Hockey

[Anonymous]

Why do you have to give up traditional school for highly
competitive hockey? You don't need to do that for football/baseball/basketball.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do you have to give up traditional school for highly
competitive hockey? You don't need to do that for football/baseball/basketball.

You don’t. These academies aren’t stupid. They know hockey is an expensive sport and that lots of parents will shell out the money to chase the dream.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you have to give up traditional school for highly
competitive hockey? You don't need to do that for football/baseball/basketball.

You don’t. These academies aren’t stupid. They know hockey is an expensive sport and that lots of parents will shell out the money to chase the dream.

If you think your kid has chance of sniffling major juniors you do. It’s just the way it is. It’s a Canadian model.

But to play high level aa you don’t and it’s good hockey in the dc area with good coaches and a ton of fun. It’s all the lessons of hockey and good parts, without the sacrifice. That was my point earlier in the thread, too many people not being honest about their own kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this thread sums up a lot of things I see wrong with youth sports. Why are you trying to pick a sport based on what will get you into a Ivy League school? Why not just let your kid play what they want and learn the lessons - teamwork, winning and losing, working hard, etc. if they really love it they’ll apply themself and get really good at it. Fencing? Give me a break.

And the youth hockey development is nuts. Do you really want your kid to play tier I their entire childhood, skip years of schooling to play juniors, just for a shot at making a ncaa team? Why not just let them play aa (which is rotary competitive all round with great coaching) and for their hs team, and let them play on a college club team if they want. Why chase the dragon? Hockey is such a great sport and has so many lessons in it, and I understand the temptation, but jeez unless your kid is pounding pucks off the garage door 4 hours a day…

Sometimes there are kids, like mine, who simply can’t find teams in the DMV (AA, TM and WLC) that play at his level. Yea, maybe it sounds obnoxious or you think I’m blowing smoke, but he is very competitive and was frustrated by all of the hockey in this area. He simply plays at a higher level. So I hate it when hockey friends turn up their noses and assume we are chasing some hockey dream. The reality is that he loves the sport and got bored with what he had in the DMV. Will he play college hockey? Maybe, maybe not. It’s a long shot especially when you throw in that he’s at a top HS and we won’t let him sacrifice academics for hockey. But please don’t judge our choices. For some kids, there simply isn’t enough here in the DMV to play at a certain level.

I know what you’re talking about and I’m not talking about or judging you. You know you need to send your kid away if he wants to reach his potential. But that’s not unique to dc. It’s true for kids in rural Alberta, Nova Scotia, or Los Angeles.

I’m talking about the parents decked out in tm/wlc/pride gear whose kids have no chance of even playing d3 hockey. Theyre giving up any semblance of a normal childhood for nothing in return. And the fencing/wrestling angle in this thread is just bizarre.

Good luck to you and your son. I hope he does well and you figure it out. In some ways we’re lucky because our kids are aa players.

We are friends with several AAA families in the area and none of them have false expectations about their kids' future. And while the travel is a lot, they still manage school just fine. Their kids love hockey and have grown beyond AA, so AAA is the only other option for them. I don't begrudge or judge them...I don't think people are as dumb as you seem to think. And if they want to wear WLC or TM gear, who cares??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this thread sums up a lot of things I see wrong with youth sports. Why are you trying to pick a sport based on what will get you into a Ivy League school? Why not just let your kid play what they want and learn the lessons - teamwork, winning and losing, working hard, etc. if they really love it they’ll apply themself and get really good at it. Fencing? Give me a break.

And the youth hockey development is nuts. Do you really want your kid to play tier I their entire childhood, skip years of schooling to play juniors, just for a shot at making a ncaa team? Why not just let them play aa (which is rotary competitive all round with great coaching) and for their hs team, and let them play on a college club team if they want. Why chase the dragon? Hockey is such a great sport and has so many lessons in it, and I understand the temptation, but jeez unless your kid is pounding pucks off the garage door 4 hours a day…

Sometimes there are kids, like mine, who simply can’t find teams in the DMV (AA, TM and WLC) that play at his level. Yea, maybe it sounds obnoxious or you think I’m blowing smoke, but he is very competitive and was frustrated by all of the hockey in this area. He simply plays at a higher level. So I hate it when hockey friends turn up their noses and assume we are chasing some hockey dream. The reality is that he loves the sport and got bored with what he had in the DMV. Will he play college hockey? Maybe, maybe not. It’s a long shot especially when you throw in that he’s at a top HS and we won’t let him sacrifice academics for hockey. But please don’t judge our choices. For some kids, there simply isn’t enough here in the DMV to play at a certain level.

Yeah...ok. Sure.

What a pathetically petty response. Hockey parents in the DMV are so predictable. 😂

If you knew even the first thing about hockey you would understand that reply. Clearly you do not.

Actually one thing I’ve learned in my almost two decades in the DMV hockey world. Most hockey parents are not that smart and many of them are petty and jealous when they see an amazing and talented player who they know will never be their kid. Get some therapy. Jealously will eat you from the inside out.

That's not my experience at all - with 3 kids in hockey most of the parents we've met are nice, intelligent, and overall pleasant people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this thread sums up a lot of things I see wrong with youth sports. Why are you trying to pick a sport based on what will get you into a Ivy League school? Why not just let your kid play what they want and learn the lessons - teamwork, winning and losing, working hard, etc. if they really love it they’ll apply themself and get really good at it. Fencing? Give me a break.

And the youth hockey development is nuts. Do you really want your kid to play tier I their entire childhood, skip years of schooling to play juniors, just for a shot at making a ncaa team? Why not just let them play aa (which is rotary competitive all round with great coaching) and for their hs team, and let them play on a college club team if they want. Why chase the dragon? Hockey is such a great sport and has so many lessons in it, and I understand the temptation, but jeez unless your kid is pounding pucks off the garage door 4 hours a day…

Sometimes there are kids, like mine, who simply can’t find teams in the DMV (AA, TM and WLC) that play at his level. Yea, maybe it sounds obnoxious or you think I’m blowing smoke, but he is very competitive and was frustrated by all of the hockey in this area. He simply plays at a higher level. So I hate it when hockey friends turn up their noses and assume we are chasing some hockey dream. The reality is that he loves the sport and got bored with what he had in the DMV. Will he play college hockey? Maybe, maybe not. It’s a long shot especially when you throw in that he’s at a top HS and we won’t let him sacrifice academics for hockey. But please don’t judge our choices. For some kids, there simply isn’t enough here in the DMV to play at a certain level.

Yeah...ok. Sure.

What a pathetically petty response. Hockey parents in the DMV are so predictable. 😂

If you knew even the first thing about hockey you would understand that reply. Clearly you do not.

Actually one thing I’ve learned in my almost two decades in the DMV hockey world. Most hockey parents are not that smart and many of them are petty and jealous when they see an amazing and talented player who they know will never be their kid. Get some therapy. Jealously will eat you from the inside out.

That's not my experience at all - with 3 kids in hockey most of the parents we've met are nice, intelligent, and overall pleasant people.

Same. Well educated, mostly government and private sector. Lots of lawyers. It isn't a cheap sport, so not really any uneducated/middle class families. Unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this thread sums up a lot of things I see wrong with youth sports. Why are you trying to pick a sport based on what will get you into a Ivy League school? Why not just let your kid play what they want and learn the lessons - teamwork, winning and losing, working hard, etc. if they really love it they’ll apply themself and get really good at it. Fencing? Give me a break.

And the youth hockey development is nuts. Do you really want your kid to play tier I their entire childhood, skip years of schooling to play juniors, just for a shot at making a ncaa team? Why not just let them play aa (which is rotary competitive all round with great coaching) and for their hs team, and let them play on a college club team if they want. Why chase the dragon? Hockey is such a great sport and has so many lessons in it, and I understand the temptation, but jeez unless your kid is pounding pucks off the garage door 4 hours a day…

Sometimes there are kids, like mine, who simply can’t find teams in the DMV (AA, TM and WLC) that play at his level. Yea, maybe it sounds obnoxious or you think I’m blowing smoke, but he is very competitive and was frustrated by all of the hockey in this area. He simply plays at a higher level. So I hate it when hockey friends turn up their noses and assume we are chasing some hockey dream. The reality is that he loves the sport and got bored with what he had in the DMV. Will he play college hockey? Maybe, maybe not. It’s a long shot especially when you throw in that he’s at a top HS and we won’t let him sacrifice academics for hockey. But please don’t judge our choices. For some kids, there simply isn’t enough here in the DMV to play at a certain level.

I know what you’re talking about and I’m not talking about or judging you. You know you need to send your kid away if he wants to reach his potential. But that’s not unique to dc. It’s true for kids in rural Alberta, Nova Scotia, or Los Angeles.

I’m talking about the parents decked out in tm/wlc/pride gear whose kids have no chance of even playing d3 hockey. Theyre giving up any semblance of a normal childhood for nothing in return. And the fencing/wrestling angle in this thread is just bizarre.

Good luck to you and your son. I hope he does well and you figure it out. In some ways we’re lucky because our kids are aa players.

We are friends with several AAA families in the area and none of them have false expectations about their kids' future. And while the travel is a lot, they still manage school just fine. Their kids love hockey and have grown beyond AA, so AAA is the only other option for them. I don't begrudge or judge them...I don't think people are as dumb as you seem to think. And if they want to wear WLC or TM gear, who cares??

I don’t know these people specifically…obviously…but imo most will tell you that up front but in reality they’re doing everything they can to keep the dream alive.

My main point is that aa hockey here is actually very well run and fun, and the kids can still play on their hs teams, go to nationals, go to prom, maybe even get a summer job, and not miss every Friday of school. If the kid is so good that they’re bored playing on a myha, reston or ashburn aa team, then they’d probably be bored playing tier I here too.

At some point it becomes about the parents being able to announce to their other hockey parent friends that their kid is in tier i…hence all the gear. On the girls side it’s even worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this thread sums up a lot of things I see wrong with youth sports. Why are you trying to pick a sport based on what will get you into a Ivy League school? Why not just let your kid play what they want and learn the lessons - teamwork, winning and losing, working hard, etc. if they really love it they’ll apply themself and get really good at it. Fencing? Give me a break.

And the youth hockey development is nuts. Do you really want your kid to play tier I their entire childhood, skip years of schooling to play juniors, just for a shot at making a ncaa team? Why not just let them play aa (which is rotary competitive all round with great coaching) and for their hs team, and let them play on a college club team if they want. Why chase the dragon? Hockey is such a great sport and has so many lessons in it, and I understand the temptation, but jeez unless your kid is pounding pucks off the garage door 4 hours a day…

Sometimes there are kids, like mine, who simply can’t find teams in the DMV (AA, TM and WLC) that play at his level. Yea, maybe it sounds obnoxious or you think I’m blowing smoke, but he is very competitive and was frustrated by all of the hockey in this area. He simply plays at a higher level. So I hate it when hockey friends turn up their noses and assume we are chasing some hockey dream. The reality is that he loves the sport and got bored with what he had in the DMV. Will he play college hockey? Maybe, maybe not. It’s a long shot especially when you throw in that he’s at a top HS and we won’t let him sacrifice academics for hockey. But please don’t judge our choices. For some kids, there simply isn’t enough here in the DMV to play at a certain level.

I know what you’re talking about and I’m not talking about or judging you. You know you need to send your kid away if he wants to reach his potential. But that’s not unique to dc. It’s true for kids in rural Alberta, Nova Scotia, or Los Angeles.

I’m talking about the parents decked out in tm/wlc/pride gear whose kids have no chance of even playing d3 hockey. Theyre giving up any semblance of a normal childhood for nothing in return. And the fencing/wrestling angle in this thread is just bizarre.

Good luck to you and your son. I hope he does well and you figure it out. In some ways we’re lucky because our kids are aa players.

Very few kids have outgrown AA. Plenty of kids on those teams are non-impact and many couldn't make the top MYHA, Ashburn, or Reston teams at 16s and 18s. 15AAA is lower level than top 16 AAs around here.

We are friends with several AAA families in the area and none of them have false expectations about their kids' future. And while the travel is a lot, they still manage school just fine. Their kids love hockey and have grown beyond AA, so AAA is the only other option for them. I don't begrudge or judge them...I don't think people are as dumb as you seem to think. And if they want to wear WLC or TM gear, who cares??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do you have to give up traditional school for highly
competitive hockey? You don't need to do that for football/baseball/basketball.

I don't have a travel baseball or basketball player, but I don't think the travel is as extensive as it is for hockey. AAA hockey requires a lot of plane travel and missed Thursdays and Fridays at school. Baseball looks like a sport where you can do more of the travel in the summer? Basketball doesn't require long-distance travel to play at a high level. AAA hockey requires plane rides. My kid isn't giving up traditional school to play hockey, but I've observed other intelligent families choose the academy model with AAA hockey. The real issue is many traditional schools aren't flexible with their travel schedule. Our friends did it for a few years in middle school, and now their kid is playing on a great prep/boarding school team where he is getting a great education and they can take a team bus to most games.

[Anonymous]

The best part of this discussion, for me, is that the hockey world is still pretty small in the DMV. There is a reasonable chance that I might know one or more of the commenters here

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d like to know if ice hockey helps with admission to the top Div3 schools

I know it helped a lot of dumbasses I knew from Massachusetts years ago.

I don't think that's nearly as true anymore. In general, the top academic DIII schools with hockey have very good hockey teams. Its very hard to get recruited to those teams, especially straight out of high school. (Its more common - but still pretty rare - for some of the prep school kids to go that route). My kid started down that path with Williams. He had a lot going for him, including fantastic academic qualifications and legacy status, as well as a lot of experience at the Tier 1 level of hockey (captain of his team, very well regarded by his coaches, etc.). But it didn't matter. They just weren't interested in him at that point. He would have needed to head to juniors and continued his development, with no guarantees of anything.

It has changed that is true. I was thinking more about the academically easy colleges D3 and D2. They were filled with local kids from the Catholic schools and public schools. There are still a lot of the Catholic and public school students at the D3 colleges but Canadians and Swedes are coming to play at these lesser known schools. More competition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this thread sums up a lot of things I see wrong with youth sports. Why are you trying to pick a sport based on what will get you into a Ivy League school? Why not just let your kid play what they want and learn the lessons - teamwork, winning and losing, working hard, etc. if they really love it they’ll apply themself and get really good at it. Fencing? Give me a break.

And the youth hockey development is nuts. Do you really want your kid to play tier I their entire childhood, skip years of schooling to play juniors, just for a shot at making a ncaa team? Why not just let them play aa (which is rotary competitive all round with great coaching) and for their hs team, and let them play on a college club team if they want. Why chase the dragon? Hockey is such a great sport and has so many lessons in it, and I understand the temptation, but jeez unless your kid is pounding pucks off the garage door 4 hours a day…

Sometimes there are kids, like mine, who simply can’t find teams in the DMV (AA, TM and WLC) that play at his level. Yea, maybe it sounds obnoxious or you think I’m blowing smoke, but he is very competitive and was frustrated by all of the hockey in this area. He simply plays at a higher level. So I hate it when hockey friends turn up their noses and assume we are chasing some hockey dream. The reality is that he loves the sport and got bored with what he had in the DMV. Will he play college hockey? Maybe, maybe not. It’s a long shot especially when you throw in that he’s at a top HS and we won’t let him sacrifice academics for hockey. But please don’t judge our choices. For some kids, there simply isn’t enough here in the DMV to play at a certain level.

Yeah...ok. Sure.

What a pathetically petty response. Hockey parents in the DMV are so predictable. 😂

If you knew even the first thing about hockey you would understand that reply. Clearly you do not.

Actually one thing I’ve learned in my almost two decades in the DMV hockey world. Most hockey parents are not that smart and many of them are petty and jealous when they see an amazing and talented player who they know will never be their kid. Get some therapy. Jealously will eat you from the inside out.

That's not my experience at all - with 3 kids in hockey most of the parents we've met are nice, intelligent, and overall pleasant people.

Same. Well educated, mostly government and private sector. Lots of lawyers. It isn't a cheap sport, so not really any uneducated/middle class families. Unfortunately.

What does it matter. It’s a fun sport but none of the players in the DMV have a chance of D1 or juniors.

It’s a middle class sport everywhere else and they are committed to hockey. They play year round and have natural talent. It’s cute that you think your tiny group of kids playing hockey are the norm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this thread sums up a lot of things I see wrong with youth sports. Why are you trying to pick a sport based on what will get you into a Ivy League school? Why not just let your kid play what they want and learn the lessons - teamwork, winning and losing, working hard, etc. if they really love it they’ll apply themself and get really good at it. Fencing? Give me a break.

And the youth hockey development is nuts. Do you really want your kid to play tier I their entire childhood, skip years of schooling to play juniors, just for a shot at making a ncaa team? Why not just let them play aa (which is rotary competitive all round with great coaching) and for their hs team, and let them play on a college club team if they want. Why chase the dragon? Hockey is such a great sport and has so many lessons in it, and I understand the temptation, but jeez unless your kid is pounding pucks off the garage door 4 hours a day…

Sometimes there are kids, like mine, who simply can’t find teams in the DMV (AA, TM and WLC) that play at his level. Yea, maybe it sounds obnoxious or you think I’m blowing smoke, but he is very competitive and was frustrated by all of the hockey in this area. He simply plays at a higher level. So I hate it when hockey friends turn up their noses and assume we are chasing some hockey dream. The reality is that he loves the sport and got bored with what he had in the DMV. Will he play college hockey? Maybe, maybe not. It’s a long shot especially when you throw in that he’s at a top HS and we won’t let him sacrifice academics for hockey. But please don’t judge our choices. For some kids, there simply isn’t enough here in the DMV to play at a certain level.

Yeah...ok. Sure.

What a pathetically petty response. Hockey parents in the DMV are so predictable. 😂

If you knew even the first thing about hockey you would understand that reply. Clearly you do not.

Actually one thing I’ve learned in my almost two decades in the DMV hockey world. Most hockey parents are not that smart and many of them are petty and jealous when they see an amazing and talented player who they know will never be their kid. Get some therapy. Jealously will eat you from the inside out.

That's not my experience at all - with 3 kids in hockey most of the parents we've met are nice, intelligent, and overall pleasant people.

Same. Well educated, mostly government and private sector. Lots of lawyers. It isn't a cheap sport, so not really any uneducated/middle class families. Unfortunately.

What does it matter. It’s a fun sport but none of the players in the DMV have a chance of D1 or juniors.

It’s a middle class sport everywhere else and they are committed to hockey. They play year round and have natural talent. It’s cute that you think your tiny group of kids playing hockey are the norm.

You are not a very nice person, are you? Can you respond without throwing in insults? The person you are responding to had a perfectly polite post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this thread sums up a lot of things I see wrong with youth sports. Why are you trying to pick a sport based on what will get you into a Ivy League school? Why not just let your kid play what they want and learn the lessons - teamwork, winning and losing, working hard, etc. if they really love it they’ll apply themself and get really good at it. Fencing? Give me a break.

And the youth hockey development is nuts. Do you really want your kid to play tier I their entire childhood, skip years of schooling to play juniors, just for a shot at making a ncaa team? Why not just let them play aa (which is rotary competitive all round with great coaching) and for their hs team, and let them play on a college club team if they want. Why chase the dragon? Hockey is such a great sport and has so many lessons in it, and I understand the temptation, but jeez unless your kid is pounding pucks off the garage door 4 hours a day…

Sometimes there are kids, like mine, who simply can’t find teams in the DMV (AA, TM and WLC) that play at his level. Yea, maybe it sounds obnoxious or you think I’m blowing smoke, but he is very competitive and was frustrated by all of the hockey in this area. He simply plays at a higher level. So I hate it when hockey friends turn up their noses and assume we are chasing some hockey dream. The reality is that he loves the sport and got bored with what he had in the DMV. Will he play college hockey? Maybe, maybe not. It’s a long shot especially when you throw in that he’s at a top HS and we won’t let him sacrifice academics for hockey. But please don’t judge our choices. For some kids, there simply isn’t enough here in the DMV to play at a certain level.

Yeah...ok. Sure.

What a pathetically petty response. Hockey parents in the DMV are so predictable. 😂

If you knew even the first thing about hockey you would understand that reply. Clearly you do not.

Actually one thing I’ve learned in my almost two decades in the DMV hockey world. Most hockey parents are not that smart and many of them are petty and jealous when they see an amazing and talented player who they know will never be their kid. Get some therapy. Jealously will eat you from the inside out.

That's not my experience at all - with 3 kids in hockey most of the parents we've met are nice, intelligent, and overall pleasant people.

Same. Well educated, mostly government and private sector. Lots of lawyers. It isn't a cheap sport, so not really any uneducated/middle class families. Unfortunately.

What does it matter. It’s a fun sport but none of the players in the DMV have a chance of D1 or juniors.

It’s a middle class sport everywhere else and they are committed to hockey. They play year round and have natural talent. It’s cute that you think your tiny group of kids playing hockey are the norm.

I disagree on “none” but very few. There have been a few players from the DMV who have gone on to D1 so it’s possible. And juniors is very realistic for many, especially if you are talking Tier 3 juniors or pay to play. I can tell by your post that you really don’t know what you’re talking about especially when you throw in “ juniors” like all junior programs are equally competitive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this thread sums up a lot of things I see wrong with youth sports. Why are you trying to pick a sport based on what will get you into a Ivy League school? Why not just let your kid play what they want and learn the lessons - teamwork, winning and losing, working hard, etc. if they really love it they’ll apply themself and get really good at it. Fencing? Give me a break.

And the youth hockey development is nuts. Do you really want your kid to play tier I their entire childhood, skip years of schooling to play juniors, just for a shot at making a ncaa team? Why not just let them play aa (which is rotary competitive all round with great coaching) and for their hs team, and let them play on a college club team if they want. Why chase the dragon? Hockey is such a great sport and has so many lessons in it, and I understand the temptation, but jeez unless your kid is pounding pucks off the garage door 4 hours a day…

Sometimes there are kids, like mine, who simply can’t find teams in the DMV (AA, TM and WLC) that play at his level. Yea, maybe it sounds obnoxious or you think I’m blowing smoke, but he is very competitive and was frustrated by all of the hockey in this area. He simply plays at a higher level. So I hate it when hockey friends turn up their noses and assume we are chasing some hockey dream. The reality is that he loves the sport and got bored with what he had in the DMV. Will he play college hockey? Maybe, maybe not. It’s a long shot especially when you throw in that he’s at a top HS and we won’t let him sacrifice academics for hockey. But please don’t judge our choices. For some kids, there simply isn’t enough here in the DMV to play at a certain level.

Yeah...ok. Sure.

What a pathetically petty response. Hockey parents in the DMV are so predictable. 😂

If you knew even the first thing about hockey you would understand that reply. Clearly you do not.

Actually one thing I’ve learned in my almost two decades in the DMV hockey world. Most hockey parents are not that smart and many of them are petty and jealous when they see an amazing and talented player who they know will never be their kid. Get some therapy. Jealously will eat you from the inside out.

That's not my experience at all - with 3 kids in hockey most of the parents we've met are nice, intelligent, and overall pleasant people.

Same. Well educated, mostly government and private sector. Lots of lawyers. It isn't a cheap sport, so not really any uneducated/middle class families. Unfortunately.

What does it matter. It’s a fun sport but none of the players in the DMV have a chance of D1 or juniors.

It’s a middle class sport everywhere else and they are committed to hockey. They play year round and have natural talent. It’s cute that you think your tiny group of kids playing hockey are the norm.

I disagree on “none” but very few. There have been a few players from the DMV who have gone on to D1 so it’s possible. And juniors is very realistic for many, especially if you are talking Tier 3 juniors or pay to play. I can tell by your post that you really don’t know what you’re talking about especially when you throw in “ juniors” like all junior programs are equally competitive.

And there are a ton of kids in the DMV that play year round and have natural talent. Another indicator that you have no idea what you are talking about. Why comment when you clearly are not involved?