SHOULD AAA HOCKEY BE SEPERATED FROM USA HOCKEY'S YOUTH COUNCIL? Should we separate the AAA hockey from the control freaks that mismanage the youth level of play?

I can’t be the only one that feels USA Hockey’s AAA level of youth hockey is a complete disaster. Yes, the primary feeder system for the junior and national team programs is more dysfunctional than Washington D.C.

If you take a step back and look at what’s happened to the level of play, it’s as if someone from a rival country purposely sabotaged the system. We now limit access to the most important developmental level to the chosen few families who can afford to shell out close to six-figures for the remote chance at a five-figure discount for college.

When did our country’s hockey folks get so dumb? How did we go from making sure every player that wanted to play could to programs requiring a minimum credit score to ensure families can actually cover the ridiculous cost to play AAA.

Job one would be to dump the 18s from AAA all together. It was a dumb idea that’s proven to be more and more ridiculous every season. Let’s be realistic; all the good players are already in free-to-play junior hockey anyway. 18s that need another year of midget hockey will be more than welcome at the AA levels.

The next major change would be to eliminate the insanity of teams having to jump on an airliner every other weekend. The costs are outrageously out of control just for a chance to play teams that think they are better than what they really are anyway.

The new AAA Council would divide levels into five single birthyear groups. For example, this year we would have 2006 through 2010.

Teams (not clubs) could form anywhere within one of eight geographically formed districts. Teams would be allowed to participate in a single pre-season tournament within their home district. The district scheduler must attempt to create a balanced game schedule that always takes academic impacts into consideration. Each team would play a minimum of 50 games within the district between September 1st and April 1st. The only allowable game days are Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Federal Holidays.

Teams must dress a minimum of seventeen and roster (and protect) a maximum of twenty players from the birth-year. Up to five players can be placed on a 30-day injury reserve. Players are automatically declared free agents if dropped from the protected list and on June 1st of every year. Teams should have a minimum of three on-ice practice sessions per week. Players that miss practices are ineligible for the next games.

Coaches cannot follow teams up the age-group ladder.

At the end of the season, every team that desires to enter the single elimination District and National Championship Tournament may do so.

Yes, that’s a good start. And initially, there will be a ton of pretenders jumping into the mix. But here’s what will happen; the market will correct itself. Like college sports, the players will flow to coaches that have proven to be successful at development. That success will be measured not by the championships won by his teams, but by the success of each player that moves up the ladder.

Let us know what YOU think.