tier !

[Guest]

What you are saying about your daughter's soccer team is basically the way Tier 1 and 2 are supposed to work. Tier 2 should be the base level of hockey with varying levels of play up to AA. Tier 1 should be the elite players from Tier 2. The Tier 2 league tends to be a metro area or region while the Tier 1 is offers a wider reach.

The reality is that clubs have teams at age groups even if they don't grade out as Tier 1 teams at all. Perhaps a system where AAA teams that don't make the cut are relegated to AA. Top 2-3 AA teams have the option for a promotion to AAA the following season.

I think there is also a gap in local hockey that could be addressed. Many lower level teams in the B level are bad. They would benefit from more of an inhouse or very limited travel model where they practice more to work on skill development.

[Guest]

What you are saying about your daughter's soccer team is basically the way Tier 1 and 2 are supposed to work. Tier 2 should be the base level of hockey with varying levels of play up to AA. Tier 1 should be the elite players from Tier 2. The Tier 2 league tends to be a metro area or region while the Tier 1 is offers a wider reach.

The reality is that clubs have teams at age groups even if they don't grade out as Tier 1 teams at all. Perhaps a system where AAA teams that don't make the cut are relegated to AA. Top 2-3 AA teams have the option for a promotion to AAA the following season.

I think there is also a gap in local hockey that could be addressed. Many lower level teams in the B level are bad. They would benefit from more of an inhouse or very limited travel model where they practice more to work on skill development.

I understand what you are saying, but if this was hockey, her team wouldn't have just been able to move to T1/AAA. They would have had to switch clubs, but with all the player movement rules, only a few of those kids could go to the same team thus breaking them up.
I like your idea of promotion to AAA, but that requires eliminating the T1/T2 status. Any team should be able to play the top level if they are good enough. It doesn't have to be club wide. If Exton is able to put a team of 06s together to compete at a AAA level, why should they be penalized and be forced to play AA. On the flip side, just because Little Flyers have T1 status that doesn't mean they should be able to field teams at every age group. Have you seen the barely AA level teams they have put together over the past few years. Those teams should be playing in a lower level league.

[Guest]

What you are saying about your daughter's soccer team is basically the way Tier 1 and 2 are supposed to work. Tier 2 should be the base level of hockey with varying levels of play up to AA. Tier 1 should be the elite players from Tier 2. The Tier 2 league tends to be a metro area or region while the Tier 1 is offers a wider reach.

The reality is that clubs have teams at age groups even if they don't grade out as Tier 1 teams at all. Perhaps a system where AAA teams that don't make the cut are relegated to AA. Top 2-3 AA teams have the option for a promotion to AAA the following season.

I think there is also a gap in local hockey that could be addressed. Many lower level teams in the B level are bad. They would benefit from more of an inhouse or very limited travel model where they practice more to work on skill development.

I understand what you are saying, but if this was hockey, her team wouldn't have just been able to move to T1/AAA. They would have had to switch clubs, but with all the player movement rules, only a few of those kids could go to the same team thus breaking them up.
I like your idea of promotion to AAA, but that requires eliminating the T1/T2 status. Any team should be able to play the top level if they are good enough. It doesn't have to be club wide. If Exton is able to put a team of 06s together to compete at a AAA level, why should they be penalized and be forced to play AA. On the flip side, just because Little Flyers have T1 status that doesn't mean they should be able to field teams at every age group. Have you seen the barely AA level teams they have put together over the past few years. Those teams should be playing in a lower level league.

Who cares what level under 14 kids are at! the only thing that matters now is development. Kids at AAA now may not be playing at Bantam. Good coaching and lots of practice counts that most until age 14. Stop with all the letter BS. Get your kids better by taking them to clinics, doing off ice at home and encouraging them to work at their game themselves. This is what makes a good player, not AAA Squirt!

[Guest]

My kid is 8 next year and was asked to play for WC, Venom and Pilots. I turned them all down as I am moving him to PHC to play with 2013's. This is the only way for him to get better and make the NHL! If he can't compete at a high level at 8, then he will fall behind. I will have him on the ice 48 weeks out of the year. It is the only sport he plays. Private lessons, a camp in Minnesota, clinics when not with team or games. Only the best for my kid!

If you agree with this and don't get the sarcasm, then you need to reevaluate what you are doing with your own kid.

[Guest]

Venom slaughtered everyone this year! And next year PHC 13 will slaughter all!

[Guest]

Venom slaughtered everyone this year! And next year PHC 13 will slaughter all!

Yes, Venom are awesome. Every parent must be so proud of their Venom kids! Sticking a kid is one sport year round, traveling all over, seeing them destroy other 8 year old teams. It must be great to live through your kids. I can't wait to see all these parents when their kids turn 14 and refuse to play hockey anymore due to burnout or they don't dominate anymore since all the other kids caught up. The USAH goal is to have kids play hockey and other sports. To develop athletes. Venom kids are definitely great hockey players, but not athletes!

[Guest]

Venom slaughtered everyone this year! And next year PHC 13 will slaughter all!

Yes, Venom are awesome. Every parent must be so proud of their Venom kids! Sticking a kid is one sport year round, traveling all over, seeing them destroy other 8 year old teams. It must be great to live through your kids. I can't wait to see all these parents when their kids turn 14 and refuse to play hockey anymore due to burnout or they don't dominate anymore since all the other kids caught up. The USAH goal is to have kids play hockey and other sports. To develop athletes. Venom kids are definitely great hockey players, but not athletes!

“ Venom slaughtered everyone this year! And next year PHC 13 will slaughter all!”   - But they never tell you about the tournaments they lost to groups of kids that don’t even practice together. Hahahahaha!!!!

[Guest]

Venom slaughtered everyone this year! And next year PHC 13 will slaughter all!

Forget about Venom. PHC 2011 & 2012 are overrated. They do great against NJ teams but how do they do against CT, Boston, NY, & Pittsburgh teams. Terrible. They are good in NJ because they teach system hockey and play 365 days per year. Again good hockey players, bad athletes! System hockey at a young age does not develop players games. It destroys creativity!

[Guest]

Respectfully I would tend to disagree about Venom kids not being athletes. My own son is a Venom alum, is a AAA squirt and, in my opinion, is actually a better lacrosse player than hockey player. Generalizing kids especially this young isn’t necessarily a fair assessment.
I’d probably be the last person to hype the PHC 2011 or 2012s but it’s misleading  about them getting routinely beat outside of NJ. They have a brutally long schedule and tend to play some of the nations top squirt teams when they leave the state. The 2012s split the series against Pens Elite, Buffalo Sabres, and Woodbridge, played all the Boston Elite teams close, and beaten a decent CJR team a couple times. They are actually better than a lot of people believe. Just my unscientific opinion.

[Guest]

Respectfully I would tend to disagree about Venom kids not being athletes. My own son is a Venom alum, is a AAA squirt and, in my opinion, is actually a better lacrosse player than hockey player. Generalizing kids especially this young isn’t necessarily a fair assessment.
I’d probably be the last person to hype the PHC 2011 or 2012s but it’s misleading  about them getting routinely beat outside of NJ. They have a brutally long schedule and tend to play some of the nations top squirt teams when they leave the state. The 2012s split the series against Pens Elite, Buffalo Sabres, and Woodbridge, played all the Boston Elite teams close, and beaten a decent CJR team a couple times. They are actually better than a lot of people believe. Just my unscientific opinion.

Venom is a fine program, but on the way down. The 2011, 2012 & 2013 teams benefitted from having PA, Central NJ and SJ kids on the team due to playing out of Pennsauken. Now they just attract SJ/Hollydell area kids. Since more rinks in PA & NJ are adding full ice mite teams, Venom will suffer and not dominate.

I agree about some Venom kids not being great athletes. Most Venom kids only play hockey. Other rinks kids play multiple sports as the schedule allows. Also, PHC 11 & 12 do struggle outside NJ and their schedules, as well as Venom schedules are too demanding. These kids need to get off the ice and become athletes or they will burn out by the time they are 14. Even Wayne Gretzky played other sports.