Do we need smaller ice surfaces for kids?

[neo45]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

My son loves 3 on 3 as a goalie. He has tonnes of work to do and spends very little time watching the play from 200 ft. He is forced to stay focused on the game/puck.

There is the draw back of no off sides, and less positional play. But positional play is easily taught in atom (and during some 5 on 5 novice games) once you have confident players you can teach them pretty quickly. My son complains that he does not have a crease, but this is minor and is out weighed by the positives.

Im sure your son loves it as a goalie but what about all the players on the team that get to play less with 3 on 3? As a coach managing the kids play time is always the biggest nightmare

The only way 3 on 3 games are viable is if they play two games at a time on half ice if the kids are going to play enough during the games. I can't see that being acceptable at any level past tyke, especially on more competitive teams

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by neo45

Im sure your son loves it as a goalie but what about all the players on the team that get to play less with 3 on 3? As a coach managing the kids play time is always the biggest nightmare

The only way 3 on 3 games are viable is if they play two games at a time on half ice if the kids are going to play enough during the games. I can't see that being acceptable at any level past tyke, especially on more competitive teams

The kids get to play more with 3 on 3 half ice. Still only two teams on the ice. They split the squads based on ability. Kids are on the ice every other shift. Everyone is involved in the play this way.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

I'm sure it's been mentioned, but why the heck would you need to make new rinks. Just play half board to half board, or on half the ice, how hard is that.

Also, I'm not the youngest guy on this board (likely not the oldest either) but when I was a kid, we played on side board ice surfaces up to Tyke. Fair if the debate is should Tykes and even older be playing on smaller surfaces, but I kind of thought we did put young kids on small ice.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by neo45

Im sure your son loves it as a goalie but what about all the players on the team that get to play less with 3 on 3? As a coach managing the kids play time is always the biggest nightmare

The only way 3 on 3 games are viable is if they play two games at a time on half ice if the kids are going to play enough during the games. I can't see that being acceptable at any level past tyke, especially on more competitive teams

Triple B mentioned it, but kids get more ice time, the teams are split in 2 with two 3 on 3 games going on.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by fotze

Timbits for sure, novice maybe. Thinking of my kids game last night, no one would watch that for more than 15 seconds and think anything other than full ice would make sense. When the opposing kid can slapshot it over the net, they need the whole ice, or else no one would score. The kids who can barely stand, for sure.

I don't follow? Why do they need the whole ice, or no one would score?