My kid is a low level elite but has an offer from an elite team. The coach seems to run a pretty poor practice and we dont get the feeling that he knows hockey. Diff program same league the T1 Coach offered us a spot. Practices have looked very good and coach seems like he knows hockey and has good personality. Do we go with a year at elite and take a chance on a unknown coach or go with T1 and a coach who is legit.
There isn’t any good coach that can do magic for your kid. Genetics plays the major role here. What parents can do is to find a good fit where the kid will work hard, and make sure it will be fun for both the kid and family. Try to get educated about the process and make necessary investments in skills to help the kid get better. Every family has their unique situation. What works for a stud player may not work for an average bender. My kid has played for town, select, and elite team coaches. If he stayed with the best coach, he would be only playing on bottom town teams, but he definitely enjoys hockey more as he moves up the ladder.
Good and bad coaches everywhere, every level, every league. For a mite maj through squirts find a team that is balanced from top to bottom with a shorter roster. Look for a coach that makes kids learn all positions, isn’t soft, runs a good practice and has some hockey background. Stay away from coaches that are all about wins. Stay away from coaches that favor the better kids with double shifts lol
Yikes with this thread! Coach is important. Just as important as SKILLS for a mite. Wouldn’t be concerned with the level. In response to the BB comment, as a bandits parent, I’ve seen great individual player progress with a lot of bandits mite major kids who also love the sport. Going to practice and skills is where development happens. Doesn’t matter if a team has had a losing year. Go with your gut and where your kid will develop best and love hockey!
Don’t worry about the level. Have your kid play where he/she is most comfortable. That means with the coach, kids on the team, and the parents. Just make sure your kid is having fun. You would rather have your kid be at top of the roster on a tier 1 team than the bottom of the roster on an elite team. It will be better for you and your kid for the long term.
This is good advice. To go from a good situation with coaches and teammates to one where the level is higher but the coach turns into a douche and or the teammates don’t click will make for a painful season of regret.
Try to be open minded, you could be biased if you only had limited interaction with a coach and how he runs practices and games. In the end, go with your gut feeling and make the best out of whatever you may experience. Your 7/8 year old is already ahead of most kids of the same age, so as long as he is being pushed and have fun, it doesn't really matter much if he goes to elite or T1. He will eventually be playing at his level.
Not sure why this is even a question. You can’t be concerned with “level” at mite and squirt. Find the program that is offering the better coach and go with them.