So, last week I travel. I have comfortable shoes on and I’m in freezing rinks in Chicago and Detroit to see hundreds of players. USHL for 1995 and 1996 years of birth combine and Showdown in Motown.
To see my work and find quality players for this season and for the 2014 season. So many good players, never enough time to look. To be sure, the competition was good, and the skill level was very good for many. Both events have mainly American players, some Canadian and European players as well.
While USHL Combine very well scouted, USHL was not letting anyone talk to player. This very strange to me because are we not here to promote and develop players? Of course we know they want first shot at player as it should be, but player should have secondary options no?
Why USHL do not provide scouts with a list they want to surely protect, and allow scouts to talk to those not on the list? Does it not make sense to provide opportunity to paying customer?
Showdown in Motown, was very good for Midget Major and Midget Minor. Lots and lots of very good young players. All very nice coach, all certainly want to encourage players, but only if the coach think they are ready. That does not make much sense to me either. Who is coach at Midget level to say an 18 year old player is not ready for junior hockey without letting him try?
Very strange to me was that Showdown in Motown does not even provide rosters for scouts watching. Perhaps this is why not many scouts show up. Parents tell me it is this way all the time when I speak with them. They say if you dont talk to parent directly, scout must call coach to talk about player. But if scout talking about best midget player, coach many times do not even tell player! This is crazy to you?
If Midget coach know so much on junior development, why is he not then coaching in junior hockey?
It matters not though. Parents know who are the scout. We are easy to recognize with our note pads and pens actively working. When they never see you before, and then see you all weekend, it is easy for them to walk up to scout. Once conversation take place and they learn players are not being promoted to all, those who make the player restrictions do not look good to many parents.
Are we not in the business of developing players, and young men with character while we provide the fan with entertainment? Parents pay the bill, many times now they do not know what is included in the bill, but they are learning.
