Right about now, most players, coaches and parents are so focused on playoff positioning that they are forgetting that NOW is the time to plan and prepare for next season.
Waiting until March, April, May or when the playoffs end, is a critical mistake. Waiting will not only cost you more money this summer, but it will limit the opportunity presented to you in the way of scouting during the remaining season, and legitimate opportunity to advance in the future.
Professionals, people in the business, and players on the rise, are not waiting till spring. They are acting now.
For me, for my clients, the beginning of the 2020-2021 season actually began with the start of the 2019 season. If you are not ahead of the curve in planning, you are behind it.
Its funny though when I hear people talking about what tryout camps they are going to go to, and they just name the league. Not a specific team, for a specific reason, relating to a specific interest level and plan, just some league. They rattle off the leagues like some alphabet soup that people are supposed to decode. Its really very comical.
The most basic tenant in being a good adviser is to be prepared in advance. Prepared in advance is not sending clients on an endless parade of “open” or team “pre draft” camps. Its not about saying “get your name out there”.
If the work was done, your name is already out there, and you are going to a limited amount of prequalified MAIN camps, and showcases.
Teams at the Tier I and II levels have been scouting all year. If they know who you are, there is not need to continue to get your name out there, and your adviser should get you right into a very limited main camp.
When you want to generate more interest and exposure, you go to showcase events, not team tryout camps. You go where a lot of scouts will be present, not just one team and a handful of their Tier III affiliates.
Its time to start planning and working smarter in order to advance your career. Time to stop doing what you have always done and expect different results.
If you don’t have a plan, isn’t it time you did?
Joseph Kolodziej – Adviser
