I follow multiple clubs and I'm starting to see their AAA rosters being announced. Congrats to those that have a sucker as a parent that are fooled into thinking AAA before bantam is worth it. I was one of those parents with my 1st kid in hockey but wised up for the youngest. I learned my money was better used at tier2 with added lessons with coaches that work with specific skills, for example for skating we used a figure skating coach that was great for edge work. My oldest son at bantam got bumped down to AA after not making AAA again he spent his final yrs there. My other kid who played A & AA up to Bantam tried out for a team that advertised, they had 2 openings. He was 1 of like 7 that tried out and was picked for a spot. After 3 yrs with the team, he was 1 of 5 invited to their junior's team camp, invites didn't pay for the camp. My oldest played 2 yrs of club hockey in college before putting down his stick and picking up the whistle.

How many posts were made this year with someone complaining about a AAA/AA/A team being blown out. That happens when your "AAA/AA/A" team went up against a real AAA/AA/A team. Why? because we have too many AAA teams in the area, not creating competition to be a true AAA player and parents' ego by having their kid play AAA that shouldn't be causing the water downed effect on all levels. This is not just in hockey but all youth sports, I have 4 kids, the other son playing travel ball while my daughter plays soccer. Until parents say enough it will only get worse.

Parent's will do what they feel is "best" for their kid, but before you throw money at AAA for a mite-peewee please sit down and see if it is really worth it for your player. It's about their development, not your ego for you can bump your chest and say my kid is AAA

You kind of proved part their point with what you said.  "The AAA teams is really AA and struggles" is a major part of the problem. If they really are AA then that is where they should be playing. That is the water downing of youth sports they are talking about. When the area had less teams you had to have legit tryouts and skill to be AAA. I remember when clubs actually were stripped of their AAA status because they didn't belong there and their it showed all the way down the organization ladder.

Couldn't agree more. This past season my son played scholastic hockey in the CPIHL as well as travel. He was a top player on both teams. He plays AA in travel and we do private/ semi private power skating/ edge skating and stick handling lessons. Between both team fees, tournament fees(4), travel expenses and lessons our total was around $4800. He was on the ice 4-5 days a week for practice/lessons. My nephew who is the same age plays AAA and while his tournament fees, and extra ice is included with travel expenses my brother in law paid just under $9000. Sure we get to hear about traveling and playing in Chicago, Detroit, Maine and other places they go to for weekend games, in return my son gets to tell them about the school football games, dances and other school events they miss out on.

With travel and school games he ends up playing almost the same amount of games as his cousin.

Different coaches have approached us about him moving up to AAA, but he wants to wait. He said he would only play AAA if it didn't interfere with scholastic hockey, he wants to play for the Bears Cup and Flyers Cup on his Varsity team. My nephew and son play on the same spring tournament team were everyone is AA and higher, it's hard to tell the difference between his play and the AAA kids on the team.

Unfortunately it’s just not true. The path to juniors /D1 is almost always through AAA. If you don’t experience the competition from an early age the odds are stacked against you. Of course there are exceptions, but if a parent”s goal is D1 the earlier the better to join AAA.

A lot of parents can make a change but no one is organizing them.  It is just not going to happen.  One parent can absolutely not effect change.  Yes, most AAA are AA level, but that makes AA a single A level.  If you have a kid who is a great AA plater, there is really no option other than AAA.  It is not going to change and people will be making comments about "buying an A" forever.  The kid should be dictating what level he/she plays at (if money is not an issue).  It sucks that you have to play AAA to get a real AA feel but that is just the way it is.  This area could have a great AA program that would allow the kids to be more social too.  It sucks, but one parent absolutely cannot do anything about it.