Placement in single letters whether A, B, C, or beyond should never be seen as an indictment of a child’s ability, effort, or a reflection on their parents. Levels are not permanent labels. They are simply a snapshot of a player’s skill set at a specific point in time. Children grow, develop, and progress at different speeds. What matters most is not where they start, but how they continue to work, learn, and embrace the game.
So why do we have levels? Because they make the sport better for everyone.
* Fairness Across the League: Levels ensure that players are grouped with others at a similar stage, preventing imbalances where one team dominates and another struggles. This creates a level playing field.
* Parity Creates Fun: Balanced teams lead to competitive games where every player has a chance to contribute. That parity makes hockey exciting, meaningful, and fun for kids and parents alike.
* Skill Development: Proper placement allows players to grow at the right pace. Too high a level can overwhelm a child, while too low may hold them back. Levels create the right environment for confidence, growth, and a genuine love of the game.
At the end of the day, levels aren’t about defining a child—they’re about creating fairness, fun, and the opportunity for every player to succeed and build lifelong memories at the rink.
What Every Hockey Association Should Provide
Beyond fair placement, hockey associations themselves have a responsibility to set the conditions for growth. A well run association isn’t just about ice times and tournaments, it’s about vision, structure, and development.
* Ice Time Above the Minimum: The most valuable resource in hockey is ice time. While minimums may satisfy requirements, true development comes from offering more. Even if modest fees are associated with this extra time, it should be built into the association’s overall player development philosophy.
* A Seasoned Hockey Professional: Associations need experienced leadership overseeing hockey operations. This professional ensures fairness, consistency, and a structured development plan that benefits every player across the organization.
* Qualified Coaches Who Follow the Plan: Coaches, whether volunteer or paid, must be both qualified and committed to following the development framework set by hockey operations. Consistency across teams ensures every child gets the same high-quality experience.
* Coaching Clinics and Support: Associations must invest in training for coaches. Well prepared coaches create well prepared players and ultimately a stronger, more positive hockey culture.
The One Question We Stopped Asking
In all the talk about levels, ice times, and development plans, we sometimes forget the most important question of all:
Do you love playing organized hockey?
This simple question cuts to the heart of what sport is supposed to be. Hockey is a game, Canada’s game, yes, but still a game. And at its best, sport is about joy, belonging, and passion. Without love for the game, all the extra hours, practices, and expectations mean very little.
What Does It Mean to Love a Sport?
To love a sport is to feel excitement at the sound of skates cutting into fresh ice. It’s to laugh with teammates in the locker room after a hard practice. It’s to want to play, not because you have to, but because you can’t imagine doing anything else.
When kids love hockey, they don’t see training as a burden. They see it as part of their story, their growth, their fun.
Beyond Organized Play
It’s worth remembering that hockey doesn’t begin and end with organized leagues. There’s pond hockey, shinny at the local rink, and ball hockey on the street. These unstructured versions of the game are often where love is born, free, creative, and joyful.
The Psycho-Educational Benefits
When love is present, hockey becomes more than sport, it becomes education. It teaches resilience, teamwork, discipline, and emotional intelligence. It helps children grow into strong, confident, well rounded individuals.
When Love Is Missing
But when a child does not love hockey, or worse, when they are pressured to play, the rink can become a place of stress, anxiety, or resentment. Forcing a child into a sport they do not enjoy can damage their confidence, self worth, and even their long-term relationship with physical activity.
The Bigger Picture
When levels are respected as fair and flexible, when associations provide the structure kids need, and when love for the game is kept at the center, hockey becomes more than a sport. It becomes a place of growth, confidence, teamwork, and lasting joy.
At the end of the day, the greatest measure of success isn’t the level a child plays at or the number of trophies on a shelf. It’s whether, when asked the question, Do you love playing hockey? the answer is a confident and joyful yes.
Author: Geremy Miller