The dilution of AAA and the impact it is having on all levels of competition

[Guest]

Question is how to we put an end to these corporate money grabs??

[Guest]

they way you stop is have your kid play at a lower level where the price is lower.  Playing AAA is a choice.  Playing B is a choice.  Why complain that you don't like your choice?  Just choose differently

[Guest]

It’s so true. I mean look at THF teams when they schedule games against teams in the AYHL more times than not they are not only losing, but by a touchdown and a field goal. (FE especially)

[Guest]

It’s so true. I mean look at THF teams when they schedule games against teams in the AYHL more times than not they are not only losing, but by a touchdown and a field goal. (FE especially)

Ah, yes, I was wondering when the weekly FE bashing would begin! In FE defense, they were dealt a terrible hand when BB purchased Pennsauken. Venom left for a higher bid from Hollydell and their program was decimated. Pilots came along, but none of the first year Pilot parents wanted AAA at Squirt Minor, so their lower ages suffered. They are rebuilding but it will take a long time. They are looking good at Squirt Minor this year, but 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 & 2010 are basically AA teams at best. It will be another long year and BB better pray the AAHA doesn't pull their AAA charter in 2026.  While people come on here bashing FE coaches & rink management, they have been dealt a tough hand. The best players in SJ & SE PA want to play in the AYHL, so the coaches can't roster a legit AAA team. FE has about 3-4 legit AAA players on each team, with about 2-3 AA players and the rest are A level. The THF has handcuffed FE. It is a shame too because they run a great skating program, great skills sessions, great private lessons, great goalie clinics and give a ton of ice time to all teams. Unfortunately they have cutoff non-BB players from going to privates, so that will only hurt them more! They just can't attract enough talent. I almost forgot, FE has some of the highest tuition in AAA.  BB is the real culprit in all this!

[Guest]

Parents on this group are scum. Plain and simple. You’re judging kids and blaming volunteers. I’ve got got news for you, your kid has a better chance of being hooked on dope then making the NHL and with a parent like you who thinks the book mark off AAA hockey is all about wins right now, not ice time and program structure to develop over a season. His likely hood is much higher for the former. Get over yourself you’re mad at the world and faulting people you don’t have the skill or clearly the temperament to do yourself. Next time you post have the guts to put your name.

[Guest]

Parents on this group are scum. Plain and simple. You’re judging kids and blaming volunteers. I’ve got got news for you, your kid has a better chance of being hooked on dope then making the NHL and with a parent like you who thinks the book mark off AAA hockey is all about wins right now, not ice time and program structure to develop over a season. His likely hood is much higher for the former. Get over yourself you’re mad at the world and faulting people you don’t have the skill or clearly the temperament to do yourself. Next time you post have the guts to put your name.

Where in the posts did I bash kids or volunteers at FE. Saying a kid is a AA or A player is not bashing a kid it is just reality. Some parents do not get that the AAA players before puberty are usually good because they are bigger and faster than other kids. FE will struggle because they do not have enough high level players to compete. Yes the kids they have will develop, but they could develop playing AA or A. I actually praised the coaches saying they "run a great skating program, great skills sessions, great private lessons, great goalie clinics and give a ton of ice time to all teams". I was bashing BB for what they did to all their AAA teams. The THF is a joke league beyond the top 3-5 teams at each age level. Last season at 2010 and below FE finished at the bottom for their 3 teams. This year will be no different with the exception of the 2015 team. This is just fact. FE does not have enough talent to compete at the AAA level even in the THF. One of the FE teams played 2 non-league games against top AAA teams this past weekend. They lost each game by over 13 goals! I know coaches and families at FE. I am not bashing them just giving an unbiased evaluation of the program. The players are good kids, work hard and love hockey. The coaches are good, will develop the players and do their best to make them better, but they just don't have enough talent. FE is like multiple other AAA organizations. The only teams that are legit AAA at every level in SJ & SEPA are PHC, LF and JrF. They should be the only AAA organizations in the area. All other teams should drop to AA. I understand why families go to FE: 4+ hrs of ice/wk, professional trainer 1/wk, video sessions 1/wk, and tons of ice in the off season. It is a good deal but BB could offer this by having FE be a AA team. Why is it only AAA offers this type of deal? THF has multiple AA teams in the league so it is not really a AAA league and FE could still play in that league. Most parents have no clue about the level of talent at legit AAA programs. Also wins don't matter at this age, development does. FE does a good job developing players but it does not change the fact that they do not have enough high level players to play AAA. Mercer & Revolution don't have enough AAA level talent either. This tread is called "The dilution of AAA and the impact it is having on all levels of competition". If FE was AA it would push kids at Igloo down to A. Playing AA (with a lower price) would also attract some kids from Flyers Youth and force some of the FE kids back to A level. FE is a microcosm of what this thread is about. Their is a finite amount of AAA players, just like there is a finite amount of AA players. A & B level has way more kids. High level AA kids could play AAA just like low level AAA players could play AA. Too many AAA teams dilutes the pool of players at the lower levels. This is not only happening in hockey, but in baseball, lacrosse, soccer and other sports. Youth sports is big business. The governing organizations need to crack down and limit the number of top teams. No teams get anything out of a 13+ margin of victory game. The wining team gets bad habits and the losing team is mentally destroyed. People need to chill out, not take this personally and find a solution that is in the best interest of the kids and not the corporations/rink owners!

[Guest]

Parents on this group are scum. Plain and simple. You’re judging kids and blaming volunteers. I’ve got got news for you, your kid has a better chance of being hooked on dope then making the NHL and with a parent like you who thinks the book mark off AAA hockey is all about wins right now, not ice time and program structure to develop over a season. His likely hood is much higher for the former. Get over yourself you’re mad at the world and faulting people you don’t have the skill or clearly the temperament to do yourself. Next time you post have the guts to put your name.

Where in the posts did I bash kids or volunteers at FE. Saying a kid is a AA or A player is not bashing a kid it is just reality. Some parents do not get that the AAA players before puberty are usually good because they are bigger and faster than other kids. FE will struggle because they do not have enough high level players to compete. Yes the kids they have will develop, but they could develop playing AA or A. I actually praised the coaches saying they "run a great skating program, great skills sessions, great private lessons, great goalie clinics and give a ton of ice time to all teams". I was bashing BB for what they did to all their AAA teams. The THF is a joke league beyond the top 3-5 teams at each age level. Last season at 2010 and below FE finished at the bottom for their 3 teams. This year will be no different with the exception of the 2015 team. This is just fact. FE does not have enough talent to compete at the AAA level even in the THF. One of the FE teams played 2 non-league games against top AAA teams this past weekend. They lost each game by over 13 goals! I know coaches and families at FE. I am not bashing them just giving an unbiased evaluation of the program. The players are good kids, work hard and love hockey. The coaches are good, will develop the players and do their best to make them better, but they just don't have enough talent. FE is like multiple other AAA organizations. The only teams that are legit AAA at every level in SJ & SEPA are PHC, LF and JrF. They should be the only AAA organizations in the area. All other teams should drop to AA. I understand why families go to FE: 4+ hrs of ice/wk, professional trainer 1/wk, video sessions 1/wk, and tons of ice in the off season. It is a good deal but BB could offer this by having FE be a AA team. Why is it only AAA offers this type of deal? THF has multiple AA teams in the league so it is not really a AAA league and FE could still play in that league. Most parents have no clue about the level of talent at legit AAA programs. Also wins don't matter at this age, development does. FE does a good job developing players but it does not change the fact that they do not have enough high level players to play AAA. Mercer & Revolution don't have enough AAA level talent either. This tread is called "The dilution of AAA and the impact it is having on all levels of competition". If FE was AA it would push kids at Igloo down to A. Playing AA (with a lower price) would also attract some kids from Flyers Youth and force some of the FE kids back to A level. FE is a microcosm of what this thread is about. Their is a finite amount of AAA players, just like there is a finite amount of AA players. A & B level has way more kids. High level AA kids could play AAA just like low level AAA players could play AA. Too many AAA teams dilutes the pool of players at the lower levels. This is not only happening in hockey, but in baseball, lacrosse, soccer and other sports. Youth sports is big business. The governing organizations need to crack down and limit the number of top teams. No teams get anything out of a 13+ margin of victory game. The wining team gets bad habits and the losing team is mentally destroyed. People need to chill out, not take this personally and find a solution that is in the best interest of the kids and not the corporations/rink owners!

the response wasn’t to you it was the the poster above your last…

[Guest]

Speaking of dilution, what's happening over in Pennsauken with the Pilots this year? They were one of the most competitive teams we played against last year and this year it seems like they're struggling. Half the team looked liked they were placed inappropriately in AAA. Was hopeful this program was turning around, but maybe the 2015s were just an anomaly and the writing is on the walls. Is this program just a money grab from BB to get as many paying kids on the team as possible? I'd be asking for a refund if I was those parents.

[Guest]

They're focused on development, which is fine, but it sucks for kids that are inappropriately placed and doomed to be blown out of all their games. Alot of those kids also play on the Pilots Beginner team. How are kids both considered Beginner and AAA with AHF? If they're in between kids, send them over to Igloo or Flyers Youth, etc. Somethings wrong here and it's either fluffing the beginner team or having kids that don't belong on the AAA team. Black bear/management should be looking a bit closer at this team.

[Guest]

PHC writers should worry more about your Venom program that is awful.  Two teams combined 2-6 with -33 Goals against.  Look inward