What level is the "right" one????

[NoGo]

Is it better to have more competitive games at an assumed lower level, (19U A) or to play an apparently more competitive upper level (17UAA)? If a team could drop their handful of older players and do this what level would present the best opportunity for college scouting” at the Polar Bear or Fire and Ice Tournaments?

 

[notfromaroundhere]

Re: What level is the "right" one????

Is it better to have more competitive games at an assumed lower level, (19U A) or to play an apparently more competitive upper level (17UAA)? If a team could drop their handful of older players and do this what level would present the best opportunity for college scouting” at the Polar Bear or Fire and Ice Tournaments?

It depends upon your situation.

We are going to for purposes of this discussion assume your daughter is a rising Junior (as opposed to a very young rising Senior). If your daughter is any younger, it is too early for her to be worrying about recruiting.

Next, a reality check - D1 vs. D3. If your intention is D1, always play at the higher level and younger age bracket - better competition. The down side is that D1 coaches do not attend either of these brackets as much. Occasionally, they are checking out the talent a couple years out for someone they've gotten good reviews on.

If you are looking D3, you'll see a few more D3 coaches at the 19A level as most D3 recruiting is done during the Senior year and many Seniors have aged out of 17U. Quite frankly though, if you want a coach to watch your daughter, make sure you let them know her schedule. If she has an interest in a particular D3 school, it is a good thing to let them know during her Junior year. All things equal, a coach will go with a player who has demonstrated interest in the school for a longer time if a coach's tip is needed for admission.

Of course the correct answer is play where the quality of play is the best and forget about recruiting. At Polar Bear, I'd say the 17AA is better than the 19A bracket, but not by much. You'll have some up and coming younger talent.

 

[futurestar]

Re: What level is the "right" one????

At the Polar Bears, coaches tend to try to maximize their scouting time and "hang" in one rink for the day. You may see one or two coaches at the outlying rinks, but the big numbers are at the major rinks where there are a number of games at the higher levels.