my son is currently playing on a 1/2 season team and would be interested in hooking up with a U14 full season team. we live in the greater boston area and could play for a team North, West or South of Boston. Any info on a team with good coaching that might have a spot open after Thanksgiving for a forward would be greatly appreciated.

thanks in advance!!!

I honestly wouldn’t worry about it now. Come late November there will be plenty of spots open on all the teams.

Find a u15 full season option, better for a good 04

Did you not realize A) your kid is in 8th Grade and B) the team you signed up for was 1/2 season?

Now you're left with scraps.

That is pretty jerky even for this board. Guy came here looking for help. This is a chance for d-board posters to be usefull and provide assistance and maybe rebuild our reputation as a valuable service for youth hockey families. But you have to go blow it with that post.

Btw. Next month we have to re-evaluate best and worst rink bathrooms in New england. See if any of these rink owners took our valuable advice.

Haha, you can't rebuild something you never had. This site is for entertainment purposes with an occasional nugget of advice thrown in.

But please be sure to condescend to every single sarcastic response you see on these boards.

The Best and Worst bathroom is one in the same; Pilgrim. It is the worst because of its smell and it is the best because the bathroom smells better then the rest of the rink and provides a respite from that deplorable smell

U15 full season is for kids who can’t make D3 varsity.

...or can't handle U16.

Pay no attention to the ignorant hockey folks. The local u15 options are a great alternative for younger kids who don’t want to deal with the u14 mess of a year. It’s pricier but the commitment level is way higher and amount of ice/practices/games way more. Most 04’s not ready for U16s.

Look at Islanders, Advantage and Cyclones to start. All will travel to Midwest for good tourneys.

What level is he playing at what league...

Independent National bound 1/2 season Team playing local showcase tournaments

04 Militia???

As someone posted you will have options. Reach out now, reach out in November, probably doesn't matter much in the long run as we're only talking a few weeks difference. If a team is full, coach will tell you he's not interested and suddenly he'll be reaching out to you after Thanksgiving as the players/families make their choices. U14 full season is my least favorite time of year.

In my experience you will be surprised at what programs end up with openings.

Best of luck

As stated earlier, you'll have lots of options after Turkey Day as there are always kids that commited to a full season program that end up making a varsity team. Chances are you'll have some choices, not just scraps. My advice, reach out to a few coaches come November and let them know you are around and you would be interested if things "happen" after high school tryouts.

The best full season U14 programs have kids that have already made their decision around whether they will leave to play Varsity HS hockey - they won't, because they know it sucks. if they are leaving, then aren't playing FS. Or they will play both.

Then you have the kids that are in Prep School - they already know whether they are on varsity or not, and didn't sign up for FS U14 if they were recruited. Or they will play both.

So, what you are left with are kids that surprisingly make Varsity as Freshmen or 8th Graders and think that, somehow, that's an achievement when it actually speaks volumes about the quality of the program. More likely, their parents want to brag about Johnny playing Varsity at 14 (but more accurately taking occasional shifts). The aren't playing solid FS U14 teams. More likely Tier 1 EHF or whatever Elite/BHL is calling their second tier U14s this year.

In other words, scraps.

i would recommend reaching out to several programs now as u never know at this age

Usually the best U14 players are playing half season for a natty team than prep or playing up on U16 team so they can showcase themselves for Prep. Don't worry, keep writing out those checks until U20 thinking that he's just a late bloomer, playing in front of 10's of people and justifying the costs on his need for development. It will jump him from Adult C to Adult B when it wraps up so it was totally worth it.