AA vs AAA Hockey Question?

Question

I have a 13 year old that has to make the decision to play AA or AAA hockey this coming 2011-2012 season.
Playing AAA hockey in south is very expensive, due to lengths of traveling to different parts of US and Canada.
Do boys at this age, have to play AAA hockey to succeed in hockey? You get caught up in all this hockey stuff, if you don’t do this camp, or don’t do this, you will never move up to another level. It get over whelming at this point.Or the old saying, if you are good enough, they will find you? No matter where you play?
Playing the AAA level in the south, means you play with boys you don’t know, and you lose the “comfort” level you had by playing with boys you have grown up playing with.
One day, when he is 17-18 years old, and goes to Elite Type camps, where College and Junior scouts are, will they look and see where he has played? And mention he didn’t have any AAA experience, so, he gets over looked?
He has friends that, their parents sent them away, to play on Elite AAA teams, even at 13-14 years old to states in the Mid-West and so forth.
He wants to succeed at hockey, and maybe play one day in College. But trying to put him on the right page, without going broke doing it. He is an awesome skater, with good skills, but no elite by no means, and has played AA hockey last year. And so, this years AAA level would cost around 10,000-12,000. Just doing some homework prior to making a huge commitment for something he might be able to do without. Don’t get me wrong, he wants to do this, but at this age, is it truly worth it?I sure it would help big time, playing with Elite players, but have noticed that there are several AA players that are better than a lot of AAA players, but there parents could not afforded to do AAA.
Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated from players, parents, coaches etc.

Thank you for your time,

Ron

Answer 1

You don't HAVE to play AAA to make it somewhere in hockey, but playing AAA in bantam is the highest level at the 13-14 age, so that means scouts will be watching. I just finished my last year bantam as a AA goalie, and it was a great experience. You need to at least play AA to go somewhere in hockey, even if it's junior B. Now my brother has played AA all his life as a goalie, and just finished his last year midget, getting the best goaltender of the year award. He has gone to some junior A and B camps, and right now has two junior A main camp invites, and was rated one the best at junior B spring camp. So you don't need to play AAA, but it would greatly help you. Unless you don't want to put in all the extra work of getting better while playing AA ( More work due to harder to get spotted by scouts) then try AAA ( Unless your broke). Who knows what will happen, but it's always worth a try.

Answer 2

I'm from the Mid-West, where hockey may be a bit more exposed. There area I live in though however isn't that abundant with hockey so I had to take what I could get. I never played for a AAA team, AA was the highest I played. I had the talent there just wasn't the opportunity by me. I'm 17 now, and I'm playing for a Junior A team, I'm also a defenseman. The way I kept myself exposed and to keep my talent up to the AAA level was by going to showcases.



AAA isn't needed to go somewhere but yes it does help. More scouts will be there to watch the game, and you're always going to be tested by top tier players. I made it through the AA route, so I don't think it's a bad way to go. Not everyone has money.

Answer 3

What Is Aaa Hockey

Answer 4

If your city has a AAA team then tell him to go for it, that way he'll improve faster. If he is still in AAA by age 17 then he will know he has what it takes to play juniors.

Answer 5

ive played aaa overated hardly better then aa