I saw a recent post (3/18/2025) in which an “Advisory” company claimed which leagues are “Worth it” or “Not Worth it”. Clearly the post/video is click bait, designed to peak the viewers interest with a controversial title. A title where they pull you in with a thought provoking subject matter, that appeals to fans, players and parents, and then drop information that is based purely upon their opinion as an outside observer of the landscape. Here is the post (even though I dislike promoting it)- Leagues Not Necessarily Worth It 🤨 – YouTube
Now mind you, this Advising company promotes on their own website placement of players into several of these leagues- Our Players – Advancement Hockey Advising
If that is not the definition of talking out of both sides of your mouth, I don’t know what is. This advising company is actively taking money from its customers, the players/parents, and moving them into leagues they have labeled themselves as “Not Worth it”. By their own definition, they are screwing the customer twice, collecting money from a customer and then pushing them into a pay to play hockey scenario that they have labelled “Not worth it”.
Now I agree that not all teams and leagues are created equally, but Junior Hockey, when done right, is not JUST about hockey.
“Most researchers agree that the male brain reaches full maturity somewhere between the ages of 25 and 30. But remember, this is just an average. Some men might reach full brain maturity earlier, while others might take a bit longer.” Male Brain Development: Timeline and Implications Explained
“First up, we have the prefrontal cortex, the brain’s CEO. This region is responsible for executive functions like planning, decision-making, and impulse control. It’s also one of the last areas to fully develop in men, often not reaching full maturity until the mid-20s or even later. This explains why many young men struggle with impulse control and may engage in risky behaviors. It’s not that they’re trying to give their parents gray hair; their brain’s “brake pedal” just isn’t fully operational yet! Next, let’s talk about the limbic system, the emotional core of the brain. While this system is active from an early age, it continues to develop and refine throughout adolescence and into early adulthood. This ongoing development can lead to mood swings and intense emotions during the teenage years. It’s like the brain’s emotional thermostat is still calibrating itself.” Male Brain Development: Timeline and Implications Explained
Given the later maturity of the male brain, many young men between the ages of 17-20 are not emotionally and mentally equipped to make life altering decisions on their future while still in their teens. This is reflective in college enrollment (which women outpace men, and graduation rates). Taking on large student loans, an apprenticeship or going right to work is not for everyone, and this is reflective in these male college graduation rates:
“Nationally, the six-year graduation rate in 2022 was 64.9%. The graduation rate for women (67.9%) was more than 6 percentage points higher than for men (61.3%). The graduation rate data are based on six-year graduation rates are for first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students who entered a degree-granting four-year institution in the fall of 2016” Women Continue To Outpace Men In College Enrollment And Graduation
So taking time to pursue endeavors that they are passionate about (such as hockey and team sports) allows the brain in these young men to mature, develop and better plan out their future course of action.
Here is an excerpt from a previous post titled “5 Myths of Junior Hockey”:
- The reality is, it doesn’t. The best programs, which routinely place athletes into NCAA hockey have a rigorous daily structure designed to develop players both on and off the ice. With curated curriculums that feature comprehensive strength training programs, educational advancement opportunities, On- Ice skill and team practices, community service responsibilities, and much more… Junior Hockey is the mechanism which advances young men into college readiness.
- Hockey players in college use this pathway to prepare them for college life. Take for example the APR, or Academic Progress Rate. This tracks all NCAA athletes, and holds institutions accountable for the academic progress of their student-athletes through a team-based metric that accounts for the eligibility and retention of each student-athlete for each academic term. Men’s Ice Hockey routinely scores at or near the top of this category when compared to their peers, with 10 Division I schools (out of 61) scoring recording scores of 1000 (including Clarkson, Colgate, Penn State, University of Nebraska- Omaha and all Ivy League schools). Comparatively Penn State, Colgate and UNO all scored 10-50 points lower in both Men’s Basketball and Football.
- Consider also, Graduation rates.
- NCAA men’s hockey student-athletes continue their remarkable academic success, posting a 94.6% NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in the latest data, released Wednesday by the NCAA.
- That single-year data, which measures student-athletes who enrolled in 2011, is men’s hockey’s best single-year number since the NCAA began tracking GSR in 2002. It ranks second among all Division I men’s sports in this year’s data behind only skiing (95.2%)
Pursuing something a person is passionate about and putting those people into a situation where they have to work together within a group, push themselves to the limit physically, and dedicate a period of time working with their peers in a mentorship (the coach- player relationship) environment has unbelievable advantages for young adults emotional and physical maturity. Its not just about the hockey.
Yes, some people and programs do a much better job than others in cultivating these conditions for development. Chasing your dreams and pursuing whatever goals you may have, have tremendous benefits. Courage, living on your own, overcoming obstacles and adversity, living your life without regrets, and forming bonds with likeminded individuals are all things that I try to impart on my athletes and my own children. Here is an article with details that support this- 16 Reasons Why It’s So Important To Follow Your Dreams – Addicted 2 Success
Think about your own life and the things you are most proud of and passionate about. The things that get you up in the morning. Most likely they are the things that you EARNED. When those conditions are met and those obstacles overcome, Junior Hockey is very much WORTH IT, and hiring an advisor is rarely “Worth it”.
By Andrew Trimble
Andrew is the GM/ Co- Owner of the New England Wolves- www.ne-wolveshockey.com
For info on Andrew’s new book, the Hockey Planner, follow this link here- The Hockey Planner: A Year by Year Plan to Assist You on Your Hockey Coaching Journey: From Learn to Play to Junior Hockey: Trimble, Andrew: 9781963743395: Amazon.com: Books
