The 2022-2023 season is approaching. Tryout camps are already being announced and it’s not even the end of February yet. This is important to note because if teams are planning six to seven months in advance publicly, that means they have been planning for at least a year in advance privately.
So why aren’t you planning like teams and leagues are?
For those of you who went from camp to camp to camp last summer, you do not have a plan, you have become your own travel agent.
For those of you who don’t know what to do, inaction is just as bad as taking the wrong action.
The plan begins with making the decision to not do what you did last year. Obviously last year’s course of action did not have success. Why repeat the process?
The plan then becomes a question. What can I do differently that will result in a better opportunity for success?
If you are not asking what you can do differently, then you have already reached your goals, or you will never reach your goals.
Once you determine you are going to take a different course of action, you must begin to figure out which opportunities are actually legitimate opportunities. This is hard work that takes time. If you are not prepared to do the hard work or don’t have the time, then you better have an adviser.
What is a legitimate opportunity? Here is an example of what is not a legitimate opportunity;
Player A is17 yrs old, 5th on his team in scoring at U18. He is right handed, 5’9″ tall and 150 lbs. Player A has been invited to a “pre draft camp” with a Tier II team that based on age out players, only has 3 open roster spots on paper. The only contact Player A has had with this team is an email from this team for a “pre draft camp”.
This is not a legitimate opportunity, and here is why;
Player A has had zero direct contact with this team during the season that would confirm being scouted. Player A is not the leading scorer on his team, and the four leading scorers above him have also been invited to this camp. Player A has a year left of U18 eligibility and is not physically mature enough to challenge an open roster spot.
This is an example of a legitimate opportunity;
Player B is the leading scorer on his U18 team. All season long he has been communicating with the Tier II or Tier I team regarding his point production and they have physically talked to him at a few of his games this year. Player B is aging out of U18, has grown to 6′ tall and 170 lbs. while maintaining a 3.8 gpa in school. Player B is told that if they do not draft him that he will go right to main camp, but he is on the teams draft board and they will see how the draft unfolds.
See the differences? Pretty obvious who the team is serious about isn’t it?
Now, what are you going to do to put yourself in Player B position? Because if you are not in Player B position, or in a position where your adviser is talking to teams on your behalf, you may as well buy a lottery ticket. That is the truth.
There are many ways to get into better position with teams at the next level. The key to each way of getting in position is communication.
So when people ask me why they should me as their adviser, the answer is simple. Are you as a player or parent in a position to communicate directly with teams in way to actually not only determine if an opportunity is legitimate or to create a legitimate opportunity? If you don’t have those contacts and relationships, get ready to spend a lot of money going to all those camps with teams who are “interested” or “need to see more”.
Time is money, and money is time. If you spend a certain amount of money and save a whole lot of time as well as saving money, you have then put yourself in a position of legitimate opportunity.
Joseph Kolodziej – Adviser
