He started in squirts A&B level and then up the skill ladder and so on. It was not so much parent influence but that of the local community kids and the peer pressure even down at the 5-6 yr old ages - maybe 30 outdoor rinks in his single suburban community alone and tons of kids playing pickup games afternoons, nites and weekends. I think there are over 150 indoor sheets of ice throughout MN communities alone for skating - hockey-boys and girls, figure skating and ice dance - they all share. The teams pay by the practice session - now I believe $175 dollars per hour. It's a big cost for the parents. But, even small schools participate - with fund raisers and local community support. They somehow make a season happen for the kids. And wow, do some tightly wound parents get into it ...
175,000 tx sold to the state HS hockey tournament Mar. weekend - year after year. The $$$ go to pay for other sports - baseball, golf, cross-country, softball, adaptive sports, other non-revenue etc. Even snorkling/scuba classes.
Kids just want to play, compete and hopefully have fun. Not unlike the pickup basketball games on the courts of the inner cities of today that develop such great talents.
It is not "where you play" to be discovered anymore. If you have talent, work at excelling and have good amateur coaching to accomplish those things (that's thankless job) you will be found and discovered. Small-time programs put out some great athlete's - baseball, football, basketball women and men's. With 30 yr old Federal 'Title Nine' - girls get the exactly the same number of basketball, hockey softball, etc. opportunities for college schlorships as men. There is now great opportunity for undergraduate women's sports programs.
I'm rambling here in an effort to be informative. Sorry, it was an avocation for so many yr.
-Enuf said.
AmbergrisCaye.com 
