To be sure, most of the player reading this by now have found the team they will play for next season, or you are in the final selection process. This is good, and leave you with some time to enjoy the rest of the summer days.
I travel to many camp, and I watch the player and parent come and go. I listen to the parent and the player talk to other parent and player and to team staff. There is one thing in common with far too many of you.
Many of you do not understand the development process, and those who do not, need to learn one important lesson. No matter what you say or do, you can not speed up the development process more than what the people making decisions on where the player fits in will allow.
You can not rush development. No two player are the same. Just because you think you should be in one place do not mean anyone else think you deserve to be there. Your opinion do not matter. Yes. Your opinion do not matter.
The simple fact is that Coaches and Scouts will make the determination of if and when you are ready to advance. This is how it work and how it will always work. No amount of complaining, no amount of telling people you be just as good as someone who has already advanced, no amount of talking about who you think you are better than, and no amount of complaining about the process is going to change this fact.
In any job you do not get promotion until the boss determine you deserve promotion. Some time you never deserve it, some time you deserve it quickly, some time you deserve it slower than other people. This is called LIFE.
Development time is different for everyone. Some player get drafted in NHL but send back to junior team after camp. Some go right to NHL. Even the very best player in the world develop at different rate. Again it is called LIFE.
The sooner you realize that you are not in control of the process, the sooner you will become less frustrated with the process. The sooner you become less frustrated and more accepting, the more likely you are to have success.
There is only one YOU. You are not like anyone else. Accept that You will develop at a rate appropriate for you, not for anyone else. Do not try to rush the process, it will ruin the experience.
Coach
