2008-09 Rankings Released, Caution Advised
MYHockey is a great source of information and entertainment. It is a testament to what a community with a common passion can do. I thoroughly enjoy the entire thing.
But (and you knew it was coming), I would like to take this opportunity to ask all to be careful. You can read too much into the rankings, especially early in the season.
Some random thoughts:
Coaching is tough. There are so many dynamics that play into building long term success that kids, parents and fans need let their coaches focus on doing the right things and not the rankings.
One point about early season rankings. They serve as a guide, but they are not perfect. There are known statistical oddities out there. Some teams or leagues are ranked either higher or lower than they should because of an early season anomaly. This is most likely to happen in somewhat geographically isolated areas (south & west), but can happen even in the heart of hockey country based upon a number of things. Time fixes most of these issues, but sometimes not until after Thanksgiving or even Christmas.
MYHockey's general rule is that you should focus on playing opponents within 4.00 points of your team's rating. If your team has a rating of 10.00, we would recommend you focus on playing teams with a rating of 6.00 to 14.00. Not that other teams cannot occasionally provide a competitive game, but they are definitely hit or miss and more often than not lead to a lopsided game. That said, there can be a time or place when a lopsided game can serve a purpose. If a team has lost confidence, a lopsided win can help restore lost confidence. An overly confident team that does not appear to be practicing with the same intensity can often use a dose of reality. Still, in general, we strongly recommend teams within 2.00 points and feel that the odds still favor a competitive game until the difference in ratings is greater than 4.00 points.
Best of luck to each of your teams this season. It's just a little too early to get excited about either a better or worse than expected ranking. Let's let the coaches coach while the rest of us focus on cheering from the stands.
But (and you knew it was coming), I would like to take this opportunity to ask all to be careful. You can read too much into the rankings, especially early in the season.
Some random thoughts:
- it is not where you start the season, but where you finish
- the fewer the games, the less accurate the mathematics
- some teams and some regions of North America start the season at different times significantly impacting early season rankings
- early in the season, many coaches like to feel out their new players and test them in different situations despite the fact that this is likely to lead to a less than optimal ranking
- in general, a focus on early season development will lead to lower early season rankings and higher late season rankings
- even in the early part of the season there is a time to play to win and a time to develop, please do not expect or encourage coaches to maximize a team's potential in every game
Coaching is tough. There are so many dynamics that play into building long term success that kids, parents and fans need let their coaches focus on doing the right things and not the rankings.
One point about early season rankings. They serve as a guide, but they are not perfect. There are known statistical oddities out there. Some teams or leagues are ranked either higher or lower than they should because of an early season anomaly. This is most likely to happen in somewhat geographically isolated areas (south & west), but can happen even in the heart of hockey country based upon a number of things. Time fixes most of these issues, but sometimes not until after Thanksgiving or even Christmas.
MYHockey's general rule is that you should focus on playing opponents within 4.00 points of your team's rating. If your team has a rating of 10.00, we would recommend you focus on playing teams with a rating of 6.00 to 14.00. Not that other teams cannot occasionally provide a competitive game, but they are definitely hit or miss and more often than not lead to a lopsided game. That said, there can be a time or place when a lopsided game can serve a purpose. If a team has lost confidence, a lopsided win can help restore lost confidence. An overly confident team that does not appear to be practicing with the same intensity can often use a dose of reality. Still, in general, we strongly recommend teams within 2.00 points and feel that the odds still favor a competitive game until the difference in ratings is greater than 4.00 points.
Best of luck to each of your teams this season. It's just a little too early to get excited about either a better or worse than expected ranking. Let's let the coaches coach while the rest of us focus on cheering from the stands.
