AAA vs. AA

 

Wow those A’s, All of them, create a lot of confusion and nonsense where it need not be. The concept of AAA hockey was designed similar to that of the classification system in High School Sports. The larger the population the more A’s. That doesn’t quite work for our area because we haven’t been geographic in a long time. Many of the hockey people in our area have gotten away from what AAA was designed to achieve and created a falsity about the letters.   In all actuality, go to USA Hockey and search for information about AAA. I am not certain you will find much. In fact, you will find information about the American Development Model- take some time to read that. You will realize that the emphasis is on development. 

There are very few teams that have the ability to play AAA Hockey competitively in N. America, in Western NY. Triple A is more about perception. Recruitment is the mission not development. However, with that being said the 96’ team out of the Alliance is one team that has worked to build and develop a group of players over 3 -4 years, that have earned their successes as they head to the National tournament as NY State Pee Wee Majors Champions.   

Successful Programs:

Take a look at the Minnesota Youth Hockey Structure. There is no travel program until the Pee Wee age level. They focus on fundamental development at the younger ages.  At the older levels the programs are community based. I witnessed the Minnesota High School Championship tournament, and saw first hand the results of a well structured program with emphasis on development.    

 

Michigan has 5 Triple AAA programs for the whole state!!!! Population of Michigan is 10 Million. Western NY has 5 organizations in a 75 mile radius. Take a look at

My Hockey Rankings.com at least 1 team at each AAA level Top 5 is from Michigan.

 

Take the A’s out of the decision-

 

#1- Ask your self- Will my player receive the development that will give them the foundation to play at the next level. The next level for 95% is High School? In my own experiences I have seen Teams win High School Titles with the majority of players coming from House and AA Travel.

 

#2- Almost as important- will my player have qualified coaching that will not only prepare them for the next level but prepare them for other life experiences? Look around our area? How qualified are some of these AAA Coaches? Does the program offer Coaching Development and assistance? Actually what qualifies a person to be a good coach? How is the interaction between the coach and players? If you have a Parent Coach, is it just that or is it a coach that has a player on the team? When that person steps on the ice are they a coach or a dad with a whistle? 

 

3#- How far do I want to travel, and does my checkbook have a bottom? In other words- do I want to go to Chicago or does the Toronto area work for some good hockey?

 

The Red Wings Alumni Page is a clear indication that with an emphasis on development and training success can be achieved.

 

AAA, AA, and House – none of these letters will guarantee a spot on a High School Team or Junior Team for your player. What does play a role is the determination and drive your player has developed through training and proper coaching as a youth hockey player.