Youngsters in beer league?

[sitzlejd 0]

I played a beer league game last night and there was a young kid on the opposing team. He was probably 11 or 12 years old and definitely had some skills, not great but you could tell he had played organized hockey his entire (short) life. I'm one of the younger guys on my team (24) so I didn't have too much trouble matching his energy level, but lots of the guys on my team were pissed off about it. I think part of their beef was that he was good and part of it was they just didn't think such a small kid should be playing with big adults. They said it affected their game worrying about the kid's safety. I'm just wondering what most people think about these situations. Be it safety or otherwise, do kids have a place in beer league? How young is too young to play with the big boys? How do those of you that ref handle this issue?

[15yearsofhistory 0]

I've played in adult leagues since I was about 11 or 12 and personally I had zero regard for my own safety. If you're gonna hit me go for it. I know that I have certain risks when playing with older people just because they're bigger than me.

I might add that I was a bigger kid for being 11...

[Michael9 57]

IMO, 11 and 12 is to young, no matter how good they are, for there own safety, and for everyone else to enjoy the game. I wouldn't be able to concentrate as much or go all out, if i have to consantley remind my self that there is a little kid on the ice and I have to make sure not to bump into him. Starting about at 15,16 or even 14 in some cases I don't have a problem with it. The kids have gone throught puberty and are alot bigger than at 11 and 12 and people don't have to worry about not bumpin in to them, I wouldn't feel bad if I knocked a 16 year old down, but a 11-12 your old, thats something different, it's just to young.

[team50 20]

Our league is 18+, which seems to suit everyone.

[Chadd 916]

IMO, 11 and 12 is to young, no matter how good they are, for there own safety, and for everyone else to enjoy the game. I wouldn't be able to concentrate as much or go all out, if i have to consantley remind my self that there is a little kid on the ice and I have to make sure not to bump into him. Starting about at 15,16 or even 14 in some cases I don't have a problem with it. The kids have gone throught puberty and are alot bigger than at 11 and 12 and people don't have to worry about not bumpin in to them, I wouldn't feel bad if I knocked a 16 year old down, but a 11-12 your old, thats something different, it's just to young.

I always hated it when little guys came out for open hockey because of things like that. I even had a dad threaten me because I whipped a wrister past his kids ear. I couldn't see him and the puck was still under the crossbar.

[legiahockey 3]

i dont think anyone under 18 should be out there. theres just to big of a gap with the older guys and the kids. they dont belong. im 18 and when i go to pick up games i take it easy not to piss anyone off.

[Balmer15 0]

going from say, u16, to adult, is too big an age gap imo, depending on size. but you can't really tell someone that they can't play because they're too small, then let someone who might be a year younger than them play because they're "big enough". about 17, 18 would be a better age to have a cut off imo.

[SidCaeser 0]

You have to be 18+ to play in our league. We have a couple of pick-up games where young kids, 16+, play. One game is filled 16-24ish kids, and it has scared most the older guys away. The other game has a 14 yr old. He has been playing in this game with his dad for a couple of years. We used to have to dial it down, but now he is at and above some of our level.

There was a game where someone went after the son a little rough, and the dad immediately went from the red line to the opposite corner to light the guy up. It made for an interesting Sat. am pick-up game.

9 times out of 10, I don't like it.

[Fletch 219]

I've had some bad experiences playing against kids in roller leagues around here in the past. Not a fan of it.

[Makoto 3]

I've had some bad experiences playing against kids in roller leagues around here in the past. Not a fan of it.

As have I...I think adult leagues should be 18 & older...consistent with their title and the age of majority.

[fastbrother7 0]

The liability implications are tremendous. The mens league here suspended this Guy on my team and his brother for three years because the older brother allowed him to play on his other mens league team last season when he was 17. It didnt even matter that thier other brother plays in the show-they gave them no special treatment at all. I think it was kind of excessive, but it is what it is.

[JJ Thompson94 0]

I've played with young kids in open. When they are clearly worse than everybody on the ice it's fine, because everyone takes it easy on the kid. When a kid is good it becomes a bit harder because you don't want to hurt the kid, but you want to stop him.

16 is another story. I was at an open with some older guys, no one real good. There was this sick 16 year old kid. He was in NYC visting family from MN. He was dominating guys in their 30's. People were trying to hit him and he was pulling ovechkin type moves on these guys. I was 20 at the time, and for a while I kept up with him going tit for tat. But after a while he wiped me out, he was like an energizer bunny out there.

Point is some 16 year old guys can play. I think it takes more than age to properly answer this question.

[thejackal 46]

not a fan of it. 18+ rules sound good to me. it's not as if the kids have nowhere else to play.

[RadioGaGa 162]

I think 18+ in a league is more than fair...but I've played with some 'kids' 13-17 in (Adult) pickup and they've kept up just fine. We were short last Wed and the guy that runs the skate had his 14 year old daughter out. She was easily one of the top 5 players on the ice. His son (who I think is 15) plays goal and is very good.

think anyone who says they are uncomfortable playing with kids in a non-contact, pick up setting is just afraid that they will get shown up.

[Michael9 57]

I feel the opposite from you( JJ Thompson94 ) , my problem is when the kids on the ice are clearley the worst player so I( and most of the other players playing) have to tone it down from them, when I'm playing I don't want to worry about having to not pass very hard so the 13 year old kid can recieve it, or slow down so the kid actually gets to touch the puck, or let the kid win the battles for the loose puck in the corner. When the kids are weaker than everyone talent wise is when I have the problem, you can't even stick lift them with out looking like a bad guy. I am only 17 now, going to be 18 soon, so I'm probabley not the best person to be making arguments on the situation since most leagues are suppose to be 18+ anyways, but anyway I started playing in a beer league at 14 , even thought I could skate better than 50% of the players their, I can see that it would suck at some points for them becuase of the reasons I mentioned before, I now realize that I really shouldn't of even been there. But when I was about 16, even thought at 16, I was probabley the best player there, I think the guys there minded less because when I played agaisnt them they could actually play agaisnt me like they would any other player, I don't tyhink anyone in the league had a problem with me in it when I was about 16, and all the guys that I played with liked to play with me becuase I was always setting them up for nice goals. For me and I think for most people in my area, if you can keep up with the league and the players your playing agaisnt can actually play agaisnt you like they would for other people and not have to give you speaciel treatment becuase you are younger, then its not a problem.

[Doctor Hook 0]

I don't like to play with barely legal teens.

[A_Steeves12 0]

Im only 19 but have been playing pickup with older guys since 17. From what i have found theres going to be complainers either way, weather the younger play is good or bad. Last year i skated with 2 diffrent groups of guys, one of the groups was great there was only a few guys that didnt like me there (because i was good) these guy were all much older then me. The other group were the guys where younger but still older then me, i had alot of guys come after me or get pissed off if i made them look bad, which really didnt bother me cause im use to guys coming after me anyway.

I dont have a problem with younger guys playing aslong as there skill level is up to par.

[chippa13 1844]

I don't like to play with barely legal teens.

That's great, but what about hockey.

[JR Boucicaut 3803]

You normally see this in areas where the pool of players is pretty thin. When I lived in Miami in the early 90s we played in our league as well as adult because there weren't that many guys to go around.

[tdjb 0]

I think the 18+ rule is a good one simply because everyone is so sue-happy these days. Even if a younger players skills are up to par (or better) then the older guys, it only takes that one freak accident and then everything goes south. Aside from liability reasons, I wouldn't care if there were u18 guys playing in our beer league, shit, it might even motivate some of the other guys to skate harder.

[Kevin 5]

Regardless of age, I think the weight minimum should be 150 pounds to play with full grown men.

There's too much risk for serious injury if a 210 guy who can skate collides with a 120 lb kid--it's simple physics.

[Stampeder 2]

There are alot of guys 18+ that are under 150lbs

[Jarick 5]

I'm not a fan of under 18, mainly because of the potential for injury and litigation. An 18 year old can take responsibility for himself, but under that, there's too much risk. Most of the time they are great players and all, but I'm not even sure they can legally sign a waiver.

[Yoke 0]

They don't allow anyone under 18 to play in my leagues. The pickup thing I skate in every now and then lets teenagers in, but they are somebody that is already skatings kid. Some people are careful with them, some aren't. I mess with them just cause I know them, but some guys take it too serious and go too hard on the kids.

[GH_ID 0]

Beer is 18+... Beer League should be 18+ ;)