10y old - join 12y top level team?

[krax]

Hi,
Our son's ten years old. We live in Switzerland. He's a skilled hockey player, has been playing for 5 years and was always playing with kids that were 3-4 years older than him. He loves the game.

He was invited to some tryouts to play in the top league for players born in 97/98. Born in 99, he passed with ease, the team really wants him, he's able to do it, and he’d like to play there.

We have some concerns:
He likes other sports and plays in a soccer team, is a gifted skier and windsurfer. If he joins that team it'll be hockey above everything else. It will probably not be accepted to miss a game or practice due to a soccer game in September or miss two weeks of hockey because of a windsurfing vacation during the season.

Personally I think that those other activities are highly beneficial at his age: physically and mentally.

If the top team's management would show some flexibility and let him miss a practice once in a while, it would be no problem for us to let him join the team. But we're afraid of hockey saturation and formatting of a creative player to fit in the mold.

What should we do?
- let him play at intermediate level for another year or two, giving him time to practice other sports, play hockey just for the fun of it, playing with kids that are below his level.
- let him try to reach as high as possible. Play in a team where he'll have to fight for a spot, develop playing as a team, surrounded by professional coaches.

Thanks

krax

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[Crosbyfan]

Move to Canada?

 

[krax]

Move to Canada?

Windsurfing in Canada
Soccer in Canada
Skiing in Canada

 

[Ti-girl]

Its completley up to you.

My friend's son is 6 and plays on the top 9-10 team in the province, though they don't put him in any summer camps.

I agree that other sports are beneficial, but if your son has no competition at his own level, he will probably benefit from playing against stiffer competition.

 

[Crosbyfan]

Windsurfing in Canada
Soccer in Canada
Skiing in Canada

Touche!

 

[thrill_me_mogilny]

My son is the same age and we had to make this decision. We chose to have him play at a "lower" level for fun. Being a kid is about learning and playing, not preparing for a career in pro sports. My boy still gets to spend time with family, we can go on holiday without feeling guilty, and he has time to hang out with kids in the neighbourhood. It isn't all organised activities.

Being with less skilled players has made my son a better one. He is often asked to demonstrate drills and helps the other kids. In doing so, he has improved his game because to explain something, he needs to know it inside out. The confidence and leadership he gains from this would not happen at a higher level.

As your son gets older he will likely drop a few activities and focus on one or two. That's when it's time to go full steam ahead.

Whatever you chose, never forget that you are the grown-up - don't worry whether or not he likes the decision today. It's for the long term.

let him play at intermediate level for another year or two, giving him time to practice other sports, play hockey just for the fun of it, playing with kids that are below his level.
- let him try to reach as high as possible. Play in a team where he'll have to fight for a spot, develop playing as a team, surrounded by professional coaches.

Thanks

krax

 

[golfortennis]

My son is the same age and we had to make this decision. We chose to have him play at a "lower" level for fun. Being a kid is about learning and playing, not preparing for a career in pro sports. My boy still gets to spend time with family, we can go on holiday without feeling guilty, and he has time to hang out with kids in the neighbourhood. It isn't all organised activities.

Being with less skilled players has made my son a better one. He is often asked to demonstrate drills and helps the other kids. In doing so, he has improved his game because to explain something, he needs to know it inside out. The confidence and leadership he gains from this would not happen at a higher level.

As your son gets older he will likely drop a few activities and focus on one or two. That's when it's time to go full steam ahead.

Whatever you chose, never forget that you are the grown-up - don't worry whether or not he likes the decision today. It's for the long term.

Here, here. Quoted for truth. One of the worst things to come about in the last so many years is the full-time single sport 10 year old athlete. They are kids. There's nothing wrong with them having other activites.

Playing against tougher competition is a double edged sword, though. I see the benefit, however, I'm not so sure that it hasn't all been messed up. It's one thing to play pickup or something loosely organized with better players. A kid will really learn(and more importantly develop on his own) what he needs to play with the better players.

In a competitive team situation though, I'm not so sure. Because, remember, in that situation, it is not about your son becoming the best player he can be, it is about the team winning the game, hopefully only that, but it could also be about the coach's resume. Your son may or may not get that much ice time. They may want him because he will add depth to their roster, not because they expect him to play a contributing role. If your son is as skilled as you say, you may want to get an objective thrid party to tell you whether your son's skill level will allow him to play a skill role with this team, or will he be looked on to play a checking role.

While I'm not trying to say my cousin would have made the OHL or anything, when he was 10, the coach put him on defense, because he wanted "size on the blueline." Never mind that the kid was the team's best centre and could set up plays for the other kids that hardly anyone else could. Being the good kid he is, he did what he was told. And all the way up(it was a smaller town, so everyone knew everyone), all the coaches knew they could have a "rock on the blueline" with him. He was the captain most years, and even got himself invited to the regional scouting camp for the OHL when he was 16 as a defenseman. But his best position, and the one he shoud have been playing, was centre. What could he have done there? While I don't think he was robbed of an NHL opportunity, there could have been a chance at an NCAA scholarship, but a coach who needed "size on the blueline" when he was 10 set things down a different path.

My point is, that as you get up the competitive ladder, it becomes more about the team. They are looking for what your kid can do for them, not what they can do for your kid. Is he going to play? Where is he going to play? There is still only so much ice time available in a game. Do you really want your kid to join a team where he needs another kid to get hurt to get a decent amount of ice time? Because i can just about guarantee you that a team that demands that much time commitment, is not going to sit there and equally distribute ice time.

why do you think NHL teams send young kids back to the AHL? In most cases it's to get them playing. They don't learn anything sitting the bench.

You'll want to give that some hard thought as well the other life issues thrill_me_mogilny brought up.

 

[Escapades]

Explain to him the situation and ask him what he wants to do?

 

[krax]

Hi all,
thanks for the great inputs.
We explained the situation to him. He really enjoyed playing with that top team. He's a little bit frustrated on his current level, because he likes to pass, but most of the time his mates won't be able to catch a pass, or get it back to him. If it was up to our boy, he'd join the top team immediately.
There's no problem coming back if it doesn't work out. And the main objective is to have fun. It's not about a career, it's what he enjoys above all. So probably we'll give it a try. He'll have the opportunity to practice with the team for the end of the season (one month left). We will probably know better then.
krax

 

[Crosbyfan]

Hi all,
thanks for the great inputs.
We explained the situation to him. He really enjoyed playing with that top team. He's a little bit frustrated on his current level, because he likes to pass, but most of the time his mates won't be able to catch a pass, or get it back to him. If it was up to our boy, he'd join the top team immediately.
There's no problem coming back if it doesn't work out. And the main objective is to have fun. It's not about a career, it's what he enjoys above all. So probably we'll give it a try. He'll have the opportunity to practice with the team for the end of the season (one month left). We will probably know better then.
krax

Best of luck. Hope he has fun.

Don't forget to tell us how it works out.

 

[GuitarAwesome]

How high is the level? When do kids start hitting in the leagues there?
Because if he was moving up to a league with hitting, I would not allow it.
If there is no hitting, go for it, it'll really build the kid's confidence(careful not TOO much!) to be playing in the older kid's league!

 

[krax]

How high is the level? When do kids start hitting in the leagues there?
Because if he was moving up to a league with hitting, I would not allow it.
If there is no hitting, go for it, it'll really build the kid's confidence(careful not TOO much!) to be playing in the older kid's league!

Hi,
hitting is allowed, but it also is in his current league. Personally I am not really happy with hitting under, let's say 14, but it is the way it is...
But hey, we're in Switzerland, compared to what you guys call hitting it's more like "sorry, do you mind if I place myself here in front of your goalie..."
k.

 

[thrill_me_mogilny]

krax, glad you made a decision.

 

[frito]

There's no problem coming back if it doesn't work out. And the main objective is to have fun. It's not about a career, it's what he enjoys above all. So probably we'll give it a try. He'll have the opportunity to practice with the team for the end of the season (one month left). We will probably know better then.
krax

This is what you will need to be carefull about. My guess is this higher level team will be much less about fun. I coached the last peewee travel team in organization this year. Coming from house I did not want to abondon the fun aspect of the while still trying to develop the kids. I fully realized the kids had other commitments, football, soccrer etc. and worked with them on that. At season's end I think most of them had a good season, even if the scoresheets didn't seem to go our way.

Conversely, the team above me was all about comeptition. You better not miss a practice, you better make hockey the number one prioroty etc. While the scoresheets were better for that team, quite a few players had a count down running for the season to end. They didn't have fun. While we became more comepetive as the season was coming to a close, this team became less comepetive as the season came to a close.

I'm not saying either approach is right or wrong. There is at least one family on my team, maybe more, that would have preferred the other approach; however, there seems to be more than a few on the other team that would have prefered not quite so much a regiemented approach.

I guess what I am trying to say is make darn sure you and your child are up for the commitment it sounds like you may be embarking. The last thing you want to happen is for him to get soured on the sport because of everything he had to give up. He's still ten, let him have fun. A little time away from the rink will just make him crave it that much more vs. the over saturation that may drive him away from it.

Good luck with whatever decision you make.

 

[PhysicalTorque]

Go to Sweden, let your child develop there, you also have many benefits that can also help your family in the long run, Canada is meh, we are a hockey nation, but we don't offer as many things as you'd like. Further, Sweden is more organized since they are directly affiliated with their professional counterparts, they have hockey academies, we have a couple of reknown ones here I can't remember their name, but Sweden is better, further, you already have your EU-U passport? You should be fine in Sverige, it is more exciting than Switzerland.

I'm just 17 year old, but I know all to well about my ancestral country.

 

[Ace88*]

Why don't you ask your son what to do? It's his life, afterall. Does he realize that eventually he's going to have to pick one? If he starts 100% to hockey now and is skilled like you say, the NHL may not be a stretch. But if he doesn't want to, don't pressure him. But yea just ask him.

 

[Crosbyfan]

Why don't you ask your son what to do? It's his life, afterall. Does he realize that eventually he's going to have to pick one? If he starts 100% to hockey now and is skilled like you say, the NHL may not be a stretch. But if he doesn't want to, don't pressure him. But yea just ask him.

Good advice...but if you read the thread carefully...

 

[krax]

Why don't you ask your son what to do? It's his life, afterall. Does he realize that eventually he's going to have to pick one? If he starts 100% to hockey now and is skilled like you say, the NHL may not be a stretch. But if he doesn't want to, don't pressure him. But yea just ask him.

It's his decision and nobody is pressurising him from our side. It's more thinking about the long run. Maybe at age ten, you don't take too many variables into account.

 

[golfortennis]

It's his decision and nobody is pressurising him from our side. It's more thinking about the long run. Maybe at age ten, you don't take too many variables into account.

This is the thing. When I was 10, I got cut from a baseball team, and it was the absolute end of the world. A kid quit and I ended up on the team anyway a couple of weeks later, but I had no idea. I had absolutely no concept that I may not make that team. Heck, when I was 14, I could have played on the jv basketball team instead of freshman, but I stayed on the freshman team to play with my friends. I still don't know if I made the right call or not, but frankly I don't think my reasoning was the most sound. Would have been nice to have someone who had my best interests in mind give me a bit of advice.

Same with krax's kid. I guarantee you he does not see anything other than being as dominant at the upper level as he is now at his. Which is fine, and I'd ike the kid to have the confidence. But couple that with the fact that if he is not one of the best players, he will not even be put in a position to possibly do that well(he'll be a checker not a scorer), and like others have said, the regimentation and demands will be that much more.

His kid thinks it won't be any different than playing in the street with the older kids. Playing up may be the best thing he could do, but the downside needs to be considered, and his son has no concept that there is a downside. He probably hasn't had to choose between hockey and something else he enjoys yet. Sounds like this older team will make that happen, and when that happens, then what?

 

[krax]

Hi,
thought I'll give an update.

Junior loves practising with his new team. I asked him if he likes his new coach. Answer: "yeah, he's strict, that's great!" Me: huh?

He was invited to play at an international tournament with kids born in 98/99 (he's 99). Because the 96/97 team lacked players, he played for both teams (7 games in two days (2x15min with98/99 , 2x20min with 96/97).
You can see his last game with the big boys here (orange opponents), a goal he scores in his league (green opponents) and a deke against orange team 98/99.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDsFUIeHCPI

krax

 

[Happy Pony]

He looks pretty good to me. A better skater than all the other kids in the video and you can see he is definitely head and shoulders above te kids in his own age bracket. (based on the video)

 

[Analyzer*]

Move to Vancouver in Canada ? I'm not sure if they have windsurfing, but soccer is growing here and skiing of course.

Talk to the coach, or owner of the team if it would be ok to miss a practice, or two. If it is, then talk to your kid and let him decide what he wants to do.

Once your kid is 16, or 17, if he's still owning get him to sign a couple of sticks and jerseys and send them my way

 

[Penguins23]

When you move to Canada call me, I'll gladly be his agent. Thank$.

 

[jcbio11]

Wow, he's good. Skates really well. Good to have him playing with older kids.

Also guy stop suggesting they move somewhere. It's silly.

 

[rinkrat22]

your boy looks like a great little player. your in a tuff spot. challenging his abilities(by playing up) and being a kid(preventing burnout) as good as your son appears, I would think you hold the upper hand with the coach. let him know he WILL miss some to do other things. not too many 10y/o can skate and handle the puck like that. kids got talent. now you just have to keep him interested and not overwelmed with one sport. playing other sports is just going to make a better athlete.