will continue, which is a shame.
I think it is a chicken or the egg thing. I think the reason solid AAA kids leave is BECAUSE there is not enough talent around them--they have reached the top of the pyramid, so to speak, and there is just not enough of them here to make staying worth while. I don't think it is because there is not another watered down AAA team in the next town they could join if they stayed instead.
I honestly don't think that's why people leave - certainly not the ones I've spoken to.
If you look at a typical AAA schedule for a CA team, they only play one home and one away game against each other. 4-6 games including exhibitions out of a 35-45 game schedule. The rest of the games are with teams from out of state or out of country where the competition is just fine. The CA teams tend to be in the top half of the rankings, with most of them in the top third. Each team has stars and players that struggle, but they are all largely capable of playing at that level (thus the rankings). T1EHL membership ensures that they are playing other great teams. That part isn't a problem.
People certainly don't leave for cost. East coast private boarding schools can be as much as 65k/yr.
My sense is that the reason people leave is for exposure for scholarship/draft possibilities, and the desire for a more all consuming hockey experience. When people get really serious (delusional?) about their kids there is a fear that they will not be seen out here - that when the draft comes, or the scholarships are rewarded, their kid will go unnoticed. There may be truth to that, though I've spoken to a number of hockey people (including pro agents) that say it's not something to worry about these days, particularly at the AAA level. And the clubs are getting better at ensuring visibility, because they know that sells.
The other piece is that you cannot match the ice time and experience that you get at an eastern school. A friend of mine left for Canada with his 02 a year ago and 5 days on the ice at the school is pretty common, with a 70+ game season. Playoffs in his league are best of 5 or best of 7.
The downsides are many though. Beyond cost, I know kids that are attending high school classes literally in the back room of a rink. Not much of a high school experience. At Tahoe I guess you get the choice of the local (pretty rural) school or online. You better be damn sure its what your kid wants to do with his life. Seems like a pretty serious one-way street for a 15 year old.
...good points...
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Per the Flight system... it isn't a bad idea necessarily, and it could be viewed as a step in the right direction for overall competitiveness. The beef with CAHA is overregulation BEFORE teams are even assembled. Let the teams/organizations fail or succeed on their own merits, on the ice. Can't argue with that. However, it gets slippery when these decisions are being made behind closed doors with no clear qualifying method. CAHA's mandate is to promote youth hockey in California from Mites through Midgets, so every decision should begin with asking themselves if that is being achieved. If the answer is no (like consolidating power and limiting teams), it should NOT be done. Pretty simple. [size=78%] [/size]
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Whenever people comment on Prep School's, especially ones back east, I always wonder how many of them have any 1st hand experience with them...my guess is very little.
Let me add another perspective as I went to a top prep school in CT...No I did not play hockey there, I wish I did but I sucked...still do but thats besides the point. My son will go back east to play for a New England Prep school, not sure which or when but that is what we want for him. He has decent grades so we are hoping hockey is a path to not only get him in but help with costs. So, at this point you are probably asking why...do we think he will be in the NHL and this is the path? Not part of the decision at all - the main reason is education he will receive + the connections to top colleges + networking. New England Prep schools still operate under the "old boys network" and going to one greatly improves your chances of getting into a top college if you have the grades. Is hockey part of that college plan? I hope of course but that isnt something we are banking on.
The connections you make at those prep schools last a lifetime and have paid huge dividends thoughout my career. Granted most of the connections are elitist assholes who I wouldnt want as friends...but hey, they are great at getting your resume to the right people!
Are all prep schools the same, of course not - just adding my 2 cents.
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Whenever people comment on Prep School's, especially ones back east, I always wonder how many of them have any 1st hand experience with them...my guess is very little.
Let me add another perspective as I went to a top prep school in CT...No I did not play hockey there, I wish I did but I sucked...still do but thats besides the point. My son will go back east to play for a New England Prep school, not sure which or when but that is what we want for him. He has decent grades so we are hoping hockey is a path to not only get him in but help with costs. So, at this point you are probably asking why...do we think he will be in the NHL and this is the path? Not part of the decision at all - the main reason is education he will receive + the connections to top colleges + networking. New England Prep schools still operate under the "old boys network" and going to one greatly improves your chances of getting into a top college if you have the grades. Is hockey part of that college plan? I hope of course but that isnt something we are banking on.
The connections you make at those prep schools last a lifetime and have paid huge dividends thoughout my career. Granted most of the connections are elitist assholes who I wouldnt want as friends...but hey, they are great at getting your resume to the right people!
Are all prep schools the same, of course not - just adding my 2 cents.
A unique challenge for CAHA is that so many people here are transplants, so few have a problem traveling to other places or leaving all together. Few cities or areas really have a sense of community. Again, boundaries might help this. Allowing entire teams to play up when young also undermines the entire foundation.
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Whenever people comment on Prep School's, especially ones back east, I always wonder how many of them have any 1st hand experience with them...my guess is very little.
Let me add another perspective as I went to a top prep school in CT...No I did not play hockey there, I wish I did but I sucked...still do but thats besides the point. My son will go back east to play for a New England Prep school, not sure which or when but that is what we want for him. He has decent grades so we are hoping hockey is a path to not only get him in but help with costs. So, at this point you are probably asking why...do we think he will be in the NHL and this is the path? Not part of the decision at all - the main reason is education he will receive + the connections to top colleges + networking. New England Prep schools still operate under the "old boys network" and going to one greatly improves your chances of getting into a top college if you have the grades. Is hockey part of that college plan? I hope of course but that isnt something we are banking on.
The connections you make at those prep schools last a lifetime and have paid huge dividends thoughout my career. Granted most of the connections are elitist assholes who I wouldnt want as friends...but hey, they are great at getting your resume to the right people!
Are all prep schools the same, of course not - just adding my 2 cents.
A unique challenge for CAHA is that so many people here are transplants, so few have a problem traveling to other places or leaving all together. Few cities or areas really have a sense of community. Again, boundaries might help this. Allowing entire teams to play up when young also undermines the entire foundation.
With all do respect, if a good education is the real goal, there are PLENTY of top quality schools much closer, some even in So Cal.
I'm sure prep school is the answer to some, I just don't get it.
Now if the goal is to show off to co-workers or to the hockey snobs, so be it. But call it what it is.
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There are plenty of top notch schools in California but for many, including myself, it's about trying to balance education with the travel demands of hockey. Some AAA Bantam players can expect to travel every month from September to February. If the player is Bantam major this doesn't include districts or possibly Nationals. A kid could miss 4-5 days of school for each of those events. That is a lot of time away especially so for players carrying a heavy academic load.
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Whenever people comment on Prep School's, especially ones back east, I always wonder how many of them have any 1st hand experience with them...my guess is very little.
Let me add another perspective as I went to a top prep school in CT...No I did not play hockey there, I wish I did but I sucked...still do but thats besides the point. My son will go back east to play for a New England Prep school, not sure which or when but that is what we want for him. He has decent grades so we are hoping hockey is a path to not only get him in but help with costs. So, at this point you are probably asking why...do we think he will be in the NHL and this is the path? Not part of the decision at all - the main reason is education he will receive + the connections to top colleges + networking. New England Prep schools still operate under the "old boys network" and going to one greatly improves your chances of getting into a top college if you have the grades. Is hockey part of that college plan? I hope of course but that isnt something we are banking on.
The connections you make at those prep schools last a lifetime and have paid huge dividends thoughout my career. Granted most of the connections are elitist assholes who I wouldnt want as friends...but hey, they are great at getting your resume to the right people!
Are all prep schools the same, of course not - just adding my 2 cents.
With all do respect, if a good education is the real goal, there are PLENTY of top quality schools much closer, some even in So Cal.
I'm sure prep school is the answer to some, I just don't get it.
Now if the goal is to show off to co-workers or to the hockey snobs, so be it. But call it what it is.
The BEST thing about this message board is when people comment on 1/3 of what you say and ignore the other 2/3 - that is the BEST!
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Whenever people comment on Prep School's, especially ones back east, I always wonder how many of them have any 1st hand experience with them...my guess is very little.
Let me add another perspective as I went to a top prep school in CT...No I did not play hockey there, I wish I did but I sucked...still do but thats besides the point. My son will go back east to play for a New England Prep school, not sure which or when but that is what we want for him. He has decent grades so we are hoping hockey is a path to not only get him in but help with costs. So, at this point you are probably asking why...do we think he will be in the NHL and this is the path? Not part of the decision at all - the main reason is education he will receive + the connections to top colleges + networking. New England Prep schools still operate under the "old boys network" and going to one greatly improves your chances of getting into a top college if you have the grades. Is hockey part of that college plan? I hope of course but that isnt something we are banking on.
The connections you make at those prep schools last a lifetime and have paid huge dividends thoughout my career. Granted most of the connections are elitist assholes who I wouldnt want as friends...but hey, they are great at getting your resume to the right people!
Are all prep schools the same, of course not - just adding my 2 cents.
A unique challenge for CAHA is that so many people here are transplants, so few have a problem traveling to other places or leaving all together. Few cities or areas really have a sense of community. Again, boundaries might help this. Allowing entire teams to play up when young also undermines the entire foundation.
Allowing MItes and Squirts to play up is a huge mistake and it completely undermines the birth years that are suppose to be in those divisions.
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There are plenty of top notch schools in California but for many, including myself, it's about trying to balance education with the travel demands of hockey. Some AAA Bantam players can expect to travel every month from September to February. If the player is Bantam major this doesn't include districts or possibly Nationals. A kid could miss 4-5 days of school for each of those events. That is a lot of time away especially so for players carrying a heavy academic load.
So much misinformation out there... particularly about AAA.
Tier1Elite sets up tournaments to be 2 nights maximum (plus travel) - it's one of the advantages they have over some of the other outfits, who are clearly trying to maximize hotel stays and thus their kickbacks by having 3-4 night tournaments. No idea how you'd be missing 4-5 days for each event. You can usually leave late Thursday, miss one day, and be back Sunday night. Last year my kid missed maybe 5-6 days total playing AAA.
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There is definitely a lot of misinformation out there. Nothatdad thank you for the refresher on Tier1 Elite but I wasn’t talking about their tournaments in my post. Some teams do other tournaments in addition to meeting their obligations to Tier 1 . The 4-5 days off school concerned Districts and Nationals.
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There are plenty of top notch schools in California but for many, including myself, it's about trying to balance education with the travel demands of hockey. Some AAA Bantam players can expect to travel every month from September to February. If the player is Bantam major this doesn't include districts or possibly Nationals. A kid could miss 4-5 days of school for each of those events. That is a lot of time away especially so for players carrying a heavy academic load.
So much misinformation out there... particularly about AAA.
Tier1Elite sets up tournaments to be 2 nights maximum (plus travel) - it's one of the advantages they have over some of the other outfits, who are clearly trying to maximize hotel stays and thus their kickbacks by having 3-4 night tournaments. No idea how you'd be missing 4-5 days for each event. You can usually leave late Thursday, miss one day, and be back Sunday night. Last year my kid missed maybe 5-6 days total playing AAA.
Staying on topic, the question remains how affective Midget Tier hockey can be for kids taking that next step to college or Juniors. So, of the kids on your team, where have they gone post Midget?
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There is definitely a lot of misinformation out there. Nothatdad thank you for the refresher on Tier1 Elite but I wasn’t talking about their tournaments in my post. Some teams do other tournaments in addition to meeting their obligations to Tier 1 . The 4-5 days off school concerned Districts and Nationals.
I think all of the teams do tournaments apart from T1EHL, but my point remains about 5-6 days during the season.
Good point about districts and nationals being longer - I misread your post.
With the game load in other areas though (look at myHockeyRankings - you will see teams with 70-80+ games) i don't think we are that hard off out here. As i mentioned in another post, in Ontario, even though they don't travel nearly as much, each playoff round is 5 or 7 games. That eats into study time too.
If you want to play at a high level, one of the talents you have to develop as a player is how to stay organized and keep your studies up. Which is another aspect of the east coast prep schools. You typically have to have pretty good grades.
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There are plenty of top notch schools in California but for many, including myself, it's about trying to balance education with the travel demands of hockey. Some AAA Bantam players can expect to travel every month from September to February. If the player is Bantam major this doesn't include districts or possibly Nationals. A kid could miss 4-5 days of school for each of those events. That is a lot of time away especially so for players carrying a heavy academic load.
So much misinformation out there... particularly about AAA.
Tier1Elite sets up tournaments to be 2 nights maximum (plus travel) - it's one of the advantages they have over some of the other outfits, who are clearly trying to maximize hotel stays and thus their kickbacks by having 3-4 night tournaments. No idea how you'd be missing 4-5 days for each event. You can usually leave late Thursday, miss one day, and be back Sunday night. Last year my kid missed maybe 5-6 days total playing AAA.
Staying on topic, the question remains how affective Midget Tier hockey can be for kids taking that next step to college or Juniors. So, of the kids on your team, where have they gone post Midget?
All the teams tweet about or post where their players are going to their web sites. Easy enough to look. I think about 10 Jr Sharks moved on to college or various jr leagues this year (many from the girls 19AA team), plus a number go to prep schools every year, but that's not tracked anywhere. It varies from year to year though.
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With all do respect, if a good education is the real goal, there are PLENTY of top quality schools much closer, some even in So Cal.
I'm sure prep school is the answer to some, I just don't get it.
Now if the goal is to show off to co-workers or to the hockey snobs, so be it. But call it what it is.
Agree that there are plenty of good schools here. My take is that the ADHSHL is on the right path to hopefully keep kids here and get noticed at Nationals or other showcases. Last year, I hear that there were scouts from many colleges at the HS nationals and many got offers - mostly D3 colleges but it's a start.
Compared to Prep costs, there are a range of excellent D1 schools with costs of 8K to 18K here. You have JSerra (18.5K), Santa Margarita (17K), Olu (17K), Damien (8K), Bellermine (San Jose -16K), Tahoe, and St. Marys (new). You also have D2 and D3 teams who could step up to D1 in the coming years including Servite, Mater Dei, Central Cathedral (San Diego), La Jolla Country Day (34K - ouch), St John Bosco. Most of these programs play a minimum of 40 game seasons and are more competitive than 16AA aside from maybe the top 2 AA teams in the state (I know OLu a few years back was beating 16AAA teams and pretty sure SM could or may have last year). It's a shame the Kings can't get more going with private schools in LA county, but the good thing is that the ADHSHL seems to take on other teams regardless of location.
If the league can continue to build it's reputation of producing good hockey players, there will eventually be more national recognition and potential for movement onto bigger and better things. My 2 cents...
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Not that familar with the SoCal HS teams. However I know THA was in Chicago tournament last year and was getting beat by 16AA teams. So I do not know that it is any more competitive or not. That being said they may not have brought their best players either.
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ADHSHL is really built well and the top end D-1 shows well nationaly as well.
The Kings HS is a whole different story.
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Not that familar with the SoCal HS teams. However I know THA was in Chicago tournament last year and was getting beat by 16AA teams. So I do not know that it is any more competitive or not. That being said they may not have brought their best players either.
They went 4-12 last year in the ADHSHL and were in second to last place and lost to SM 12-0 and Damien 7-0 but at other times seemed to be competitive so maybe they do/did have different lineups?
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There needs to be a non-parochial school option. I don't want to send my kid to private school... I just want to give him a fun competitive hockey team to play on... the public school hockey in d2 and d3 is a joke...AAA is too expensive... and AA is dying... WTF do I do??
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There needs to be a non-parochial school option. I don't want to send my kid to private school... I just want to give him a fun competitive hockey team to play on... the public school hockey in d2 and d3 is a joke...AAA is too expensive... and AA is dying... WTF do I do??
Minnesota? Baseball?
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The correct answer is Canada.
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So the answer is nothing... just stop playing
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I think you will find more of the HS D3 programs looking quite better this year. Many real AA players have transfered for 18/19.
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I think you will find more of the HS D3 programs looking quite better this year. Many real AA players have transfered for 18/19.
I hope so... my kid is playing both D3 and AA so I hope it goes well.
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Not that familar with the SoCal HS teams. However I know THA was in Chicago tournament last year and was getting beat by 16AA teams. So I do not know that it is any more competitive or not. That being said they may not have brought their best players either.
They went 4-12 last year in the ADHSHL and were in second to last place and lost to SM 12-0 and Damien 7-0 but at other times seemed to be competitive so maybe they do/did have different lineups?
Actully their Varsity team was young and just got better as the year went. in the playoffs went 2-1 losing to Margarita 2-7 who went on to win nationals with a senior based team https://www.adhshl.com/schedule/team_instance/2763388?subseason=491559 (https://www.adhshl.com/schedule/team_instance/2763388?subseason=491559)
Finished second https://www.adhshl.com/bracket/show/4007886?subseason=491559
Trust the process! lol
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Not that familar with the SoCal HS teams. However I know THA was in Chicago tournament last year and was getting beat by 16AA teams. So I do not know that it is any more competitive or not. That being said they may not have brought their best players either.
They went 4-12 last year in the ADHSHL and were in second to last place and lost to SM 12-0 and Damien 7-0 but at other times seemed to be competitive so maybe they do/did have different lineups?
Actully their Varsity team was young and just got better as the year went. in the playoffs went 2-1 losing to Margarita 2-7 who went on to win nationals with a senior based team https://www.adhshl.com/schedule/team_instance/2763388?subseason=491559 (https://www.adhshl.com/schedule/team_instance/2763388?subseason=491559)
Finished second https://www.adhshl.com/bracket/show/4007886?subseason=491559 (https://www.adhshl.com/bracket/show/4007886?subseason=491559)
Trust the process! lol
Someone has been taking shots of the Lewis Liquor. ;)
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Not that familar with the SoCal HS teams. However I know THA was in Chicago tournament last year and was getting beat by 16AA teams. So I do not know that it is any more competitive or not. That being said they may not have brought their best players either.
They went 4-12 last year in the ADHSHL and were in second to last place and lost to SM 12-0 and Damien 7-0 but at other times seemed to be competitive so maybe they do/did have different lineups?
Actully their Varsity team was young and just got better as the year went. in the playoffs went 2-1 losing to Margarita 2-7 who went on to win nationals with a senior based team https://www.adhshl.com/schedule/team_instance/2763388?subseason=491559 (https://www.adhshl.com/schedule/team_instance/2763388?subseason=491559)
Finished second https://www.adhshl.com/bracket/show/4007886?subseason=491559 (https://www.adhshl.com/bracket/show/4007886?subseason=491559)
Trust the process! lol
Someone has been taking shots of the Lewis Liquor. ;)
Trevor Tea wasn't doing anything for me. ;D
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Tahoe was quite active in recruiting this year as well, signing on some top players from 16AA particularly from Valencia's squad. It takes time for a program to be built and the program is all of 2 years old.
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Not all of the kool aid ingredients are good for you... Be careful
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Not to mention they don't qualify for the D1 Pure Nationals as they're a boarding school and mostly online which isn't community based. They would probably fall into the D2 pool which are District Schools and others?
From USA Hockey Nationals Guidebook
High School Varsity and Prep School
Varsity Division (male and female teams): Pure teams
that are community based public high schools, private
schools drawing their students exclusively from a local
metropolitan area (excluding any school that boards players)
OR a combined team from a state that has NO pure teams.
And
Billeted players competing on Youth Tier I, Youth Tier II or any junior
teams are not eligible to compete in the High School Varsity
national tournament. Participation is restricted to amateurs
who are full-time students (grades 9-12), and 19 years old
or under as of December 31 of the playing season.