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Guest wrote: ↑Tue Feb 25, 2025 12:18 pm
Hearing lots of talk about how hockey is an 'elitist' sport and is too expensive for the average person when you consider the cost of registration, equipment, extra development, etc. My kid is 10 years old and I can definitely see a correlation between the best players on the team also being those whose parents throw the most money $ at the sport.
Outside of the rare kid who seems to be naturally gifted, does this hold true for your teams as well? Those who spend the most generally produce the best hockey players? Any advice for a middle-class family with multiple kids in multiple sports, to keep pace with these kids without going into debt?
My long story short before I give you a long story is my advice, don't spend a ton at that age. I know many will say this but SO many won't believe it or will simply have FOMO and spend spend spend. This is all my opinion and my own experience with my son.
Nothing matters much until at the earliest U13, and you can strongly argue U14. If your kid loves the game and is competitive around that age, spending more on good training will matter. And the superstar from U11 whose parents spend thousands a year on training at 10 years old...well that kid might decide they aren't interested anymore. Happens all the time.
Background, my son is currently U16AAA. He's not a superstar, decent player, 4/5 Dman on a middle pack team. He likely won't get drafted, but could, most important he belongs and is having fun working his butt off to keep getting better every year. He played select U10>U12, then A in U13, AA U14 and AAA U15 and this U16 season. We started spending more on additional stuff during his U13 season. He was lucky to have great coaching throughout, which helped massively.
Good luck, and enjoy the ride! I'd love to do it again, and wouldn't change anything.
Thanks for sharing. My son has a couple of teammates on U10A and you should see the amount of skates, clinics, camps, spring programs these kids are in .. sometimes they are in a private skate before the team hockey game. Not sure if you have ever come across these maniac Dads that are obsessed with extra skates.
My kid is U16 and only ever played AA we have him in a hockey high school, he is on the ice everyday. He’s a good player but can’t seem to crack AAA, we go to every birthday skate and tryout. It’s starting to get frustrating, I don’t was to discourage him but I’m not sure this is worth pursuing anymore. His dream is to make OHL.
Guest wrote: ↑Tue Feb 25, 2025 12:18 pm
Hearing lots of talk about how hockey is an 'elitist' sport and is too expensive for the average person when you consider the cost of registration, equipment, extra development, etc. My kid is 10 years old and I can definitely see a correlation between the best players on the team also being those whose parents throw the most money $ at the sport.
Outside of the rare kid who seems to be naturally gifted, does this hold true for your teams as well? Those who spend the most generally produce the best hockey players? Any advice for a middle-class family with multiple kids in multiple sports, to keep pace with these kids without going into debt?
My long story short before I give you a long story is my advice, don't spend a ton at that age. I know many will say this but SO many won't believe it or will simply have FOMO and spend spend spend. This is all my opinion and my own experience with my son.
Nothing matters much until at the earliest U13, and you can strongly argue U14. If your kid loves the game and is competitive around that age, spending more on good training will matter. And the superstar from U11 whose parents spend thousands a year on training at 10 years old...well that kid might decide they aren't interested anymore. Happens all the time.
Background, my son is currently U16AAA. He's not a superstar, decent player, 4/5 Dman on a middle pack team. He likely won't get drafted, but could, most important he belongs and is having fun working his butt off to keep getting better every year. He played select U10>U12, then A in U13, AA U14 and AAA U15 and this U16 season. We started spending more on additional stuff during his U13 season. He was lucky to have great coaching throughout, which helped massively.
Good luck, and enjoy the ride! I'd love to do it again, and wouldn't change anything.
Thanks for sharing. My son has a couple of teammates on U10A and you should see the amount of skates, clinics, camps, spring programs these kids are in .. sometimes they are in a private skate before the team hockey game. Not sure if you have ever come across these maniac Dads that are obsessed with extra skates.
My kid is U16 and only ever played AA we have him in a hockey high school, he is on the ice everyday. He’s a good player but can’t seem to crack AAA, we go to every birthday skate and tryout. It’s starting to get frustrating, I don’t was to discourage him but I’m not sure this is worth pursuing anymore. His dream is to make OHL.
He won't be drafted so focus on getting to junior. I would say the first goal is likely U18 AAA and then junior B or C after that. Keep working hard and see how it goes. If he can dominate at a level then he moves up and if not then you are likely at the right level and that's that.
Guest wrote: ↑Tue Feb 25, 2025 12:18 pm
Hearing lots of talk about how hockey is an 'elitist' sport and is too expensive for the average person when you consider the cost of registration, equipment, extra development, etc. My kid is 10 years old and I can definitely see a correlation between the best players on the team also being those whose parents throw the most money $ at the sport.
Outside of the rare kid who seems to be naturally gifted, does this hold true for your teams as well? Those who spend the most generally produce the best hockey players? Any advice for a middle-class family with multiple kids in multiple sports, to keep pace with these kids without going into debt?
My long story short before I give you a long story is my advice, don't spend a ton at that age. I know many will say this but SO many won't believe it or will simply have FOMO and spend spend spend. This is all my opinion and my own experience with my son.
Nothing matters much until at the earliest U13, and you can strongly argue U14. If your kid loves the game and is competitive around that age, spending more on good training will matter. And the superstar from U11 whose parents spend thousands a year on training at 10 years old...well that kid might decide they aren't interested anymore. Happens all the time.
Background, my son is currently U16AAA. He's not a superstar, decent player, 4/5 Dman on a middle pack team. He likely won't get drafted, but could, most important he belongs and is having fun working his butt off to keep getting better every year. He played select U10>U12, then A in U13, AA U14 and AAA U15 and this U16 season. We started spending more on additional stuff during his U13 season. He was lucky to have great coaching throughout, which helped massively.
Good luck, and enjoy the ride! I'd love to do it again, and wouldn't change anything.
Thanks for sharing. My son has a couple of teammates on U10A and you should see the amount of skates, clinics, camps, spring programs these kids are in .. sometimes they are in a private skate before the team hockey game. Not sure if you have ever come across these maniac Dads that are obsessed with extra skates.
My kid is U16 and only ever played AA we have him in a hockey high school, he is on the ice everyday. He’s a good player but can’t seem to crack AAA, we go to every birthday skate and tryout. It’s starting to get frustrating, I don’t was to discourage him but I’m not sure this is worth pursuing anymore. His dream is to make OHL.
He won't be drafted so focus on getting to junior. I would say the first goal is likely U18 AAA and then junior B or C after that. Keep working hard and see how it goes. If he can dominate at a level then he moves up and if not then you are likely at the right level and that's that.
So how do I break it to him he probably won’t make it to the NHL?
Guest wrote: ↑Tue Feb 25, 2025 12:18 pm
Hearing lots of talk about how hockey is an 'elitist' sport and is too expensive for the average person when you consider the cost of registration, equipment, extra development, etc. My kid is 10 years old and I can definitely see a correlation between the best players on the team also being those whose parents throw the most money $ at the sport.
Outside of the rare kid who seems to be naturally gifted, does this hold true for your teams as well? Those who spend the most generally produce the best hockey players? Any advice for a middle-class family with multiple kids in multiple sports, to keep pace with these kids without going into debt?
My long story short before I give you a long story is my advice, don't spend a ton at that age. I know many will say this but SO many won't believe it or will simply have FOMO and spend spend spend. This is all my opinion and my own experience with my son.
Nothing matters much until at the earliest U13, and you can strongly argue U14. If your kid loves the game and is competitive around that age, spending more on good training will matter. And the superstar from U11 whose parents spend thousands a year on training at 10 years old...well that kid might decide they aren't interested anymore. Happens all the time.
Background, my son is currently U16AAA. He's not a superstar, decent player, 4/5 Dman on a middle pack team. He likely won't get drafted, but could, most important he belongs and is having fun working his butt off to keep getting better every year. He played select U10>U12, then A in U13, AA U14 and AAA U15 and this U16 season. We started spending more on additional stuff during his U13 season. He was lucky to have great coaching throughout, which helped massively.
Good luck, and enjoy the ride! I'd love to do it again, and wouldn't change anything.
Thanks for sharing. My son has a couple of teammates on U10A and you should see the amount of skates, clinics, camps, spring programs these kids are in .. sometimes they are in a private skate before the team hockey game. Not sure if you have ever come across these maniac Dads that are obsessed with extra skates.
My kid is U16 and only ever played AA we have him in a hockey high school, he is on the ice everyday. He’s a good player but can’t seem to crack AAA, we go to every birthday skate and tryout. It’s starting to get frustrating, I don’t was to discourage him but I’m not sure this is worth pursuing anymore. His dream is to make OHL.
He won't be drafted so focus on getting to junior. I would say the first goal is likely U18 AAA and then junior B or C after that. Keep working hard and see how it goes. If he can dominate at a level then he moves up and if not then you are likely at the right level and that's that.
Genuine question: why bother to get to junior if not being drafted? Should not he focuses on school then?