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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]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…[/quote]

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. [/quote]

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.[/quote]

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?? [/quote]

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.[/quote]

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