Youth Hockey Tournaments A Total Waste Of Money

[Youth Hockey Info]

It's another season and the team manager has announced the tournament itinerary, which means it's time to discuss team dues.

We're going to need $400 from each family in order to register us for 4 different tournaments.

That's $400 more than the initial financial obligation for the season. Compared to the overall cost to participate in all of the tournaments that's a drop in the bucket. We're a New Jersey regional team and we've been registered to play in Boston during the Veteran's day holiday, we're going to Chicago over the Thanksgiving holiday, Buffalo for President's day and Toronto for St. Patricks day.

Awesome!

No, not really.

Now all we have to do is figure out how we're going to come up with $4,000.00 to ensure our kid plays in these tournaments. What do you mean $4,000? Do the math, 3 to 4 days in a hotel at $135 per night, gas, food and whatever pre/post game arrangements have been scheduled for "team bonding". Which normally means you're going to visit local attractions. All said and done, you're looking at about $1,000 for each tournament.

Is it a vacation or are you there to play hockey?

Keep in mind, tournaments are optional, they're not mandatory. God forbid you choose to opt out, as that is essentially a death sentence for your kids playing time and he or she instantly becomes "odd man" out.

Are tournaments about playing hockey or are they more about where coach likes to take small vacations on your dime? Most of the parents spend the nights sucking up to the coach drinking and partying into early morning, while the kids run around unattended. Forget about early morning games, parents look like zombies and the kids play like they've never held a hockey stick before.

Youth hockey tournaments are nothing but a money grab run by companies who have no interest in the how they turn out. It's a split between families who are there for their kid to play and who wants to go on sight seeing adventures.

This news segment says it all about hockey tournaments.

[Guest]

Sorry, but I enjoy the travel tournaments.  I like watching the kids having fun at the hotel, hanging out, playing knee hockey.  It’s fun getting to play against teams from other parts of the country.

Yes, it’s an extra expense, but that is what you signed up for when you chose to play TRAVEL hockey, and you should be factoring that in with your budget planning in addition to tuition, uniforms, etc.

Actually prefer tournaments where we stay in a hotel and get to enjoy the full experience than the local tournaments where nobody stays at a hotel and everyone drives back and forth.  It’s the responsibility of the parents and the coaches to make sure the kids are prepared to play in the morning.

You forgot to add in the requisite tournament t-shirts or sweatshirt and photos.

[Guest]

The biggest gripe I have with the tournaments is the parity of the teams in the divisions.  All too often I’ve seen tournaments where they don’t have enough teams signed up and the tournament organizers bring in another team that should be playing in a higher division that just rolls over everyone - not fair for the kids who are B players having to play against A teams, or A teams who have to play against AAA/AA teams.

[Youth Hockey Info]

Tournaments are not mandatory participation. They are voluntary. Its assumed all will participate.

[Guest]

I like to have a mix - two local and two travel.  That keeps the cost a bit lower and gives the kids a chance to play in some more games.  With our league schedule that’s pretty much the most that you can do during the season (excluding any off-season tourneys)

[Youth Hockey Info]

Don't like them at all. As was noted above, there is never a level playing field. The tournament coordinators let anybody play as long as they're the same age. Doesn't matter what level they are. A/B/AA/AAA they all play in the same age group all of the time. And teams bring ringers and over age players all the time as well. They prove nothing and are completely meaningless to the regular season. They are also always uncontrolled with constant dirty play and fighting at all age levels.

[Guest]

Total waste of Time, some are decent Blue chip was nothing more then handful of decent teams with equal amount of local Lower level teams to fill agenda. Team managers and some parents book the never ending Tourney season so they can drink and party and get away from their boring home life. Kids focus on everything But hockey. If you dont participate you are looked down on as not being a team player. Pass the Fireball please.

[Guest]

No more than four tournaments a year. Most should be local. The closer the better. Don’t even ask if I want to go to North Carolina or Florida. Just plain dumb. Ideally all should be within two hours from home so hotel is an optional luxury. Oh, and if you are going to force me to stay to play... the answer is No.

[Guest]

Triple crown in Montreal, 24 teams and 12 of them did not belong.First time I ever saw AAA hockey where after 7-8 goals they stop placing them on scoreboard. 7-0 & 8-0 games were really 12-0 to 15-0.

[Youth Hockey Info]

Pittsburgh veterans cup. My son's coach decided to ice the puck on every draw after they went up by one goal to the Rochester Red Wings last season with less than a minute to go. The coach of the red wings yelled over at our bench, our coach yelled back. They got into a shouting match so the Red Wings coach had his players go out and fight ours on every play. After the refs stopped the game the Red Wings coach threatened to jump our coach in the parking lot. This was common place at both midget and bantam tourns over the last 2 seasons.