A vote by Waterloo parents put the kibosh on a plan to unite elite AAA bantam and midget hockey in the Twin Cities, according to the Waterloo Region Record.
The plan was to reduce the number of AAA players and place teams until the tutelage of the Major Junior Kitchener Rangers. It was a brilliant and forward-thinking way to focus on developing the most skilled athletes at an earlier age and give K-W a reasonable chance to play with the big boys of Southern Ontario minor hockey - Toronto, London Junior Knights and Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs.
Alas, most Waterloo parents elected for have more "AAA" spots available for local kids and, quite understandably, the community pride of fielding totally local AAA teams.
Truth is, just because a player is given a spot on an AAA team doesn't mean he is truly AAA calibre.
And a merger like this one doesn't mean kids are drummed out of hockey. Cities of Waterloo's size have the right level of hockey for everyone.
The original decision of the Waterloo minor hockey board was the correct one. AAA players at the bantam and midget level should be aiming for Jr. B, provincial A or Major Junior hockey by the time they are 16. The proposed, and now rejected, reorganization in K-W would've helped them get there.
The plan was to reduce the number of AAA players and place teams until the tutelage of the Major Junior Kitchener Rangers. It was a brilliant and forward-thinking way to focus on developing the most skilled athletes at an earlier age and give K-W a reasonable chance to play with the big boys of Southern Ontario minor hockey - Toronto, London Junior Knights and Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs.
Alas, most Waterloo parents elected for have more "AAA" spots available for local kids and, quite understandably, the community pride of fielding totally local AAA teams.
Truth is, just because a player is given a spot on an AAA team doesn't mean he is truly AAA calibre.
And a merger like this one doesn't mean kids are drummed out of hockey. Cities of Waterloo's size have the right level of hockey for everyone.
The original decision of the Waterloo minor hockey board was the correct one. AAA players at the bantam and midget level should be aiming for Jr. B, provincial A or Major Junior hockey by the time they are 16. The proposed, and now rejected, reorganization in K-W would've helped them get there.
I disagree. 1 AAA team for a city that size (K-W) isn't enough. London should have 2 AAA teams at all levels. Expose more kids to that level of hockey and they will improve their chances. Too much emphasis is on winning and not developing players. The whole Forest City MD league having to play in a AA loop is a joke. Most AA players are MD level players whose parents are pushing for more.
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