If your kid 19 or 20 years old he has had at least 10 years to prove himself in this game. If he is now a tier 3 hockey player then nobody wants him, plain and simple. My son was in the same boat, played a year of Tier 3 Juniors and had the option of going to a few MASCAC schools to be rostered OR go to a real college and start his life. He is now where the sun shines everyday and still plays 4 days per week with club. Time to grow up fella's.

Club Hockey guy again chirping in, thinks his kid is playing college hockey. It's travel intramurals that charges a gate.

I see these messages about "Just go to School" all the time. Or your kids plays Double A so give up the dream. Let's say you have a kid that played at a Prep School, or a 18U team or High School hockey and he wants to continue to play hockey why not just let them if you can afford it?

I understand everyone thinking Tier 3 is a money grab. But what if, I know this is crazy, your kid has fun playing hockey and wants to keep it going as long as he can in a non men's league setting? What is wrong with being the 14th Forward on a D3 team, or the 9th on a Club hockey team? What if that helps keep them motivated in school? What if they, I don't know, just like playing hockey?

Who cares if you graduate at 22 or 25? Does it really matter? I mean we all work for the rest of our lives and I don't know many people that knew what they wanted to be at 22 or 25. I don't know many people that would be in a different place if they graduated school at 22, 23, 24 or 25.

The dream for a lot of kids is to play college hockey. The dream of a lot of parents it to play pro hockey or Division 1 hockey. College hockey is fun. The locker room, the bus trips, the workouts, the wins, the losses. Does it stink to get scratched? Sure. Does everything in life always go your way? I sure hope so but I doubt it.

I understand people thinking it's not "normal" to graduate after 22. But 30 years ago people were getting married at 22, 23. Now they are getting married later. People are buying houses later. People are switching jobs and going back to school.

Now I don't think junior hockey is for everyone but I don't understand why everyone is so up in arms about a kid deciding to play junior hockey (no matter the level) aging out and then going to college. Even if it's club hockey, or not playing hockey at the next level at all and just picking up a trade. I have never thought "thank goodness I got done with school at 22 and got started working". I also don't work in the same industry I did at 22 and know very very few people that do.

I get this is a bit of a ramble but I really just can't understand telling kid that isn't yours to give up the dream when you in fact have no idea what their dream actually is. If it is your child then you can make help them make the decision that is best for them and your family. If you won't fund it let them work and see if they like that, if they don't they can go to school.