Depends on the skill level of your kid, usually between 200-250, but there will be several kids on each team that are playing for free.

Unless it is a tourney populated with high end Elite FED kids probably not worth it, lots of junk out there. Try to find out where all the top players are headed and try to catch on with a team.

If you are going to shell out a bunch of cash over the summer you want to play with good players in good tournaments. You don't want to spend your summer with a bunch of BHL or E9 ham and eggers,

#fedelite4life

You do realize that even the parents with kids in the EHF think you're an a-hole at this stage?

Grow up.

$250 is probably correct on the high end (although who knows these days?), some tournaments will be less than $200. Probably not that many any more. The $350 guy must be including his beer tab at NESC.

My kid has played in a lot of spring and summer tournaments, looks forward to every one of them. New experiences, new kids, new opportunities. They have played a big part of his development as it sometimes gives him the chance to play with some players better than he was at that time (the ones the prior poster mentioned are playing for free), against some really good teams - out of area teams notoriously select tournaments that feel they have a good chance of winning. Other times, it gave him ta chance to be a leader, when the team turned out to not be strong. Sure, some clunkers along the way - bad teams or badly run/coached teams. But hey, that's a life lesson in itself, right? He's also had some good coaches that have become good networking contacts.

I will say that we've learned that the refereeing is pretty universally awful in the summer. No league accountability, too many guys just there for the check. Definitely takes a big chunk out of the equation. Poorly refereed games can get out of control, so there is greater risk of injury in summer games. Would suck to have your kid miss a good chunk of the regular season to some stick swinging Newfie.

No, he didn't burn out, just the opposite. He hates baseball and LAX. There are 21 weekends from April to September.

If your son can't hit a baseball or catch a lacrosse ball and does nothing but hockey, have at it. Better to have them engaged in something in the summer rather than sitting on the couch, eating cheese curls and playing video games. Just be forewarned that kids that don't have the athletic abilities or the competitive drive to try and excel in other sports, rarely have the necessary talent or desire to excel on the hockey rink either, so you're probably just throwing good money after bad if you have expectations of playing time in high school or beyond.

Because everyone knows those are the only two sports other than hockey.

Don't pretend you know anything about other people's kids and what makes them tick. It makes you look really dumb.

There are other activities but baseball and lax provide the best conditioning and coordination relating to hockey.

No, they don't. Not even close. In terms of coordination LAX is largely redundant to hockey, and is the wrong kind of running. Baseball provides extremely little in the way of conditioning. Hockey players lose conditioning over the course of a baseball season.

But, you keep telling yourself that you're always right.

My, my, aren't we defensive today. Please tell me where I said or even gave the indiction that I'm always right? I just expressed an opinion that I happen to believe but I welcome other points of view.

Perhaps you could share what activities will help hockey players in the off season? I'm always willing to learn.

Notice the "kids that don't have the athletic abilities or the competitive drive to try and excel in other sports" there swifty. There are plenty of other sports...soccer,football,golf, tennis, track & field, rugby...baseball and lacrosse just happen to be the predominant spring sports. The fact of the matter is that if your kid has limited athletic ability and no real drive to try and compete, the likelihood they'll succeed on the hockey rink in high school or beyond is slim to none, so plan accordingly. Like it or not, the nature/nurture thing is real. What makes you look dumb is not being realistic about your own kids capabilities. That's your job as a parent. Once you hit high school, someone else will be making those decisions for you, so enjoy it while you can.

In our local high school the varsity hockey players pretty much all play lax or baseball in the spring. A few might play soccer. I would venture to say none of them run track or play on the golf team. I don't imagine it's much different in most local high schools. Competitive, driven kids play competitive sports.

Haha, that's one of the funnier posts I've seen in a while. "Because it is what I know, it must mean that the entire world is the same."

And, let's model our kids' training after the habits of a public HS hockey team. Because we all know what great hockey is being played in the average MIAA program right now.

Good luck on your guaranteed recipe for a future D1 scholarship while looking down on all the pleebs.

My kid only wants to play hockey , however he does run track in the spring , his love is hockey , however in all honesty he has a better chance at a track scholarship than hockey ......

Put the scholarship talk aside. It's a pipe dream for most kids in any sport. Not getting money to play a college sport doesn't make your kid a failure. It's the norm. With that said, there are a ton of non scholarship track & field, soccer, football, baseball, lacrosse (name the sport here)...spots available at countless colleges through out the country if kids want to put the work in and try to continue their athletic endeavors after high school. I get it, every kid that plays youth hockey wants to play at BC or BU and then go on to the NHL. What I don't get is why every youth hockey parent in the state thinks it's their kids God given right to get that hockey scholarship, and then proceed to the NHL without passing go. It's totally bizarre and irrational behavior. If your kid is consistently dominating his peers as a higher level Bantam player, continues that dominance as a Freshman and Sophomore varsity high school/prep player with kids that are now older, and gets invited to the USHL combine, than you clearly want to think about specialization. Until then, keep it real. I'm pretty sure your kids will thank you for it later.

Quote:

Put the scholarship talk aside. It's a pipe dream for most kids in any sport. Not getting money to play a college sport doesn't make your kid a failure. It's the norm. With that said, there are a ton of non scholarship track & field, soccer, football, baseball, lacrosse (name the sport here)...spots available at countless colleges through out the country if kids want to put the work in and try to continue their athletic endeavors after high school. I get it, every kid that plays youth hockey wants to play at BC or BU and then go on to the NHL. What I don't get is why every youth hockey parent in the state thinks it's their kids God given right to get that hockey scholarship, and then proceed to the NHL without passing go. It's totally bizarre and irrational behavior. If your kid is consistently dominating his peers as a higher level Bantam player, continues that dominance as a Freshman and Sophomore varsity high school/prep player with kids that are now older, and gets invited to the USHL combine, than you clearly want to think about specialization. Until then, keep it real. I'm pretty sure your kids will thank you for it later.



I'm guessing your kid was invited to the USHL combine?

A lot of the spring / summer tournaments are for daddy coaches to finance their apring / summer family vacations.

So the guy gives a measured and rational response to the thread, and all you got is a mindless jab at his kid? Come on man, you can do better than that.

That was not a mindless jab at all. Actually it wasn't really much of a jab!

What you will see on this board ad nausem are parents who will make statements like this but in truth are chasing the same dream. More times than not though their kid has had some success and now they are able to make these lofty statements from their tower. My best guess is his kid has been invited to the USHL combine and therefore is now credible to offer up his advice. How about , you need to make a USHL roster and play 60% of the games. No make that 80% of the games than it is ok to chase it.

Dude, I hope his kid makes it. I hope your kid makes it. I like to see kids succeed, especially those ones who are good kids, dedicated, hard working, etc. What I don't like are elitists!

So the question begs Tower guy, did your kid get invited to the USHL combine?

OK maybe you're right. I assumed it was a snide retort. Let's see who is right and if Tower Guy responds.

Apparently some people will just never get it. I give up!

Do they have hockey in western ma? Your kid is good, really good, are you sure?

Don't be too flattered by the invitation. They are asking you because they know you will pay. That's the sole prerequisite, talent secondary.

so your kid got asked but you didnt want to waste your time and $??? Instead your boy sits home while you troll on the dboard... lucky him!!