Information. It is the most valuable resource on earth in every industry. Information is the key to success of failure.
When you look at the most successful hockey players, each and every one of them have one thing in common. Scouts at every level have accurate and complete information on each of them.
Make no mistake. Prospects are under a microscope. Height, weight, and all the other statistics that come with the game actually have to be verified. Gone are the days of a prospect saying he is 6’2″ and only being 5’11”. Gone are the days saying you are 190 lbs, and you are really 175 lbs. You may get away with it for a little while but not for long.
Real prospects are tested physically on and off the ice as well. Those test results are stored in a central database for all scouts to see. If you haven’t been tested, they will see that as well.
The other information players and parents often forget about is just as critical. It is even more critical when you are not one of the top players in the world in your age group.
Information you supply in your resume, and on line scouting profiles has to not only be complete, but it has to be accurate.
If you broke your wrist two years ago and don’t have that information available to scouts, it looks like you are hiding it when they find it. And they will find it.
If you provide contact information that isn’t accurate, or email addresses that you really don’t use, you are more than likely missing contacts from scouts. Sure you may not want to talk to everyone, but you only need to miss one important contact to change your career.
If you are reading this, chances are there is a reason you are reading this.
Maybe no one contacts you, maybe everyone contacts you. Maybe you are trying to become noticed, maybe you have already been noticed. Maybe you are wondering why you simply aren’t where you want to be? Or maybe you are a parent who thinks they know how to manage their childs career?
Information. It is what careers are built upon.
As an adult, you wouldn’t expect to get a job with a high level employer if you didn’t include your email and phone number on a resume. You wouldn’t expect to get an interview if you don’t answer the email or phone call.
Does anyone think athletes get into college without the college knowing their test scores and grades? Then why would anyone think that an athlete is going to get more opportunity without scouts knowing their test scores and how they are graded as players?
There is nothing worse than going to look at a players profile and reading “Profile Incomplete” or “Information Missing”.
If you think for one second that just being a good player is going to get you there, I am sure you believed you were going to win PowerBall the other day too even though you didn’t buy a ticket.
Information. Make sure yours is complete, accurate and available to scouts. Then make sure you give them the best, and most recent information available.
It is the details that matter. Make sure you give scouts as much accurate information as you possibly can, chances are they will still ask for more.
Joseph Kolodziej – Adviser
