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by Lance Pitlick, Team Sweet Hockey.

Over the last several years, I’ve been asked by a number of parents if their son/daughter should move up to the next level, a year or two early? The common concern, of the parents, is that their young prodigy is not going to develop or get challenged at their current level. There are no studies that I know of, that show a player falling behind or accelerating in development by staying at their current level or moving to a higher level of play. However, I’d like to share my thoughts on the topic.

I’ve been around hockey all my life and have been fortunate to play with and against some of the best players in the world. Since retiring from the NHL, I’ve been heavily involved with coaching and training youth hockey players, some of which have been very talented. Could have some of these players moved up and done fine at the next level? Absolutely, but at what cost?

Every player is different in this situation when considering the option of moving up a level. From what I have witnessed, the size and policies of the association normally dictate the outcomes? In smaller associations, the move-up policy may be different than a larger one, because of low numbers. In this situation, I’m all for moving the top players up to the next level. If you really think about it from a macro level, taking the top kids out of the loop gives less experienced players more puck touches and the ability to handle the puck and make plays. But I will say this, I’ve never been asked by one of the players,”Hey coach, I think I’m pretty good – should I move up a level?” Enough said.

Regardless what your situations is, I feel it’s important to play with one’s buddies at least until 8-9 years old. From that point on, at Squirt, Peewees or Bantams, they will always be playing with kids who are a year or two older. Remember, they are only young for a short time and friends are huge at those ages. If your kid is really as good as you think they are – fundamentally sound skater, handles the puck at a high level, see’s the ice well and makes tape to tape passes and a solid work ethic, you will not have to worry about what level he/she plays at. The cream always rises to the top. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.

Lastly, if you think your kid needs more training, today’s hockey player has a number of different options available to them. Most rinks have a local skating/skills instructor that offers before school training. These types of clinics are very beneficial if the instructor knows what he/she is doing. I’d only recommend this option if the player is willing to get up early, and is excited to do so. There are also a number of off-ice training facilities all over North America. Some have skating treadmills/ramp, stick handling/shooting training and agility/strength training. The last option is to setup a small area in your home or garage for your son/daughter to stickhandle and shoot. All of these options are there for the kid who is really into the game and has the passion to get better.

In closing, no matter how bad the parent wants their kid to improve and give their child every opportunity to succeed, it comes down to what the hockey player wants. Self- motivation, off-ice dedication will lead to on-ice success. Thanks for reading, and as always, “Have a SweetHockey.com Day!!