A Chip on Your Shoulder

I am sorry if your daughter lost a roster spot to a Midget aged girl with scholarship aspirations. Like it or not, the PWHL is primarily oriented towards helping girls achieve their goals of moving up to play university hockey in Canada or the US.

While some truly Intermediate-aged girls (especially those already pursuing post-secondary programs) have been very strong, mature role models and valuable leaders on various PWHL teams, I have unfortunately seen and heard of many more cases where their influence on their respective teams has been more negative: without such hockey/educational aspirations, their commitment to the necessary work ethic was weaker, their level of hockey interest and drive primarily social, and their passion for off-ice partying more pronounced. Such attitudes can easily spread within a team, and are perhaps more suited to Int A or Senior AA environments. Perhaps this is also part of the reason why coaches may be cautious about adding too many older players, irrespective of their skill level.

With respect to your low opinion of the Aeros, I challenge you to try to support your position with facts. How many Aeros do you actually know, or do you just enjoy suscribing to the popular anti-Aeros rhetoric?

I've known a large number of Aeros over the years who do credit them with a significant role in their development--and their university placement options. Further, there are actually comparatively few Aeros who spent longer in another single girls association than they did with the Aeros. Unlike most girls clubs, more than half actually spent most of their development years in boys associations. Of those going to the Aeros from girls hockey, many spent their years in other Toronto-based girls associations such as Willowdale and Leaside, who don't have their own PWHL teams.

But don't let facts get in the way. I wouldn't want to deprive you of your greatest pleasure, after all.