We don't really discuss this much but mark my words, this is going to be a HUGE PROBLEM with the over-all health of the game....a good piece by Topher Scott....
So this topic does come up from time to time. As a parent of two kids in hockey, I have some thoughts...
First of all there are two different questions - the "cost of hockey" versus "cost of elite hockey". I think hockey has a lot of benefits to kids - learning lessons of hard work, dedication, teamwork. The physical benefits of playing a physical game (more so than baseball or soccer I think). So I do think as a society we should make sure hockey is affordable.
So we should always be concerned just about the "cost of hockey". But in my experience, if you just want your kid to play hockey - on a one practice, one game per week schedule - the cost is not bad at all. I have a third kid who doesn't play hockey, but instead does martial arts. The cost for him is the same as for a "basic" hockey program.
For those parents who can't afford basic hockey - there are programs as well. Groups will help pay for fees. You can buy used equipment, and even then lots of parents will often help out with hand-me-downs.
So you get all the benefits I mentioned above from "basic" hockey.
But then there's the cost of "elite" hockey. Tier 1, AA/AAA, whatever it gets called. It is definitely way, way more than "basic" hockey.
So there - do we have as much concern as a society? How much does it matter if the top programs can cost $30k per year, which is more than some people might make in an entire year?
I mean personally I don't like it. My family makes sacrifices to put our kids through hockey. We probably spend more than some people think is smart (I'm pretty sure my oldest kid cost us about $10k for this season). But there are things my kid would love to do that we just can't afford - or we're not willing to make the even bigger sacrifices / take on debt to be able to afford.
But does that affect his hockey career? Well probably. If we could put him into an elite hockey academy he'd have a better shot at making it at even higher levels. So is that fair? And if it isn't fair - what do you do about it?
So I think a lot of it boils down to "life isn't fair".
Admission to elite universities heavily favours the rich and powerful. You can do the right extra-curriculars, go to the right prep schools (which cost money). Even if you do get admitted, the tuition for Harvard is (holy shit!) $76k US. Not total - per year. (does include room and board). Even if my kid could get admitted I could never afford to send him.
Back to hockey - you can't prevent a parent from putting their kid into power skating, or spring hockey, or sending them to a physical trainer or nutritionist - all of which has small but real benefits. If you can't afford to do so - well your kid is at a small but real disadvantage.
Not that I think the hockey world should be unconcerned about cost. I get a little bit worked up about some of the fees in hockey that have nothing to do with on-ice performance. Why do we need to pay for a bunch of "swag"? Why do they need matching track suits for a team that'll last 6 months? Why do we need to buy a suit that my kid will wear to the game and promptly take off?
I think hockey coaches and managers should have a hard look at those kind of expenses, and be sympathetic that even if the majority of parents can afford these things, that it is a barrier to entry to some who can't.
And the biggest expense - travel! Now this is going to depend on ability and how popular hockey is in your area. But to go back to the article
@Corso posted a bunch of U9s don't need to travel and be spending night in hotels to find quality opponents. Or if you do need to travel you can travel closer to home. I'm okay with the "out of town tournament experience" - it's always a highlight of the year. But you're paying for the experience - not hockey development.
Finally - does this mean that the hockey world is missing out on the next Gordie Howe - some farm kid who was a freak of nature? Maybe yes. But then what are you going to do about it? From a Hockey Canada perspective there probably are some tinkering they could do to develop top-end talent (I'm curious about a Canadian National Development Team) but it certainly isn't worthwhile to start offering free or subsidized power skating to tens of thousands of kids across Canada.
thehockeythinktank.com
