Am I a "sandbagger"?

[bradm6125]

Hey guys,

I was reading through the unwritten rules of beer leagues and noticed a bunch of guys mentioning how crappy it is playing against sandbaggers. Just wanted to see if I'd fall under that category as well.

I play every summer on my dads team, we started off in "D" and have progressively dropped to "E" (they are getting older lol). I'm 19 and play Jr.A in the winter so naturally "E" level is not where I should be playing, but I have continued to play mainly because its cool to play hockey with my dad and his buddies.

I have played with them for 3 years and I definitely avoid doing things to draw attention to myself, last year I had 20points in 15 games and all I really do is try to set other guys up. There was only one game where I pretty much went all out and ended up with 3 goals and an assist (Lost 8-6 lol).

Despite how I hold back, and don't do anything to make myself look like an ass (ive only chirped one guy) is it wrong for me to play E?

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[Professor Dangles]

I think that it's perfectly fine to play E if you have good reasoning. At that level its really just for fun and going by what you said about the 8 - 6 loss with you going all out i'd imagine that you guys aren't a powerhouse by any means. You're not being a dick at all dont worry.

 

[ponder]

I would definitely say that's fine, especially if it's just to play on your dad's summer league team.

 

[AvDog]

Nope. A sandbagger is an *******. He plays in the lower levels to make himself look good and likes to show-up the lesser skilled players.

You're not doing anything wrong. It's cool that you get to play hockey with your dad.

 

[izzy3]

Playing hockey with your dad is reason good enough, and you don't try to shine in games below your skill level. I'd say continue to play with them and set the old boys up to score .

 

[rinkrat22]

not at all, as stated above, sandbagging is about playing down to make yourself look better. you are not doing that. Have fun and enjoy the time with your old man.

 

[The Devil In I]

Yea I definitely wouldn't consider that a ****** move to play with your dad. I'm doing a similar thing playing down a few levels to play with my brother, who just started playing back in January. I could get away with playing as a solid defenseman in D4 at my rink, with 1 being the highest and 8 the lowest. And I'm playing 5 + 6 with my usual teams and joined my bros team in 8.

They're a pretty damn bad team, and I just try to keep them competitive. Yet for some reason I still get **** from some players. The last game we were down 5-0 and because I had rushed the puck through their team a few times they started yapping at me and the refs that I shouldn't be in that division. Seriously...you're gonna complain that the team you're beating by 5 has a much higher division player?

 

[noobman]

No, you're just playing with your dad. That's fine... especially since you're playing simple, smart hockey. If you were running around trying to dangle everyone and putting up 10 goals a game, I'd say yeah there's a problem.

Also, is it possible that playing E division hockey with your dad may be hurting your A game in the winter?

 

[Fleuryoutside29]

I agree. As long as you're not going out and making everyone else look terrible then you're fine. Just keep going out and having fun with your dad. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[hattrick3518]

Based on your skill level, Jr. A - Beer League E, technically sandbagging it, clearly. But if your not out there trying to get a hundred points, skating circles around everyone, then I think its okay. If you just relax and pass the puck around then its really not a huge deal to me. But if your going to be dancing around everyone and pissing people off, thats when it gets chippy.

 

[Kritter471]

There are two pars of being a sandbagger. You seem to fulfill the first, which is knowingly playing below your skill level.

But you don't sound like you're doing the second, which is taking advantage of that skill discrepancy to light up teams every game to boost your ego. There's a really fine line to walk in close games when you're the most skilled player on the ice but on the team that's losing because it can get a little ridiculous even if you're just trying to keep the game close. It's just something to be aware of.

 

[BadHammy*]

There are two pars of being a sandbagger. You seem to fulfill the first, which is knowingly playing below your skill level.

But you don't sound like you're doing the second, which is taking advantage of that skill discrepancy to light up teams every game to boost your ego. There's a really fine line to walk in close games when you're the most skilled player on the ice but on the team that's losing because it can get a little ridiculous even if you're just trying to keep the game close. It's just something to be aware of.

Exactly. I doubt anyone will complain based on what you've said.

 

[SouthpawTRK]

I think that is really something special that you get to share ice time with your old man; definitely very cool to say the least.

I would say that you are a bit of a ringer/sandbagger if you are playing well below actual skill level; which sounds like you are doing.

However, I would not say that you are the stereotypical ringer/sandbagger that is making fools of the opposing team and carrying your team to consistent victories.

If you are the lead scorer on the team by a very high margin, then a lot of people are going to be giving you some grief for playing below your skill level; even if it's just because you want to play with your dad.

 

[Scott Hall]

I was going to say that's fine and all, but it also depends on how you play.

If you're very nonchalant about everything, then fine, you're doing a good job.
But if you're setting guys up (like you say you are), and the whenever you're out there the puck is 90% on your stick the whole time, and you skate through the other team as if they're not there (even if you don't get a point), it can still be considered sandbagging.

I can definitely see it from the other side like this: if there's a player that's not that good, but he's on his first breakaway, no one on your dad's team can catch him, but you catch him in a few strides and strip him of the puck. That would be disheartening to anyone playing in that low of a skill level.

All that being said, I hope you're not one of those guys.

 

[hlrsr]

20pts in 15 games in a low division in beer league is pretty reasonable for a guy playing Jr A. If, like you say, you just go out and try to make plays with your teammates, then that's cool.

I hate it when dudes skate around like they're hot **** when they don't belong in the div, but how you're playing is exactly how I think they should play.

 

[goalie29]

But if you're setting guys up (like you say you are), and the whenever you're out there the puck is 90% on your stick the whole time, and you skate through the other team as if they're not there (even if you don't get a point), it can still be considered sandbagging.

I can definitely see it from the other side like this: if there's a player that's not that good, but he's on his first breakaway, no one on your dad's team can catch him, but you catch him in a few strides and strip him of the puck. That would be disheartening to anyone playing in that low of a skill level..

These are great examples. Everyone can see the sandbaggers who scores a lot of goals, but people who do these things ruin the game just as much as the over-scorers.

We have a couple in my ladies' house league. They were told to "tone their game down", and so they do these sorts of things instead of scoring all the time.

Skating through both teams like they are all pylons, then stopping in the corner with the puck, and waiting for your team to catch up so you can send a weak pass into the middle or stepping into the middle and rifling a shot isn't "toning it down" in my opinion. And it's just as annoying, especially for the rookies (double especially for the rookie goalies).

They also think that staying back on D is better - but if they're taking away the one scoring chance a rookie gets all season because they catch them in a couple of strides from the other side of the ice, it's annoying, too.

 

[Sleepy]

If you want to play with your buddies and it's "all in fun", bring them up to your level instead of dropping down to theirs. After all, you won't mind losing at the higher level because it's all in the fun of playing with your buds, right?

 

[EmptyNetter]

The fact that you asked the question about yourself without it being chirped at you by the other team tells me you're not a sandbagger.

As somebody else mentioned it could affect your game unless you're also playing on another, more competitive team but that's a decision for you to make. On the other hand playing down could make you a more complete player -- you can work on skills and facets of your game at E level that you'd never attempt in a faster tempo game for fear of creating a breakaway for the other team.

Just wondering -- do you feel like you have to behave more than normal in playing with your dad? Seems like there would be times you'd want to cut loose, either on the ice or off. As great as it is to share the team experience with your dad you might feel the need to play away from him at times.

 

[ponder]

Personally I find it way more fun to play against players who challenge me, so I have no interest in "sandbagging" myself, but I also do not mind playing against more skilled players at all, I actually kind of enjoy it. I'd say the average player in my current beer league played roughly high school/low level rep hockey (myself included), but there's a range of skill levels on every team, most teams also have a few weak players and a few guys who played at a higher level, like Jr B or even Jr A. I don't mind playing against these guys at all, personally I embrace the challenge, even if they do embarrass me with some dirty dangles or great d every so often.

 

[mobilus]

You're not a sandbagger, you're what we call a Pink Lung, meaning:

1. Between the ages of 18-24

2. Played at least one year of Jr. hockey (Major Jr., Jr. A, or Jr. B)

3. Good speed, good stamina, hard shot, average hands

4. Was never drafted out of Jr. (see #3, average hands)

5. Pink lungs (non-abused by 10+ years of smoking)


Sandbagging does not mean being an above average player for the division. As some must be below average, some are above. Sandbagging means being able to do what you want, whenever you want. Sandbagging would be like a certain ex-first round draft pick with 10+ years in the NHL, a few years in Europe, playing B Division hockey in Toronto last winter and potting 8 goals in a game by the middle of the second period. Sandbagging is when 2/3's of an A Division team also sign up with some house league buddies for D Division so they can rack up three or four points each per game (seen it done). Sandbagging means unless I pull a Bobby Clarke to your Kharlamov ankle, there's nothing I can do to stop you. If you can't carry a team every game out, you're not sandbagging.

 

[bradm6125]

Thanks guys I figured I wasn't too bad but wanted to get a general opinion.

If you're very nonchalant about everything, then fine, you're doing a good job.
But if you're setting guys up (like you say you are), and the whenever you're out there the puck is 90% on your stick the whole time, and you skate through the other team as if they're not there (even if you don't get a point), it can still be considered sandbagging.

I can definitely see it from the other side like this: if there's a player that's not that good, but he's on his first breakaway, no one on your dad's team can catch him, but you catch him in a few strides and strip him of the puck. That would be disheartening to anyone playing in that low of a skill level.

The guys look for me obviously, but very rarely will I ever carry it zone-zone (my zone to the neutral zone). Looking at it from the other sides, I can definitely say I've broken up scoring chances, but never completely chased down a guy as hard as I could just to stop him. If someone is close enough and I can stop him I will, but like I mentioned in my OP I like to avoid attention out there so stuff like that and scoring nice goals I kinda avoid.

If you want to play with your buddies and it's "all in fun", bring them up to your level instead of dropping down to theirs. After all, you won't mind losing at the higher level because it's all in the fun of playing with your buds, right?

Playing with my dad is different, they've played together around 10 years I think and slowly made the decline from C-E level. Playing with my buddies in C is a lot more competitive for me. Playing in E probably helps me with little things like ice vision/passing/stickhandling in regards to going back to the level I play in winter.

The fact that you asked the question about yourself without it being chirped at you by the other team tells me you're not a sandbagger.

As somebody else mentioned it could affect your game unless you're also playing on another, more competitive team but that's a decision for you to make. On the other hand playing down could make you a more complete player -- you can work on skills and facets of your game at E level that you'd never attempt in a faster tempo game for fear of creating a breakaway for the other team.

Just wondering -- do you feel like you have to behave more than normal in playing with your dad? Seems like there would be times you'd want to cut loose, either on the ice or off. As great as it is to share the team experience with your dad you might feel the need to play away from him at times.

I've only had 1 team openly dislike me and chirp me, I had a goal and an assist and got hauled down on a half breakaway. In my mind I was hoping it was just a penalty and not a penalty shot but of course he gave me a penalty shot. Pretty sure every guy on the bench was calling me superstar or crosby, so needless to say when I didnt score they really enjoyed that. I gave the ref a hard time (jokingly) about the call .

As for playing with my dad, its awesome and the best bonding we've ever experienced. When the beers came out and I was under 19 he'd look the other way if I had one, he treats me just like any of his other buddies when were at the rink pretty much and its awesome. I hope I could have the opportunity to experience it if i have a son when the time comes from the other perspective as well.

I like the reference to the Pink Lung lol sounds alot more suitable.