Picking A Youth Hockey Program

To go along with all my other fun hockey duties, I at one point a few years ago an adviser (or expert) with a youth sports association, primarily attempting to help hockey parents, coaches and players with their skills related training problems.  And, although the following question (submitted by an association member) doesn’t really deal with a training challenge, I think it truly is something most newer hockey families face…

Q: Stacy, a concerned hockey parent, wonders whether an 8-year old son is in the right place for his skill development and competitiveness.  Stacy notes the options — like house or travel teams, and then asks if a young player might be better-off waiting until he is older and more competitive before trying a higher level of play.

A: To begin, let me provide my personal take on the differences between house leagues and travel teams…

For sure, there ought to be a place where youngsters can play hockey without having to be overly committed.  The house programs I’ve seen through the years tend to offer just that — with one game per week, maybe an occasional practice, everything taking place at the neighborhood rink, and all this coming at a relatively low cost.

Each of the above categories are adjusted a little (or a lot) when one makes a so-called travel team.  Regular practice is an important part of these programs, some teams can play more than a game per week, games likely take place at a number of “away” rinks, and some distant tournaments might even spice-up the playing schedule.  Of course, all these extra offerings do come at a steeper price.

I must say that I’ve noticed most hockey parents choosing the house league option for their own reasons.  I can’t blame them for having to weigh the costs.  But I also sense a lot of parents opt for the lesser commitment to fit their own personal lifestyles.  So I tend to admire Stacy’s question, in that an 8-year old boy’s needs seem to be the main concern.

Oh, a first aside…  I know it’s hard to predict what a youngster is going to want 5-years from now.  However, if Stacy even senses that the 8-year old is going to want to make a high school hockey team someday, a course of action should be evident in awhile.

Now, let me draw some other distinctions between the two levels, at least as this old coach sees them…

By its very nature, a house league can probably only promise some fun and a chance for a youngster to tell friends he or she plays hockey.  If Stacy is looking for true development, it isn’t likely to take place here.

As a second aside…  I’ve always felt that the quality of coaching at a given youth level has a lot to do with the available “parent pool”.  In other words, if the coach of a given team is going to come from among that team’s parents, there are likely to be more knowledgeable guys and gals available at the AAA level than in a house league.  To explain further, I believe that a lot of players make higher level teams because their parents are pretty savvy about the game.

Make no mistake about it, Stacy, your son can’t truly develop unless he gets great coaching.  (In my book, “coaching” and “teaching” are synonymous.)

As far as advice goes, I think there’s an in-between option for Stacy’s son (and others facing similar decisions).  For, within most travel programs, each level is usually divided into at least three teams, with each team stocked with similarly skilled players.  These “A”, “B” and “C” teams also usually adjust their competitiveness to fit the ages and abilities of their players.  So, what I’m suggesting is that an on-the-fence 8-year old might get quite a bit more by moving to at least a “C” level team.  Actually, there’s probably little difference in the competitiveness at the house and “C” levels.  Yet, the latter represents a small step towards a youngster eventually making stronger teams.  And it also gives the parent and player a season to make a more educated decision the next time around.

Thanks for the great question, Stacy, and good luck!

And I’d for sure love to hear from the extra-wise folks who visit this site.