So yes, we are back at the beginning of the season tryout camp. Spending season, it really should be called. The teams at this time of the year marked on their calendars each year, as a small child circles Christmas Day.
How to choose? Right? That is the question. Many e-mails asking the same question that I lost track. Of course, the tryouts are expensive if you go to 10 tryouts you probably spend more than ten thousand dollars after accounting Camp Fee, hotel, food, gas or plane tickets and costs. Consider skate sharpening and half a dozen new sticks and you have enough money spent to pay for a semester at a small university.
There is no simple answer to this question, but there are some things to avoid;
Do not attend camps when the invitation comes in a non personal, mass email type of format. If you do not hear personally from someone on the team staff or from your adviser that they have spoken to the team for you, then do not attend camp.
Do not attend camps simply because the team has great attendance, or because you think the coach is good. Attendance means nothing when schools are scouting, and if you havent talked to the coach, you dont know him.
Do not attend camps because your friend, or you heard, or your aunts, cousins uncle Steves friend says he knows someone on the team and its a good opportunity.
Do not seek blind advice on the internet in message boards, chat rooms, and forums are not places you should look for advice. You want free advice? You get what you pay for. What if someone who do not like you wat to give you bad advice on purpose because you compete with them for a spot on team?
Always remeber that one camp may be right for one player and not right for another. No two players are the same. Just because one player made a team in one place does not mean that if you are a similar player that you will make the team.
Common sense tells you that if you and Johnny are the same style player, with similar skill sets, and similar saize, with similar projected upside; and Johnny plays for a team and has two years of eligibility left on the team, the team is not going to sign you to a contract. They already have that role filled, why would they want the same player? You must fill different roles.
Be smart with your money players and parents. Players should not have to attend more than two or three camps before they find the right place to play. If you can not figure the camp equation out, hire an adviser who can do the work for you. The money they save you each summer should more than pay for their service.
Finally, it is important to remember that the try out process is a stressful one. Most advisers I know recommend taking some time off in between these camps. Resting your body and your mind is important so that you are prepared for the next camp.
Good luck to all of you.
