full ice or half mites what's best?

[Guest]

Let's here it sports fans.

[Guest]

How is there a point here with the question? ADM explicitly states that kids need station specific instruction infused with a modicum of fun learning concepts in order to grow. These kids' brains are too small to understand full ice discipline. Let them have fun and grow parents!

[Guest]

It's totally subjective. Look at the NCAA final four; how many of these kids playing did half ice hockey? I'll bet my salary none of them. You have to start early and the earlier the better to separate talent. This is when you make your move to AAA if you're going to break the curve and make a difference. Put as much effort into personal clinics doing edge work as you can to supplement, it will pay off in the end.

[Guest]

ADM has its flaws…If you played hockey you would know…

[Guest]

I think it depends. Many kids like mine had two years of cross ice Atom and a year of half ice Mite before going to full ice in their last year of Mites. Physically and developmentally they were ready and truthfully it made the transition to Squirts easier on them and their coach. He didn’t have to spend a lot of extra time teaching them the full ice game especially offsides. I would probably only recommend full ice Mite for the second and final year of Mite hockey.

[Guest]

It's totally subjective. Look at the NCAA final four; how many of these kids playing did half ice hockey? I'll bet my salary none of them. You have to start early and the earlier the better to separate talent. This is when you make your move to AAA if you're going to break the curve and make a difference. Put as much effort into personal clinics doing edge work as you can to supplement, it will pay off in the end.

This is bs. No one knows if kids are good until 15-16age. Mites mean nothing. Best mites rarely are best at midgets. Only the chosen few are best from beginning. Great, you played hockey. So did I and I played D1. I did not blossom until 16.

[Guest]

Kids shouldn't play full ice until Squirts and I would argue they should do a 2/3 ice for the start of the season there too. Full ice just fosters individual play and caters to the fastest kids. In my years of coaching I've seen this over and over again and once kids learn how to play as a team and play solid D those kids are left behind since they don't and won't pass the puck. BTW, I have over 10 years of coaching experience and had one of my kids play full ice mites. Wish I never made that decision.

[Guest]

I agree with half ice mites and smaller-ice squirts.

The whole idea is to build a foundation of skills best learned at young ages.

My problem with BT/MD programs I see is that they significantly cut back the small ice drills.

Note, I have not said anything bad about black bear and the fact that they force parents to use sportsengine to pay for everything, costing every parent even more money for no reason, so there is no reason do delete this response.