Tournament Turmoil: The Hidden Costs of Youth Hockey and How Families Can Take Back Control

💸 The Breaking Point: When Tournaments Stop Being Fun

If you’ve ever sat in a hotel lobby wondering why you paid $700 for the privilege of playing a team from your own zip code — this episode is for you.
In “Tournament Turmoil,” the Our Kids Play Hockey team — Lee Elias, Christie Casciano-Burns, and Mike Bonelli — break open one of the sport’s most controversial topics: the growing cost and complexity of youth hockey tournaments.

For many families, tournaments used to mean fun weekends, team bonding, and maybe a little sightseeing. Now? They often mean financial strain, fundraising fatigue, and frustration — especially when “stay-to-play” rules force families into overpriced hotel blocks.

🏨 The “Stay-to-Play” Problem

Parents are tired of being told where they must stay and how much they must pay — often under the threat that their child’s team can’t participate otherwise.
As Mike put it bluntly:

“It’s criminal for organizations to demand you stay where you don’t want to stay.”

Tournaments are turning into business models rather than community experiences. When families are paying hundreds more for identical rooms — just to meet an arbitrary “requirement” — something’s broken.

🤝 The Fundraising Debate

Christy shared both sides of the story: fundraising can bring teams together when done with purpose. Kids who raise money to reach a goal often value the experience more.
But as Mike pointed out, fundraising for yet another “exposure” weekend can feel tone-deaf when real needs exist in the world.

The takeaway? Fundraising should be about team effort and life lessons, not plugging financial holes for bad tournament decisions.

🏒 Rethinking What Tournaments Could Be

Lee proposed a bold idea: what if we reimagined tournaments around development, competition, and culture — not just medals?
Imagine a weekend that includes:

• Skill sessions with top coaches

• Team-building and community activities

• Mental health and resilience workshops

• Scrimmages designed for growth, not just scoreboards

That’s the kind of “tournament” that helps kids fall in love with hockey for life.

💡 How Parents and Teams Can Take Back Control

Here’s what the OKPH crew suggests:

1. Just say no to mandatory-stay tournaments — your money is your vote.

2. Limit travel to two meaningful events per season.

3. Prioritize experiences that combine hockey, family, and fun.

4. Work as a team to plan financially responsible schedules.

5. Remember the “why” — youth hockey should be about joy, not stress.

As Christy reminded listeners, “When the kids are grown, it’s not the hotel they remember — it’s the memories you made together.”

❤️ The Spirit of the Game

At the end of the day, Our Kids Play Hockey isn’t about complaining — it’s about building a better culture for players, parents, and coaches.
Tournaments can still be magical when done right — places like Lake Placid prove that. But the industry needs a reset, and it starts with families choosing differently.

Let’s bring the “play” back to hockey. 🏒💙

📩 Have your own tournament story or solution?
Email the team at team@ourkidsplayhockey.com — your experience might inspire our next episode.