AA or AAA

[pops04xx 2]

My son is 7 years old and he is currently on the select 6 team. Next year he will be trying our for a minor novice team.

If he makes the gold (AAA) team, he will most likely be one of the bottom end players.

I am wondering if i should just let him go for the red (AA) team and be one of the top players.

At this age I think it is more important to see ice time and gain confidence.

Looking for other opinions or insight from others that have gone through the same thing.

[chk hrd 164]

At that age coaching and ice time are the second and and third most important things. Fun is the first. You want your kid to have as much fun as possible. USA Hockey does not recognize AA/AAA at that age. It is an early development age where kids should be taught the basics of the game and get almost equal ice time. Riding the pine or being left behind at that age is a good way to make them want to stop playing.

[furlanitalia 1]

It's sad to think that a coach would limit ice time for 6-7 year olds instead of promoting fun and learning. Play down and enjoy the ice time, or play up and push for fair play that doesn't see kids being shorted ice time. How else will they get better?

[pops04xx 2]

The coach said to all the parents that it will be very very difficult for any kid to go from AA to AAA at any age. I guess this must be true but I just want my child to enjoy playing and play at a level that challenges him. Some of my buddies that have gone up through the ranks have told me that many pros went up through their child hood not playing AAA but still managed to make it. I am not saying my kid is going to make the bigs but I want him to play at a level that will give him every opportunity in making it as far as he can in this sport that we all love. I am trying to keep him away from all the politics that comes with minor hockey as long as I can but a lot of this "who you know" is coming to light. I know that he would like to continue playing with his friends but I think he might not get the play time and not develop the way he should if he continues with the team to AAA.

[iggy777 0]

Go for AA. I was a bottom end player when I first started playing AAA and it sucked. I got one goal the whole year in an exhibition game against a really bad out of town team. The rest of the year I was getting benched durig every powerplay, penalty kill and so on. It ended up I played AA the next year and I loved it. I was one of the best players, I was having lots of fun and made more friends on that team. On AAA I went unotticed by most of the other players cause I never got to play. AA will be more fun, you'll likely save money and time and the game will be more enjoyable for you and your kid.

[usahockey22 0]

At that age, I would tend to support the idea of keeping him in the lower level; let him enjoy less competitive hockey for a bit longer, and build the confidence that will come with being one of the better players at his level. He's certainly at an age where this decision can be made next season, or even a couple of seasons from now. Then again, if your son really wants to do it, and he's also very dedicated for his age, maybe he would really be able to make the step right now.

Ultimately, I think this decision is best made by you, his parent, with input from your kid. Get his opinion on the issue, and see if he likes the idea of more practices and games, harder competition, and not being one of the top players. You should feel him out and see if the dedication is there...I doubt it would be in most 7 year olds, but you know your kid better than we do, so feel him out.

[raganblink 82]

agree with iggy.

at that age; being a novice or aaa wont make a big difference in his potential if he doesn't love the game and get to play as much as possible. once he hits 12/13 is when it would severely help to be in a aaa organization over the aa league.

[furlanitalia 1]

Not if you aren't developing.

First off, your kid is 7. Let him enjoy the game and develop a passion for it because without that he won't go anywhere.

Secondly, he's 7! Playing AA or AAA isn't going to make a difference at this stage in his life (unless it is a negative one that drives him away from the game), so just let him enjoy it for the great sport it is.

I feel like I'm reciting the rules of fight club where the first two are the same thing lol:

The first rule of playing hockey is enjoy yourself!

The second rule of playing hockey is enjoy yourself!

[hockeyfreak7 0]

never heard of seven year olds getting limited ice time....what kind of messed up coach does that. at that age, there are no top tier players, so why not let them develop equally.

but, lets pretend your kid was 11 or 12 and ice time was a legitimate concern, i would recommend going AA and letting your child excel. you might even be surprised to see him blossom into a top player on the AAA team the next year because of what he got out of dominating AA. the best thing a kid can have for performance at such a young age is confidence.

but for a 6 year old...you need to let him enjoy himself...it doesnt matter where hes playing at that age.

[tro 4]

My little guy is also 7, going into novice next year and I can't begin to think about AAA or Div 1 or whatever, I just want him to have fun, develop, try hard and have fun.

I wouldn't worry about AAA or AA until PeeWee or Bantam.

I also see alot of parents putting to much emphysis on their kid playing against the best early, I call this the "Michelle Wie mentanlity"

Win as a 13 yr old, show great promise and get forced higher up and fizzle.

As long as your kid isn't way ahead of the AA kids, I would put him there.

My 1st questions after every game and practice, did you have fun, what was your favorite part?

I have met parents who bragg one year that their kids plays Div 1, next year I ask, how's his hockey? oh he quit, that's to bad.

[kovyperron5727 0]

My son is 7 years old and he is currently on the select 6 team. Next year he will be trying our for a minor novice team.

If he makes the gold (AAA) team, he will most likely be one of the bottom end players.

I am wondering if i should just let him go for the red (AA) team and be one of the top players.

At this age I think it is more important to see ice time and gain confidence.

Looking for other opinions or insight from others that have gone through the same thing.

AA. He will get more ice time, have more fun, and you only get better by playing more. Its silly that they have divsions for kids so young IMO

[Chadd 916]

Rarely do topics come along where people seem to agree across the board. That said, the only way I wouldn't go with the AA team is if there is a problem with that coach. And by problem I don't mean win/loss, I mean a guy that takes the fun out of the game for the kids or is abusive. As long as he can teach and let them have fun, the AA team is going to be the best bet for your son.

Its silly that they have divsions for kids so young IMO

I don't think it is silly, as 30-0 scores tend to discourage kids. The emphasis some people place on those divisions is absurd though.

[furlanitalia 1]

Rarely do topics come along where people seem to agree across the board.

Must be nice for the Mods

[frankie56 0]

The coach said to all the parents that it will be very very difficult for any kid to go from AA to AAA at any age.

I would question the qualifications (motivations?) of any coach who says that.

[Hradsky 1]

AA FOR SURE.

At that age people aren't scouting yet, so no real need to have him play in a league where he won't have fun. At age 11 is when you want him to start moving up the leagues if you actually want him to go somewhere with this.

When I was 11 I played one league higher than house league, and now 4-5 years later half my team from there are playing AA/AAA so it's not like he has to be playing AAA right now to still make it later. He will get a huge boost if he hits puberty before the rest of the kids and will probably be dominant in AAA, but if he hits it late then he will probably be left behind before making his way back up.

[kovyperron5727 0]

The emphasis some people place on those divisions is absurd though.

That's what I meant. Placing so much emphasis this early on will burn kids out

[starsfan71 9]

A local kid called around here played AA until Early Bantam, and he is playing for the Rough Riders in the USHL right now. Let your kid develop and grow his love for the game. This summer if you want to enroll him in some camps that will prep him for the AAA level in the near future (about 10 or 11) I say go for it.

[goaldy 0]

I know that some of you will disagree with me, but here is how it is in Toronto (GTHL - previously known as MTHL). I have been a AAA coach for many years, so here goes.

In bantam one year, we took what were the two best AA players in the city, for our AAA team. And, for the record, our AAA team flip-flopped between first place and second place all season. One of the players could never get off of our third line, and the other occasionally got onto the second line. Neither one played in "critical situations". They went on to eventually play midget AAA (which is notoriously weak in Toronto), and that was the end of their hockey careers. Neither would have ever been able to crack even a Junior "C" roster.

My point is that it is EXTREMELY HARD to move up to AAA, once you have played AA.

My advice is to play AAA as early as possible. You can always drop back, but as I said, you may never be able to move up.

The whole AAA mindset is very different - from time commitment, to financial commitment, to how hard you are expected to work in practice. If you ever have hopes of playing AAA, you had better get used to it early.

Just my two cents worth.

Hope I haven't offended anyone.

[furlanitalia 1]

No, every opinion if stated with respect is appreciated. Welcome to the forum. I agree with your idea of the culture being hard to break into, but from a development perspective is it worth it to play AAA and not see any ice time? Especially for a 7 yr old. I think if the AAA team institued fair play and rolled the lines it would be worth it, but if the kid won't be seeing game time I just can't see how that would be fun for them. Or how it would help them develop.

[goaldy 0]

Let me add another story for you.

One year we took a low-end AAA player, basically as a 5th defenseman.

He knew that he was 5th, and would see the least ice.

He came, tried 100% in practice every time, gave it all he had every time on the ice, his parents were awesome (yes - that really does matter to coaches!). Also, and probably most importantly, he went for private power skating and hockey skills classes (at his parents' considerable expense). By the end of the following season, he was in the top two IN THE ENTIRE GTHL AAA.

The kid wanted it so bad, and he was fortunate to have awesome parents who could support him.

Unfortunately, there is a sad ending to this story. At 15 years of age, he got mixed up in drugs, his priorities changed, and he played himself out of hockey.

He could, at the very least, have likely earned himself a spot in the OHL draft, or a NCAA scholarship.

[furlanitalia 1]

Ok, but it sounds like his development came from his extra-curricular training he was doing, not from the fact he played AAA. He was also 15 and knew he wanted to play hockey and that he wanted to be better. For a 7 yr old I think their priorities are a little different, and they probably won't be anywhere near as driven because they won't always grasp the concept of "I need to get better so I can earn ice time."

[goaldy 0]

I agree with you. But, I think being in the "AAA environment" (fancy jackets, etc.) helped him with his motivation. In Toronto, anyway, there is unfortunately a bit of a mindset that if you aren't playing AAA you are a second class citizen (I don't agree with this, but it is prevalent).

And, again in Toronto, AAA is very much an "old boys club" that if you are not in, it is really hard to get in.

Yes, 7 is very young. We (Toronto) don't even have AAA for 7 year olds.

So, some of my points may be more relevant for slightly older players.

[furlanitalia 1]

I'm from Vancouver but can relate with what you're saying about it being an old boys club. Growing up I was always one of the last cuts to house because the coaches move up with players every year and always kept the same teams. It wasn't until a new coach came in and shook everything up that I got a shot at AAA. I know things have changed a bit since then but I'm sure it is prevalent in many communities still. Now, aa out here may not carry the same weight as aaa but the players still wear matching jackets and have jersey bags. The mindset may not be as focused but again I think we're referring more to the 14 and up age group. For a 7 yr old, just make sure he's having fun.

[flyers10 57]

I'd say play AA and get the ice time and work on learning skills. Read about James Van Riemsdyk, the path he took to stay close to home and get ice time instead of trying to move up.

[furlanitalia 1]

There are a lot of examples of guys doing that. If you're good, you'll go somewhere. It's a simple as that. Just make sure you enjoy it.