CrossCheck
New member
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
WoW...as a parent/coach who attended "Nationals" for 10+ years.....you nailed it!!
WoW...as a parent/coach who attended "Nationals" for 10+ years.....you nailed it!!
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USA Hockey National Championships
- Thread starter Reggie44
- Start date
CrossCheck
New member
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
ok...now you went off the rails. the rest of the country ain't Minnesoooda, eh? we don't have thousands and thousands of girls playing the sport. so that HS model just flat out don't work...just not even remotely possible. To get better and play competitive hockey, you have to play on a good club team. The Summer Nationals is just plain stupid. sorry, just stupid. it's about THIS season...not summer hockey. in the summer these girls are playing lacrosse, field hockey, soccer, or training...or god forbid.....being a KID....
p.s...bring back u12 nationals...it's supposed to be about the girls and....dare I say it...FUN!!!
ok...now you went off the rails. the rest of the country ain't Minnesoooda, eh? we don't have thousands and thousands of girls playing the sport. so that HS model just flat out don't work...just not even remotely possible. To get better and play competitive hockey, you have to play on a good club team. The Summer Nationals is just plain stupid. sorry, just stupid. it's about THIS season...not summer hockey. in the summer these girls are playing lacrosse, field hockey, soccer, or training...or god forbid.....being a KID....
p.s...bring back u12 nationals...it's supposed to be about the girls and....dare I say it...FUN!!!
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
Really? Immature post, but I'll respond in case people believe anything you are saying.
1. Can you name another team sport (basketball, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse) where the primary "Travel/Club" season is the same as the High School season? Nope. Just hockey (and the history of that comes from when rinks were primarily only open in the winter.. that has changed). Spring, summer or fall Club hockey works.
2. Bring back U12 Nationals? No way. I lived through that debacle. No one was happy (except apparently you). 10, 11 and 12 year olds competing in states, then regionals, then nationals... way too much at that age. Doesn't make them better players. The only thing it does is make hockey expensive in both time and money.
ok...now you went off the rails. the rest of the country ain't Minnesoooda, eh? we don't have thousands and thousands of girls playing the sport. so that HS model just flat out don't work...just not even remotely possible. To get better and play competitive hockey, you have to play on a good club team. The Summer Nationals is just plain stupid. sorry, just stupid. it's about THIS season...not summer hockey. in the summer these girls are playing lacrosse, field hockey, soccer, or training...or god forbid.....being a KID....
p.s...bring back u12 nationals...it's supposed to be about the girls and....dare I say it...FUN!!!
Really? Immature post, but I'll respond in case people believe anything you are saying.
1. Can you name another team sport (basketball, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse) where the primary "Travel/Club" season is the same as the High School season? Nope. Just hockey (and the history of that comes from when rinks were primarily only open in the winter.. that has changed). Spring, summer or fall Club hockey works.
2. Bring back U12 Nationals? No way. I lived through that debacle. No one was happy (except apparently you). 10, 11 and 12 year olds competing in states, then regionals, then nationals... way too much at that age. Doesn't make them better players. The only thing it does is make hockey expensive in both time and money.
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
Thanks. Those of us who have lived in it for a long time - we get to see behind the curtain and it's not pretty. And you probably know as well - college coaches don't need Nationals.
WoW...as a parent/coach who attended "Nationals" for 10+ years.....you nailed it!!
Thanks. Those of us who have lived in it for a long time - we get to see behind the curtain and it's not pretty. And you probably know as well - college coaches don't need Nationals.
Hockeydad4two
Registered User
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
All of you proponents of the “Minnesota” model/high school only during the winter season have to realize something. Not all districts are lucky enough to have ice rinks near every high school. Some large cities don’t have enough girls or boys (also no rinks) to have even “combined” high school teams.
Let’s turn this around and put a different shoe on Minnesota. I got to spend a few weeks with my daughter in a small Minnesota town a couple of months ago. While at the town rink (2 sheets!!), there was a flyer for the local lacrosse club promoting their tryouts. Why doesn’t this town have a high school team? The interest isn’t there yet. Will it get there? Who knows? What I can tell you is a lacrosse field is a whole lot cheaper to build, run and maintain than a hockey rink.
Having an ice rink in your town would make it a lot easier to have a high school team. I just don’t think a rash of new rinks is going to happen any time soon.
So for the kids that want to play what do you do? We drove our daughter 90 miles one way in order for her to play on a club team. Our only other option was for her to not play. What would you do?
All of you proponents of the “Minnesota” model/high school only during the winter season have to realize something. Not all districts are lucky enough to have ice rinks near every high school. Some large cities don’t have enough girls or boys (also no rinks) to have even “combined” high school teams.
Let’s turn this around and put a different shoe on Minnesota. I got to spend a few weeks with my daughter in a small Minnesota town a couple of months ago. While at the town rink (2 sheets!!), there was a flyer for the local lacrosse club promoting their tryouts. Why doesn’t this town have a high school team? The interest isn’t there yet. Will it get there? Who knows? What I can tell you is a lacrosse field is a whole lot cheaper to build, run and maintain than a hockey rink.
Having an ice rink in your town would make it a lot easier to have a high school team. I just don’t think a rash of new rinks is going to happen any time soon.
So for the kids that want to play what do you do? We drove our daughter 90 miles one way in order for her to play on a club team. Our only other option was for her to not play. What would you do?
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
Actually, it's gone north.
Ok, no question this topic has gone south.......
Actually, it's gone north.
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
It's commendable you are driving that far. The Minny model would have her playing for the Club team, which would operate after the HS season. Sounds like she only plays for the Club team, so it's not taking away the opportunity, it's just moving the season, right?
All of you proponents of the “Minnesota” model/high school only during the winter season have to realize something. Not all districts are lucky enough to have ice rinks near every high school. Some large cities don’t have enough girls or boys (also no rinks) to have even “combined” high school teams.
So for the kids that want to play what do you do? We drove our daughter 90 miles one way in order for her to play on a club team. Our only other option was for her to not play. What would you do?
It's commendable you are driving that far. The Minny model would have her playing for the Club team, which would operate after the HS season. Sounds like she only plays for the Club team, so it's not taking away the opportunity, it's just moving the season, right?
CrossCheck
New member
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
you seem like a lovely chap...but if you think the Minnie model would work anywhere else in the USA...you're simply delusional. Sorry, just a fact.
As for U12 Nationals..again...it's suppose to be about FUN...and having my kids there many times, it was a blast...regardless how they did in the games. Oh, and PS...last I checked there was something called the Little League WORLD SERIES....ya, 12 year olds competing for a World Championship...and on ESPN no less....and I hear nobody crying about "development"....but USA hockey [lol] knows better.
It's commendable you are driving that far. The Minny model would have her playing for the Club team, which would operate after the HS season. Sounds like she only plays for the Club team, so it's not taking away the opportunity, it's just moving the season, right?
you seem like a lovely chap...but if you think the Minnie model would work anywhere else in the USA...you're simply delusional. Sorry, just a fact.
As for U12 Nationals..again...it's suppose to be about FUN...and having my kids there many times, it was a blast...regardless how they did in the games. Oh, and PS...last I checked there was something called the Little League WORLD SERIES....ya, 12 year olds competing for a World Championship...and on ESPN no less....and I hear nobody crying about "development"....but USA hockey [lol] knows better.
PenaltyKill
New member
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
The U12 Nationals was fun. My daughter went twice and at that age, it means something special and different than when you're 16 trying to be recruited--the opening ceremonies, the competition, the team camaraderie...it reinforced her love of the game, she made great friendships, there were no coaches watching or recruiting pressures to deal with, and it taught her and her teammates a lot of great lessons about competing, playing under pressure, losing, winning and showing good sportsmanship. I think U12s are perfectly capable of competing for a national title
And really, what is USA Hockey saying at this point? I find it rather ironic that 3/4 of the USA U18 roster was Minnesota girls--girls who did not develop within the USA Hockey program. What does that say about how players are being developed by USA Hockey? Then again, that's an entirely different topic...
you seem like a lovely chap...but if you think the Minnie model would work anywhere else in the USA...you're simply delusional. Sorry, just a fact.
As for U12 Nationals..again...it's suppose to be about FUN...and having my kids there many times, it was a blast...regardless how they did in the games. Oh, and PS...last I checked there was something called the Little League WORLD SERIES....ya, 12 year olds competing for a World Championship...and on ESPN no less....and I hear nobody crying about "development"....but USA hockey [lol] knows better.
The U12 Nationals was fun. My daughter went twice and at that age, it means something special and different than when you're 16 trying to be recruited--the opening ceremonies, the competition, the team camaraderie...it reinforced her love of the game, she made great friendships, there were no coaches watching or recruiting pressures to deal with, and it taught her and her teammates a lot of great lessons about competing, playing under pressure, losing, winning and showing good sportsmanship. I think U12s are perfectly capable of competing for a national title
And really, what is USA Hockey saying at this point? I find it rather ironic that 3/4 of the USA U18 roster was Minnesota girls--girls who did not develop within the USA Hockey program. What does that say about how players are being developed by USA Hockey? Then again, that's an entirely different topic...
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
You are 100% wrong. "Sorry just a fact" exposes you as not studied on this issue at all. The New England, New York and Massachusetts districts are set-up perfectly for the MN model. They have the two ingredients necessary: 1) high school hockey, and 2) a large enough population to support Club hockey.
These seven states have high school hockey in varying degrees of maturity - some fledgling and some fully developed. The combined female hockey playing population in these three districts is almost twice the female playing population in Minnesota. As a result, female hockey players can play high school hockey AND play "Club" during the off-season.
Not only would that grow high school hockey in these seven states - who's growth is now stunted by the parallel high school and club seasons - but you would get what MN gets... better player development at much less cost.
you seem like a lovely chap...but if you think the Minnie model would work anywhere else in the USA...you're simply delusional. Sorry, just a fact.
You are 100% wrong. "Sorry just a fact" exposes you as not studied on this issue at all. The New England, New York and Massachusetts districts are set-up perfectly for the MN model. They have the two ingredients necessary: 1) high school hockey, and 2) a large enough population to support Club hockey.
These seven states have high school hockey in varying degrees of maturity - some fledgling and some fully developed. The combined female hockey playing population in these three districts is almost twice the female playing population in Minnesota. As a result, female hockey players can play high school hockey AND play "Club" during the off-season.
Not only would that grow high school hockey in these seven states - who's growth is now stunted by the parallel high school and club seasons - but you would get what MN gets... better player development at much less cost.
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
Once again, you are on the wrong side of the issue.
The point about 12's playing for a national championship is that it happens during the school year. 7th graders missing a week of school makes no sense. The LL World Championship you refer to happens during the summer. Get it now?
last I checked there was something called the Little League WORLD SERIES....ya, 12 year olds competing for a World Championship...and on ESPN no less....and I hear nobody crying about "development"....but USA hockey [lol] knows better.
Once again, you are on the wrong side of the issue.
The point about 12's playing for a national championship is that it happens during the school year. 7th graders missing a week of school makes no sense. The LL World Championship you refer to happens during the summer. Get it now?
HockeyEast33
New member
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
I'm not sure what you two are going on about. In New England, we effectively already have the "MN model". The U16 and U19 club teams play in the Fall and stop playing (except for maybe a Christmas tournament) when the high school/prep school season starts. The teams that qualify for Nationals pick up again after the end of the high/prep school season. There is minimal overlap between high/prep school and club hockey at the high school level. So nothing really needs to change - we've been living the system for years. The only difference between MN and NE is that lots of better kids play at the prep schools rather than local high schools - so the community aspect is missing - but that really has nothing to do with hockey. The kids are generally getting a better education at prep school than at the local high schools, so that's a benefit of the system not a problem with it.
Cross and others are correct though that for the rest of the country, there is insufficient participation and teams to enable this model to work anywhere else.
You are 100% wrong. "Sorry just a fact" exposes you as not studied on this issue at all. The New England, New York and Massachusetts districts are set-up perfectly for the MN model. They have the two ingredients necessary: 1) high school hockey, and 2) a large enough population to support Club hockey.
These seven states have high school hockey in varying degrees of maturity - some fledgling and some fully developed. The combined female hockey playing population in these three districts is almost twice the female playing population in Minnesota. As a result, female hockey players can play high school hockey AND play "Club" during the off-season.
Not only would that grow high school hockey in these seven states - who's growth is now stunted by the parallel high school and club seasons - but you would get what MN gets... better player development at much less cost.
I'm not sure what you two are going on about. In New England, we effectively already have the "MN model". The U16 and U19 club teams play in the Fall and stop playing (except for maybe a Christmas tournament) when the high school/prep school season starts. The teams that qualify for Nationals pick up again after the end of the high/prep school season. There is minimal overlap between high/prep school and club hockey at the high school level. So nothing really needs to change - we've been living the system for years. The only difference between MN and NE is that lots of better kids play at the prep schools rather than local high schools - so the community aspect is missing - but that really has nothing to do with hockey. The kids are generally getting a better education at prep school than at the local high schools, so that's a benefit of the system not a problem with it.
Cross and others are correct though that for the rest of the country, there is insufficient participation and teams to enable this model to work anywhere else.
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HockeyEast33
New member
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
The LL World Championship qualifying goes on all Spring and requires extensive travel to states and regionals. Much of it happens during the school year, not in the summer.
Once again, you are on the wrong side of the issue.
The point about 12's playing for a national championship is that it happens during the school year. 7th graders missing a week of school makes no sense. The LL World Championship you refer to happens during the summer. Get it now?
The LL World Championship qualifying goes on all Spring and requires extensive travel to states and regionals. Much of it happens during the school year, not in the summer.
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
More misinformation. Here are facts:
1. MN has the in-season rule. They are not allowed to play on another team of the same sport during the high school season. Of the 7 states in the northeast, only Vermont has that rule. So everyone is allowed to play Club during the High School season. Which leads to...
2. Kids in the northeast don't stop playing Club during the high school season. Where did you get that? They play and practice for their Club teams consistently throughout the hockey season. Sundays are jam-packed with practices and games.
3. Choosing prep has nothing to do with hockey? Why do you think CT has three Club teams? How can that little state have that many? Why? Because kids abandon their high schools (from the northeast and across the country) so they can play high school hockey AND be on Club/Showcase teams. The Prep system and the Club system are completely intertwined, and depend on each other to attract the best hockey players. My state has high school hockey, but the best players (including mine) leave for Preps because they have to be seen by colleges on Club teams. My kids had no choice - leave or don't play hockey in college. That's not the right choice. They should have been able to play for their local high school AND then played for the nearest Club team during the summer.
And what about the kids that can't afford prep schools? Totally screwed if they want to play college hockey. And that's the point of this whole story. The "system" makes the game inaccessible for most people. That's why girls hockey grows at a snails pace compared to other team sports.
I'm not sure what you two are going on about. In New England, we effectively already have the "MN model". The U16 and U19 club teams play in the Fall and stop playing (except for maybe a Christmas tournament) when the high school/prep school season starts. The teams that qualify for Nationals pick up again after the end of the high/prep school season. There is minimal overlap between high/prep school and club hockey at the high school level. So nothing really needs to change - we've been living the system for years. The only difference between MN and NE is that lots of better kids play at the prep schools rather than local high schools - so the community aspect is missing - but that really has nothing to do with hockey. The kids are generally getting a better education at prep school than at the local high schools, so that's a benefit of the system not a problem with it.
Cross and others are correct though that for the rest of the country, there is insufficient participation and teams to enable this model to work anywhere else.
More misinformation. Here are facts:
1. MN has the in-season rule. They are not allowed to play on another team of the same sport during the high school season. Of the 7 states in the northeast, only Vermont has that rule. So everyone is allowed to play Club during the High School season. Which leads to...
2. Kids in the northeast don't stop playing Club during the high school season. Where did you get that? They play and practice for their Club teams consistently throughout the hockey season. Sundays are jam-packed with practices and games.
3. Choosing prep has nothing to do with hockey? Why do you think CT has three Club teams? How can that little state have that many? Why? Because kids abandon their high schools (from the northeast and across the country) so they can play high school hockey AND be on Club/Showcase teams. The Prep system and the Club system are completely intertwined, and depend on each other to attract the best hockey players. My state has high school hockey, but the best players (including mine) leave for Preps because they have to be seen by colleges on Club teams. My kids had no choice - leave or don't play hockey in college. That's not the right choice. They should have been able to play for their local high school AND then played for the nearest Club team during the summer.
And what about the kids that can't afford prep schools? Totally screwed if they want to play college hockey. And that's the point of this whole story. The "system" makes the game inaccessible for most people. That's why girls hockey grows at a snails pace compared to other team sports.
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
So much bad info. Here's the truth:
Little League district, section and state tournaments happen during June and July. Regionals occur in August. If you don't believe me, here's the darn website with the schedule:
2015 District, State, Sectionals: http://www.littleleaguetoolkit.org/...2015/schedules/tournament-schedule-master.pdf
Regionals and Championship: http://www.littleleaguetoolkit.org/tournament/usbbdates.htm
I love how people just shoot from the hip. Actually, no I don't.
The LL World Championship qualifying goes on all Spring and requires extensive travel to states and regionals. Much of it happens during the school year, not in the summer.
So much bad info. Here's the truth:
Little League district, section and state tournaments happen during June and July. Regionals occur in August. If you don't believe me, here's the darn website with the schedule:
2015 District, State, Sectionals: http://www.littleleaguetoolkit.org/...2015/schedules/tournament-schedule-master.pdf
Regionals and Championship: http://www.littleleaguetoolkit.org/tournament/usbbdates.htm
I love how people just shoot from the hip. Actually, no I don't.
PenaltyKill
New member
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
From my seat, PuckRush and HockeyEast, you're both right. My daughter plays at a NE prep school and had to leave her public school system, because although there is a girls' hockey team, it's not competitive and there's no way she could have played college hockey if she'd stayed. She also played club hockey. Once she reached the U16 level, club hockey ended at Thanksgiving (except for a Christmas tournie) and then picked up again when high school was over if the Club team qualified for Nationals. The stressful time was the year she was a freshman and a U14. Then she was playing Club during the high school season.
But having to leave our public high school for a sport was not something we really wanted to do (and it's not all sports--there are many athletes who can stay in public schools in Mass and get recruited to D1 schools, just not for hockey) And that's the part of the Minnesota system that appeals to me. Prep schools are expensive and may not be everyone's cup of tea. But our daughter had an aspiration to play in college (which she achieved at the D1 level) So I agree, if you don't play prep in Mass, you're not going to play in college. But no thanks to a summer season of Club hockey (although, what club program doesn't compete in some tournament in the summer and/or have camps, skills clinics, etc?)
More misinformation. Here are facts:
1. MN has the in-season rule. They are not allowed to play on another team of the same sport during the high school season. Of the 7 states in the northeast, only Vermont has that rule. So everyone is allowed to play Club during the High School season. Which leads to...
2. Kids in the northeast don't stop playing Club during the high school season. Where did you get that? They play and practice for their Club teams consistently throughout the hockey season. Sundays are jam-packed with practices and games.
3. Choosing prep has nothing to do with hockey? Why do you think CT has three Club teams? How can that little state have that many? Why? Because kids abandon their high schools (from the northeast and across the country) so they can play high school hockey AND be on Club/Showcase teams. The Prep system and the Club system are completely intertwined, and depend on each other to attract the best hockey players. My state has high school hockey, but the best players (including mine) leave for Preps because they have to be seen by colleges on Club teams. My kids had no choice - leave or don't play hockey in college. That's not the right choice. They should have been able to play for their local high school AND then played for the nearest Club team during the summer.
And what about the kids that can't afford prep schools? Totally screwed if they want to play college hockey. And that's the point of this whole story. The "system" makes the game inaccessible for most people. That's why girls hockey grows at a snails pace compared to other team sports.
From my seat, PuckRush and HockeyEast, you're both right. My daughter plays at a NE prep school and had to leave her public school system, because although there is a girls' hockey team, it's not competitive and there's no way she could have played college hockey if she'd stayed. She also played club hockey. Once she reached the U16 level, club hockey ended at Thanksgiving (except for a Christmas tournie) and then picked up again when high school was over if the Club team qualified for Nationals. The stressful time was the year she was a freshman and a U14. Then she was playing Club during the high school season.
But having to leave our public high school for a sport was not something we really wanted to do (and it's not all sports--there are many athletes who can stay in public schools in Mass and get recruited to D1 schools, just not for hockey) And that's the part of the Minnesota system that appeals to me. Prep schools are expensive and may not be everyone's cup of tea. But our daughter had an aspiration to play in college (which she achieved at the D1 level) So I agree, if you don't play prep in Mass, you're not going to play in college. But no thanks to a summer season of Club hockey (although, what club program doesn't compete in some tournament in the summer and/or have camps, skills clinics, etc?)
HockeyEast33
New member
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
Your "facts" are largely "shooting from the hip" wrongness.
1. You are misinformed (to use your verbage). In MA (by FAR the largest girls public high school hockey state in NE), there IS an in-season rule for public high school hockey - if a player misses a high school practice/game for a club event, the high school team forfeits the game, no excuses. Girls public high school hockey in NH, ME, VT, and CT is very poor quality. MA and RI are better but still not at a club/prep level - there are many girls on club teams (usually Tier 2) that play public HS hockey - but they rarely go onto college hockey (certainly not the % that go on to play from preps.
2. You are misinformed here also. As others have noted, club teams don't play through high/prep school season in New England at the U16 and U19 level (they do at the U14 level as someone noted) except for a Christmas tournament. I got that from coaching girls club hockey in NE and having kids go through club programs for a period of 10 years. I know a darn sight more about it then you ever will.
3. Again - misinformed (or in this case misread). At no point did I write that choosing prep school has nothing to do with playing hockey. For hockey players it has a lot to do with it and the prep and club systems are indeed intertwined. What I wrote was that the players are generally better off academically at the prep school than the most local public high schools. You seem really bitter your kids left home for prep school - but that was your/their choice, not forced on you - they could have opted to stay home. I would look at it as they had an opportunity to do what they loved and were able to pursue it - good for them!
You're right that the prep school system can be somewhat exclusionary (1 for 4 - you're an average major leaguer). Generally, there are 3 tiers of players - SED, middle class, and upper mid to upper class. SED usually pay little or nothing to go to prep school, mid to upper class usually can afford it. The folks in the middle are the ones that need to make the choice - is the cost (supplemented by some financial aid) worth the opportunity? Personal choice. Also, for many years girls hockey was one of the fastest growing youth sports in the US - so I don't know why you think it is growing at a snails pace.
More misinformation. Here are facts:
1. MN has the in-season rule. They are not allowed to play on another team of the same sport during the high school season. Of the 7 states in the northeast, only Vermont has that rule. So everyone is allowed to play Club during the High School season. Which leads to...
2. Kids in the northeast don't stop playing Club during the high school season. Where did you get that? They play and practice for their Club teams consistently throughout the hockey season. Sundays are jam-packed with practices and games.
3. Choosing prep has nothing to do with hockey? Why do you think CT has three Club teams? How can that little state have that many? Why? Because kids abandon their high schools (from the northeast and across the country) so they can play high school hockey AND be on Club/Showcase teams. The Prep system and the Club system are completely intertwined, and depend on each other to attract the best hockey players. My state has high school hockey, but the best players (including mine) leave for Preps because they have to be seen by colleges on Club teams. My kids had no choice - leave or don't play hockey in college. That's not the right choice. They should have been able to play for their local high school AND then played for the nearest Club team during the summer.
And what about the kids that can't afford prep schools? Totally screwed if they want to play college hockey. And that's the point of this whole story. The "system" makes the game inaccessible for most people. That's why girls hockey grows at a snails pace compared to other team sports.
Your "facts" are largely "shooting from the hip" wrongness.
1. You are misinformed (to use your verbage). In MA (by FAR the largest girls public high school hockey state in NE), there IS an in-season rule for public high school hockey - if a player misses a high school practice/game for a club event, the high school team forfeits the game, no excuses. Girls public high school hockey in NH, ME, VT, and CT is very poor quality. MA and RI are better but still not at a club/prep level - there are many girls on club teams (usually Tier 2) that play public HS hockey - but they rarely go onto college hockey (certainly not the % that go on to play from preps.
2. You are misinformed here also. As others have noted, club teams don't play through high/prep school season in New England at the U16 and U19 level (they do at the U14 level as someone noted) except for a Christmas tournament. I got that from coaching girls club hockey in NE and having kids go through club programs for a period of 10 years. I know a darn sight more about it then you ever will.
3. Again - misinformed (or in this case misread). At no point did I write that choosing prep school has nothing to do with playing hockey. For hockey players it has a lot to do with it and the prep and club systems are indeed intertwined. What I wrote was that the players are generally better off academically at the prep school than the most local public high schools. You seem really bitter your kids left home for prep school - but that was your/their choice, not forced on you - they could have opted to stay home. I would look at it as they had an opportunity to do what they loved and were able to pursue it - good for them!
You're right that the prep school system can be somewhat exclusionary (1 for 4 - you're an average major leaguer). Generally, there are 3 tiers of players - SED, middle class, and upper mid to upper class. SED usually pay little or nothing to go to prep school, mid to upper class usually can afford it. The folks in the middle are the ones that need to make the choice - is the cost (supplemented by some financial aid) worth the opportunity? Personal choice. Also, for many years girls hockey was one of the fastest growing youth sports in the US - so I don't know why you think it is growing at a snails pace.
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SconniePuck
New member
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
Nice article from a neutral party
http://www.sbncollegehockey.com/wom...makenna-webster-presley-norby-gracie-ostertag
Nice article from a neutral party
http://www.sbncollegehockey.com/wom...makenna-webster-presley-norby-gracie-ostertag