Are you trying out for teams or just out trying? There is a big difference between those two positions. Make no mistake those are the only two positions you can find yourself in.
With the end of summer, there are a lot of players scrambling now to find a place to play after going on the summer camp merry go round.
Millions of dollars were spent this summer by players and families who were just out trying. They think they were going to tryouts but they were not. They were out trying to beat the system. If your offended by that, then you are either in this group, dont understand the system, or both.
Players and families go out trying, thinking they are going to a tryout without actually understanding all the work that the team went through before the camp starts.
Tens of thousands of emails sent off of lists sold by various companies who obtain player information. Scouting done throughout the prior season at every major showcase. The draft. Player in season recruiting and contacts. Email replies and phone replies. This is just the basics.
Simple rule to remember next spring and summer. If you or your adviser have not had contact with a team that sent you an email invitation to a camp, then that invitation is nothing more than a chance for you to go out trying to get their attention. It is not a tryout.
If you find yourself out trying, and getting a lot of emails without anyone contacting you or your adviser directly the season before, you should simply decline unless you just want to go and get some quality ice time.
Tryouts are offered to players who are seen and recruited during the season before camp times. Tryouts are for players who are drafted, tendered, or heavily contacted prior to paying for a camp.
When you are being recruited, you know it. Coaches and scouts will make sure you know it. They want you to want to be on their team as much as you want to be on that team.
Do coaches and scouts make mistakes? Do they sometimes miss or overlook players? Absolutely. Everyone makes mistakes.
The simple rule of thumb though is the common sense one. Coaches and scouts like everypone do not want to admit they made a mistake until they have no choice but to admit it. And that players and parents takes time. Time enough for any drafted, tendered or heavily recruited player to make it to the “all star” game or to the final roster before the non recruited player does.
The recruited player going to a tryout will always receive the opportunity to show he can not play at the next level before the player who is not recruited or scouted gets an opportunity to prove he can play at the next level. It is terribly unfair, but it is human nature.
This human nature is what makes planning prior to the start of the coming season for what you will do durring the season to make the next season better so important. If you are not getting ahead of the decision makers and working the plan they you will always be out trying while players who may not be as good as you will be going to tryouts.
When you are ready to set yourself up for success, I look forward to helping you get off the trying out merry go round.
Joseph Kolodziej – Adviser
