We don't have school teams, just youth travel teams where I live. Really depressing since I think the school teams are more structured and better for them.
He plays both. The travel team plays from October until March and the schools run a season during January and February. Here the travel teams tend to be a bit more structured and the coaching overall is a bit better. Not always the case but the schools are totally dependent on parents in most cases.
I'd be sliding as well. Have a fun time. It's funny that you have ice slides in TN and we don't have anything like that up here. Unless you count skiing in the mountains. Not really ice sliding is it?