AHF Showcase

[Guest]

Here we go again. The 1st AHF showcase for many age groups falls on Sept 1-3, Labor Day weekend. I already hear parents complaining about the showcase being that weekend. Ever since my kids started playing hockey Labor Day weekend was a tournament weekend to start the year off. Most of the ones I hear complaining have been with my kids over the years and they didn't complain then, what changed? Instead of going to Hershey for the 6th yr in a row for Labor Day weekend we will head to North Jersey. The parents can still hang out a get drunk in the hotel like they did before. The only one that should be complaining is Travel Champs.

[Guest]

Because money is tight and who needs a few nights hotel stay for a tournament when teams have barely had ice time together? Because parents and kids are waking up and don't want to play sports to the exclusion of the rest of life? Because Vegas just won the cup, so how seriously do you even take this sport anymore? Just a few guesses.

[Guest]

I thought all clubs were giving teams ice time already. We have had 2-3 practices a month since the evals ended and the team was formed. Starting the beginning of Aug we will have 2 a week. If it's because money is tight then maybe travel hockey isn't the sport to be in, it has never been cheap. A tournament would be an extra cost to be in plus 2 nights at a hotel, the showcases are league games and hotel is optional and usually only 1 night. My kids team before we went AHF did a tournament every Labor Day weekend as well. We played in either Hershey(2x), Danbury Ct.(1x, this should have been yr 2 but got a showcase instead), Niagara Falls(2x) or Pitt(2x). I think the bigger issue, the issue our parents have anyway, is parents want to pick where they go for Labor Day hockey and not told where to go.

[justahockeydad]

If you are getting that much ice time already consider yourself lucky. We have dryland to work on conditioning twice a week and will get 3 ice slots in July with regular practice in early Aug from the club. Our team has awesome parents that took turns booking a hour a week for practice so the kids can be on the ice, but that is out of our pockets. Our team goes to public skates and stick time together at least twice a month as well plus over half of them are on a roller hockey or deck hockey team together. As far as parents complaining about a Labor Day Showcase instead of tournament, I learned one thing over the many yrs in youth hockey. Parents just like to complain.