I have been receiving many questions through this series of articles from readers. One very common question has been about which try out camps should players attend?
There is no simple answer to this question. There are many things that should be looking at player tryout camp as a free agent.
The most important considerations to understand are;
Where do I fit in as a player compared to my peers already in the particular league?
Where would I fit in if I made this team?
The success of each player starts first know where he stands with his colleagues. You’re better than all the other players in your age group? You are in the middle of the talent pool, or are you back? This requires that you be honest with yourself if you’re not honest with yourself and where you stand, so you will not be successful.
Players can not listen to parents telling them how good they are. When I want to know how good a player is, I call teams he has played against, not coaches he plays for. If your opponent respects you as a player, you are probably a player worth looking at.
Where do you fit in with a team you may want to try out for?
If you are a speedy goal scoring forward, why would you try out for a team if they play a dump and chase crash the boards system over a team that plays a puck posession system? If a team is really looking for a power forward, why would you attend the camp when you dont fit the role they are looking for? If you are a young player looking to make a team, why would you try to make a team that is loaded with over age players?
Why would you try out for a team if you can not get good time on ice if you make it? It is always better to play top minutes than to sit on the bench. It does not make sense to be a 4th line USHL player if you can be a 2nd line NAHL or OJHL player. It does not make sense to be a 4th line Major Junior player if you could be a second line BCHL player. It does not make sense to play Tier III junior if you can play Midget Major and dominate.
There are answers to these questions, and each answer depends on who you are and where you might fit in as a player. It always comes back to be honest with yourself.
Players and parents need to slow down. Do not be in such a hurry to get up because you will only get there when you are ready anyway. Just because a former line mate may be in Major Junior or the USHL does not mean you are a Major Junior or USHL level player. Just because one camps was good for one player does not mean it is the right camp for you.
Parents and players should stop believing this nonsense, they deserve a place or another being. Not everyone was supposed to play in the NHL and not everyone was destined to play junior hockey.
If you dont know where to fit in, find a professional and ask them. Ask them to be brutally honest. You dont want to hear about what you do well, you want to hear about what you dont do well. You want to hear to what that person really thinks. You want to hear truth. Sometimes truth hurts, but it is always what we need to hear.
If you want answered questions, please email me. [email protected] I now have my own address perhaps because I am too popular for the rest of TJHN. Ha Ha
