Every day, a phone call or an email comes in with the same question asked in many different ways. It all boils down to players and parents asking; “Why am I not getting to the next level?”
The answer is simple.
You are not getting to the next level because you have not changed what you are doing. Period.
If you think repeating what you did last year is going to get you different results next year, you have not learned anything.
If you think doing what another player did and had success with will get you to the next level then you have not learned anything.
Going to the same camp that you went to last year with a team that didn’t take you is not going to give you different results this year. If they really were interested they would have scouted you all year and you would get drafted, tendered or signed.
Are you going to fall for, “We need to see more of you.” Then they should have watched this year.
Its been more than ten years since I started writing this column under various titles. Giving players and parents free and accurate information. Some people take the information and make better decisions, some people keep believing that they just need to find the right “opportunity” this year.
Yet those same people looking for the right “opportunity” change nothing in their decision or preparation process. Still they think they will get different results.
Those emails are great though aren’t they? Hilarious.
One NAHL team sent out “Pre Draft Camp” invitations the other day. In January. Really funny that its now happening in January.
But the more funny part is that they sent these invitations to players who will be playing in next weeks NA3HL Top Prospects Showcase. Not even thinking that these players are going to be right in front of them next week, they send some garbage generic email.
So this NAHL team just said a few things. First, they don’t know who they are sending mass emails to. Second, that they are not tracking players who fell for the “Pre Draft Camp” sales pitch last year. Third, that they don’t even know who made the NA3HL Top Prospects event that is supposed to be a place where the NAHL teams are recruiting players for next season.
Now what does this tell you? Does it make you want to sign up for this camp? Does it say that this team doesn’t value the Top Prospects event? Does it say anything more than this team is trying to beat everyone to the cash grab?
Fortunately, one of these players hired an Adviser this year and won’t be falling for the sales pitch. They changed one major thing they are doing in order to get to the next level. They are now acting on real accurate information, and this email just showed them everything they needed to know about how valuable real information is.
They just saved a few thousand dollars in flights, hotel, meals, and camp fee’s.
Whether you hire an Adviser or not, if you find yourself exactly where you were this time last year, it is clear that you need to change what you are doing.
Information and the ability to react to real and accurate information is the greatest asset any person can have in any profession. Whether you are playing hockey or playing the stock market, accurate information is invaluable. Once you learn that, you will start making better decisions.
This same player didn’t just ignore the email. A response was given notifying the team he would be at Top Prospects and if they are seriously interested in him that he will look forward to talking to them there. We are still waiting for a response, and that tells us even more about this teams interest.
If you are not changing what you are doing in order to get different results, then you are not learning from your experiences. If you are not learning from your experiences, then you are not serious about getting to the next level.
Joseph Kolodziej – Adviser
