It’s August, and that means that the Junior Hockey Career Emergency Room will be filling up fast. Yes, this is a real thing that can be counted on every year once most Tier II camps have ended.
Just yesterday I woke up to emails from five goalies who suddenly do not have a place to play who put all their eggs in one basket. And now, emergency treatment is needed.
The problem with emergency treatment is that it can not “cure”, it can only “treat” the symptoms of the problem. A cure takes a longer term plan. Long term planning requires that the patient actually listen, and follow instructions on how the treatment will result in a cure.
This situation unfortunately is not one that will give instant satisfaction or gratification that is provided like shopping online for tennis shoes.
You spent all summer chasing camps for the next level, or you thought you had a great situation lined up only to find it really was not lined up, or not such a great situation. You are sitting at home, not knowing what to do, you feel like you wasted a ton of money, and you have no idea what to do next.
Welcome to the Junior Hockey Career Emergency Room. Please take a number and then have a seat in the waiting room while the Doctor treats those patients who arrived before you.
Sorry, to be so tongue in cheek about it, but this really is close to where things stand for you right now.
That said, there are still opportunities. Yes, even for goalies.
The questions are, how bad do you want to play? What are you willing to do to have success? Are you willing to listen? Are you willing to do anything?
Some players say they want to play badly and have success and that they are willing to do anything to make that happen.
Yet when an opportunity presents itself, they question it, they over think it, or they think they are above it. My answer to this situation is simple.
If you knew what you were doing, then you wouldn’t be in the position you are now. So sit down, be quiet, and listen.
If you are willing to do anything, then you need to be willing to listen and learn. You also need to be willing to throw all your old beliefs out the window, and start thinking out of the box while looking for solutions.
What got you in the Career Emergency Room was thinking that you know what you are doing, that you had an inside track, or that you were definitely going to be seen as being ready for the position you wanted.
News flash…..Something in that equation was wrong, or everything was wrong. And if previous thinking did not solve the problem, then it is time to hire a professional. Just like you would if you needed an actual doctor in the emergency room.
When I say there are opportunities, there literally are opportunities around North America and Europe. Are you willing to give up your belief in certain things in order to have one, or will you continue to be angry at the system. After all, it is not the system’s fault, the system works. But you have to know how to make it work for you, and without knowing that, you will not get to the next level.
When you are ready to take new opportunities, and look through a new set of eyes, I will look forward to hearing from you.
Joseph Kolodziej – Adviser
