AAHA Quebec Tryouts

[Guest]

The AAHA isn’t in the business of figuring out someone’s genetic future. They have no idea how big someone is going to get. But, just like in any sport, size does matter. Just because someone is taller at a younger age doesn’t make them less skilled than the shorter PW player. They do a reasonably good job of picking the initial players they want to put in the Player Development program and then adding and subtracting players as they mature over the next three years.

Says the person with the big, less skilled kid!

[Guest]

Maybe its more than your kids height that’s holding him back.

[Guest]

Maybe its more than your kids height that’s holding him back.

Not the case. My kid had a growth spurt over the season and finally made AAA at 11U. He is now the 2nd biggest kid on team and 2nd best player. His size made all the difference. Other kids on the team that used to push him around in clinics/tryouts are very frustrated when playing against him. Paybacks are a b*tch. The issue I have is my son always had the skill, but size killed him until this year. How many other kids will lose out because they have the skill but don't grow until 14 or 15? Most of those kids get frustrated and quit. Something needs to be done so we keep these smaller kids in the sport longer. We lose too many kids to other sports due to politics in hockey, the culture of hockey and pushing the smaller kids aside.

[Guest]

Yet you’re the same person who bemoans the watering down of AAA. Having made a AAA team doesn’t mean your kid is an improved hockey player. Plenty of marginal kids on marginal teams at AAA. And that’s speaking from the perspective of a Dad who has two kids playing AAA (one at 2012) not “just because they’re bigger” but because they’re skillful as well. The idea that smaller= more skilled is BS. There are plenty of outstanding larger (and smaller) players in AY and THF and you only reinforce the point that in ANY sport size AND skill matters. The AAHA and teams don’t exist to make sure every kid succeeds, just that they have an opportunity to play.

[Guest]

Yet you’re the same person who bemoans the watering down of AAA. Having made a AAA team doesn’t mean your kid is an improved hockey player. Plenty of marginal kids on marginal teams at AAA. And that’s speaking from the perspective of a Dad who has two kids playing AAA (one at 2012) not “just because they’re bigger” but because they’re skillful as well. The idea that smaller= more skilled is BS. There are plenty of outstanding larger (and smaller) players in AY and THF and you only reinforce the point that in ANY sport size AND skill matters. The AAHA and teams don’t exist to make sure every kid succeeds, just that they have an opportunity to play.

You are so wrong on your above comment. At younger ages size and skill beat smaller and more skilled any day of the week. When kids hit 16-18 and are small, they usually have developed muscle that can keep up with bigger kids if their skill is developed too. At younger ages size matters the most. If a 5'2 100lbs decent skilled and average skater 2012 plays against a 4'8 75lbs more skilled and better skater 2011 the bigger kid will usually win. Size, reach, strength along the boards all come into play as these kids get older. A 100lbs to 75lbs ratio is like a 200lbs playing against a 150lbs player. Smaller kids are left off these AAA teams and it is not because they aren;t skilled or can't skate. Coaches want size at the younger AAA ages and they win every time over smaller kids. Look at Dunlop's at the 2012 age. 1494's has a kids that is about 5'7 and weighs about 125+lbs. The kids was a good player, but less skilled and a worse skater than a lot of kids at the 2012 age. The kid was better because of his size and strength. Every team had issues with this kid. This is where AAA and ice hockey make their error. If that kid was in youth football they would have moved him to a higher age team. But since USA Hockey does not allow a 2012 to play with 2011 because of checking, that kid will not be challenged most of the year and smaller kids he plays against will not have a shot against his size. When these kids get older that size advantage is diminished because puberty is the great equalizer. My son is a legitimate AAA player now because he is not only skilled now, his skating improved because he got bigger and stronger. All I am saying is to improve AAA maybe have weight limits for league play will help develop some of the smaller kids. AA does not help because most of the AA teams besides maybe the top 4 in each league are not as skilled as the lower level AAA teams. Maybe have 2 AAA divisions ate each birth year based on weight. This way the highly skilled smaller kids can compete against other highly skilled small kids. Again this is for 15U and younger. At 16U and above size does not mean as much.

[Guest]

We will have to agree to disagree. I know exactly who you are referring to at 1494. My son has played against him several times while he was Caps and we saw him again at PW Quebec tryouts. Size like his is an outlier. The vast majority of kids are not that big. Look up and down the 2012 birth year in AAA and AA and you will find smaller outstanding players playing essential roles on good, winning teams. PHC, JrF, LF all have smaller players, some playing outstanding defense. Team Philly has a small forward who was at top of points in AHF and could play AAA on any team. Size matters but skill matters more.
Dunlop Cup this year was a joke. 1494 at 2012 was basically the 2012 LF. Almost no PHC and zero JrF played because they were all at PW Quebec tryouts. It was little more than a AA tournament at best.

[Guest]

I watched Team Philly play in a AAA tournament in Hershey last season. They played very low level AAA teams and went 2-3. 2 wins vs not very good teams that were basically A teams. Against the teams ranked around 85 in MHR which is where Team Philly was, they got outplayed. That kid you talk about is good but would be a lower level player on PHC, LF and JRF if he made those teams. Would be top 2 on FE, Mercer, Rev or VFM but those teams are basically AA teams with a few AAA players on each team. I agree Dunlops was not the best this year. Some spring teams had A kids playing for there teams but that was really only at the 2012 age. 2013 was better, but still missing best PHC kids, 2014 & 2015 were both AAA to high AA level. That is the issue with spring.  I think height but more so weight are huge factors in AAA. But we can agree the AAA ranks would be best served to have less teams. I think there are enough AAA players at all levels to have 3 teams in the region from Mercer down to southern tip of NJ, Delaware, 5 county PA region with LV added. Some ages are better than others. There are too many teams and some of the teams that have 2-3 legit AAA players would make LF, JRF & PHC stronger. The issue is you couldn't give both LF & JRF AAA teams. You would have to put a team at say Pennsauken, Mercer or even NE Philly to attract AAA kids that don't want to drive over an hour. I do want to say my kid plays AAA because of the added ice time, skills, video and off-ice you get compared to AA. We drive 25 minutes to the AAA rink but if we had to drive 1+ hrs I am not sure he or I would do that.  He played 2 years at AAA, but was on the back end of the roster. This year because of his growth spurt he has shot up to top 3 on roster. We shall see how this all plays out with AAHA decision in 2025.

[Guest]

This years selections are worse than last year ! Everyone knew it going it, and many of the kids that made it, only many it because of somehow JERKOFF Tom bunting is able to push his kids in, same with JrF. Many of the kids that made it, didn't do anything during the games in the tryouts. Some barely went after the puck! But I guess they knew they didn't have to !  WHAT A JOKE !

[Guest]

This years selections are worse than last year ! Everyone knew it going it, and many of the kids that made it, only many it because of somehow JERKOFF Tom bunting is able to push his kids in, same with JrF. Many of the kids that made it, didn't do anything during the games in the tryouts. Some barely went after the puck! But I guess they knew they didn't have to !  WHAT A JOKE !

Tryouts are AAHA money grab. They sucker you in thinking you have a shot but don't tell you all but maybe 2-3 spots are already picked. So 100+ kids have a shot at 2-3 slots but even that is false because our of the 100+ kids maybe 10-15 really have a shot. This is why I did not take my kid. We don't play AAA for JF, LF or PHC so he had not shot. Move on and don't let it upset you. All but maybe 1-2 of the kids that made team will be playing AA by 18U and maybe playing club hockey in college. Keep your focus on the bigger prize with your kid. Remember slow and steady wins the marathon. These kids going to Quebec are sprinting and will most likely be burnt out by 16U. TB is an idiot. Look at PHC 2011- team imploded. 2012 will too.

When will roster be posted on AAHA website? Since we did not attend tryout I have no access to who made. I want to see what a cluster-f*ck this team is!

[Guest]

Totally not true. There were 5 Jf and 4 PHC that made Flyers team. There were kids from LF, Rockets, MM, PBK, Scranton also on team. If anything it was the non JF and PHC kids that shouldn’t have made team. None of the JF and PHC kids that were selected shouldn’t have been. The Phantoms team has a ton of AA kids on it including the Team Philly kid who you were referring to above and who BTW used to play at JF but now plays TP not because he wasn’t good enough but for personal reasons.

There are definitely too many AAA teams but rinks refuse shutter struggling AAA programs or create new ways of training and participation (anyone remember Philadelphia Independence?).