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Author Topic: Playing up  (Read 11086 times)

notTHATdad

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Re: Playing up
« Reply #15 on: July 03, 2020, 12:54:05 PM »
It works sometimes, for truly exceptional players. I've also seen horror shows of kids playing up, just to ride the pine all season, when it turned out they were not able to compete in real games for one reason or another. In once case I've seen it set the kid so far back he never really recovered.


Rule of thumb: Clubs should not allow a kid to play up unless they would end up being one of the top 3 kids ON THE UP team.  Just because your kid is the best squirt (by a mile) does not mean they are ready for PeeWee.


Also realize that you are setting yourself up for a tough year at some point, because when body checking comes in, they will likely have to drop again.


alfirst

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Re: Playing up
« Reply #16 on: July 03, 2020, 01:32:50 PM »
I would disagree - "for truly exceptional"


I know one kid played PWA being at SQA age and he played mostly 3rd line and sat a lot during tournaments. Still scored enough comparatively to 1st liners.
Then he played next 2 season PWAA - 1-2 line. He tried for AAA but was cut short.


He is not exceptional by any means (still troubles with team play)  - does not pass "eye test" as superior. But skipping SQA did not change him to the worse, ruined him or anything. Probably helped somewhat during first year in PWAA - as he got used to playing with older kids, speed etc. 


SO - could work either way - as long as you are ready to "sit out" for sake of better competition first year PW

lcadad

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Re: Playing up
« Reply #17 on: July 03, 2020, 09:22:33 PM »
The CAHA/SCAHA system which reaches its maximum level of expansion at U12 is so confusing and full of options, it's literally almost impossible to gauge where your kid is at because there just isn't that much competition at birth year.  There are far too many PW teams between AAA/AA/A/BB and B.   With A you get 18-20+ teams, so it's not like there is a lot of parity.  The top few teams barely lose a game, whereas you have 12 or so teams that don't make the playoffs, and know they won't before the season is 1/2 over.

I don't really see what the big hurry is to get to PW.  It's probably the worst version of hockey there is.  Lots of puck hogging and end to end rushes, and some of the worst reffing you will experience.  If a kid has any modicum of legal body contact in their repertoire, expect them to log major penalty minutes especially if they are larger than average, and enjoy the comedy when one of the play-up teams is matched against a Major year team. Nothing sadder than seeing a kid execute an angled rubout perfectly, only to dump a kid half their size coming off the boards with the puck and get whistled down with a 2 & 10 for head contact.

I can't see why someone thinks it helps with development for a kid to play on a team that wins 5-6 out of 15 games and has a -30+ goal differential in PWA and thinks that just because they played up and survived getting their ass handed to them, that it's made them more competitive.  It's an incontrovertible fact that as you go up in age level and level of play the amount of time the average player controls the puck becomes shorter and shorter.  Again, why seek that out, especially if your kid is going to have to spend the entire year struggling when they are on a far more gradual maturation curve.  You still get 2 years of PW regardless and 2 is plenty.

trans4761

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Re: Playing up
« Reply #18 on: July 03, 2020, 10:07:03 PM »
Your "exceptional" sq/pw will more than likely be just a normal player by bantam/midgets.  To paraphrase a quote  from a few years back, " my slow fat kid can now kick your little Gretzkys ass"
Really, what's the point ? Let your "Little Gretzky have his Al Bundy moment.


See you in beer leagues, the natural progression to your lil stick handlers hockey "career"

notTHATdad

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Re: Playing up
« Reply #19 on: July 05, 2020, 09:48:26 PM »
It's a good point. As I've watched my kids grow (I have one at college now, the other a 16), it's remarkable how few of the 'superstars' of yesteryear are even good now. Many have left the sport completely. Until they are 15+... it really doesn't even matter.

HockeyGuy-99

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Re: Playing up
« Reply #20 on: July 06, 2020, 09:54:17 AM »
So here's a fun question:


Why does SCAHA not allow major birth year mites to play up(they say its due to development) but the allow kids to play 1 year of Squirt before launching off to PeeWee A/AA?  Isn't squirt the only age group you are allowed to do this in now? 


If it is truly about the development about these children and not about hmmm, lets say...the money?  Why don't they just implement the same rule as they did mites?  Squirt A division may even become really good again instead of minor birth year teams being near the top.     

6607

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Re: Playing up
« Reply #21 on: July 06, 2020, 10:05:10 AM »
Bantam majors can play up to midget, the exception being that AAA has a 15o division.  The rationale for no longer allowing notes to play up to squirt is to prevent circumventing the ADM cross ice mandate.  The rationale for not allowing pee wee to play up to bantams is checking.








Knuckle Puck

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Re: Playing up
« Reply #22 on: July 06, 2020, 10:59:59 AM »
it's remarkable how few of the 'superstars' of yesteryear are even good now. Many have left the sport completely. Until they are 15+... it really doesn't even matter.
80% of whether a kid moves on to juniors/college is genetics. when a kid is a mite/squirt, a look at the parents will tell you his likely future. btw, over the past decade on average only about a dozen kids per birth year make it to d1/major junior, and a similar number to d3/junior a (including girls).  manage your expectations. cheers.

HockeyGuy-99

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Re: Playing up
« Reply #23 on: July 06, 2020, 12:41:15 PM »
it's remarkable how few of the 'superstars' of yesteryear are even good now. Many have left the sport completely. Until they are 15+... it really doesn't even matter.
80% of whether a kid moves on to juniors/college is genetics. when a kid is a mite/squirt, a look at the parents will tell you his likely future. btw, over the past decade on average only about a dozen kids per birth year make it to d1/major junior, and a similar number to d3/junior a (including girls).  manage your expectations. cheers.


So you're saying there's a chance!!!!

notTHATdad

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Re: Playing up
« Reply #24 on: July 07, 2020, 07:01:01 PM »



I agree genetics is a factor... but not sure looking at the parents helps (he says, speaking as someone who's eldest boy is a good 9 inches taller than him... :-)



it's remarkable how few of the 'superstars' of yesteryear are even good now. Many have left the sport completely. Until they are 15+... it really doesn't even matter.
80% of whether a kid moves on to juniors/college is genetics. when a kid is a mite/squirt, a look at the parents will tell you his likely future. btw, over the past decade on average only about a dozen kids per birth year make it to d1/major junior, and a similar number to d3/junior a (including girls).  manage your expectations. cheers.