A few weeks ago Stacy sent us a question regarding the right age for travel hockey. President and Director of the New England Hockey Institute, Dennis Chighisola provided some excellent expert advice on the subject. In this article, Stacy follows up with an additional question, regarding the best level of play for her son in a travel team setting.
Question: I am the Stacy that asked the question regarding the right age for travel hockey. I have one more – is there a level of play that I should consider for my son on a travel team (i.e. should he be the best skater or in the top 5 skaters on his house team, or is it enough that he skates well, is dependable in his level of play, is very coachable, and has a desire to learn)?
We are having our son “try out” for a B tier team in the fall which includes two practices per week plus one game and an occasional tournament and the coach has a great resume as well. This fits our lifestyle and gets our son more playing/practice experience without turning hockey into our “lifestyle”. What do you think? Thanks!!
Answer: To begin, I think it very important what you sense about your son’s interest. I know “competitiveness” was previously a concern of yours, but you’d be better able to get a handle on whether he’d enjoy more hockey, and perhaps a little more prodding by a coach to improve his game. I think you have pretty much answered that in noting that he appears “…very coachable, and has a desire to learn…”
At the same time, I wouldn’t put too much stock in your son’s current physical abilities within the house team (typically, this isn’t the best atmosphere to fairly evaluate any youngster’s game-playing capabilities). Actually this is what your son’s fall tryouts will be about. Your first goal is that he make the team. After that, most kids who are passionate about the sport usually want to become “…the best skater, or in the top 5 skaters on the team…”
Additionally, the lifestyle component you mention is very important. Hoping your boy makes the “B” team, it will be important that it fits your family’s wants and needs. However, any experienced hockey folks are going to chuckle a bit when I say, expect your hockey interests to change over the years. Some parents will find their youngsters lose interest, while many others will see them getting great enjoyment from their rink experiences. So, I guess I am just saying to be ready to rethink things as time goes along.
A few final points…
You and your son are fortunate in that you have over three months to prepare for those tryouts. My suggestion is to use that time wisely.
I also hope there is an alternative should your son not make that “B” team. As I suggested previously, a “C” team isn’t a bad place for a new travel team kid to get his or her feet wet. And, because travel teams usually practice more than a house league team, anything at the travel level is a better choice when it comes to long-term development.
All this said, I don’t want anyone to get the wrong impression when it comes to my feelings about house league programs. I think they are an awesome alternative for kids who just want to play a little or for kids not looking to make a top-tier high school team someday.
Editor’s Note: Thank you to Dennis Chighisola (Coach Chic) for his valuable input on this question.
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