Are you in the same position you were last year? Same position you were two or even three years ago? Is your status as a “prospect” unchanged?
If you answer “Yes”, to one or more of these questions then the next question you need to answer should be done while looking in a mirror.
“Why am I doing the same things I have always done when they are not getting me where I want to go?”
The hardest test you will ever take as an athlete it the test of self examination. Examining your plan, and being honest with yourself on your skill set, and how successful you are based on your efforts and planning to date.
I find it amazing after all these years as an adviser that parents and player still think they can get what they want by doing what someone else did.
What is successful for one person, more often than not will not be successful for another.
I received a call the other day from a really good “prospects” parent. A nice puck moving point producing defenseman who has some upside. The parent of course was frustrated with lack of school and higher level team interest. The parent mentioned three times another defenseman I know who is already at a higher level and already committed to an NCAA program.
The parent continued to compare both defensemen when there simply is no comparison to be made.
First, while both produce points and are dynamic, one is six feet and three inches tall, eighteen years old, and a 4.0 student. The other is six feet tall, seventeen years old, and a 3.2 student.
Of course the parent calling is the one who’s son is just a little shorter, a year younger, and not quite the perfect student.
While the players results and production on the ice are very similar, and their games are very similar the rest of their profiles are dramatically different.
The point of this story is that players and parents need to look in the mirror and start being honest with themselves. Its time to start doing something different. Its time to stop comparing yourself to players who you simply are not the same as.
There are reasons why players are successful. Those reasons always begin and end with a real plan.
If you are not in the top twenty of the best players in the country in your age group at your position, you better have a real plan to get where you want to go. The top twenty are simply gifted and already know what they are doing.
The top twenty players in any position, in any age group are elite level players and its a small group.
The players ranked twenty one to one hundred, are all going to be pretty similar and will have similar levels of play. So if your in this group what are you doing to stand out for scouts?
Its a pretty big group of players and if you don’t have a plan to make yourself stand out, you are going to continue to compare yourself to other players who get to their goals before you do.
Its time to make a plan. Its the end of October and we are only eight weeks from the holiday break. Maybe its time to plan for next season instead of waiting until next season begins?
Joseph Kolodziej – Adviser
