Negative Tryout Results Can Have a Positive Long-term Impact With the Right Mindset

New York State Amateur Hockey Association Photo

 

By Scott Lowe - MYHockeyRankings.com

Nothing in youth hockey creates as much stress and anxiety as tryout season.

And while tryouts already have come and gone in some parts of the United States – that’s right, we’re still selecting growing kids for teams five months before the start of their seasons – in some areas they are still in progress or will happen in the weeks or months ahead.

Once again, we’ve entered “The Tryout Zone,” which often feels like an episode of the Twilight Zone.

Over the years in the U.S., as clubs have raced to get commitments from the best players as early as possible in hopes of building the strongest possible teams and guaranteeing that their revenue goals are achieved, youth hockey has evolved to a point where teams are being chosen after two or three overcrowded tryout sessions well in advance of the season.

It doesn’t seem to matter that kids between the ages of 12 and 18 develop physically and emotionally at different rates and that the kid who was too small, too slow or too weak in April might be an entirely different player by the time preseason practice starts. And what about the kid who wasn't feeling well, still hadn't fully recovered from an injury or was just plain exhausted from a grueling 60-plus game schedule that ended just a few short weeks prior to tryouts?

Oh, well. The timing just wasn't right.

Let’s be clear, though. The “tryouts” may be nothing more than a charade as many times most, if not all, of the players have been chosen in advance of those pay-to-skate sessions.

In many cases, the team isn't picked over the course of a two- or three-day tryout. Players build up equity with organizations over time by earning the trust of their coaches on the ice and by their families continuing to pay exorbitant tuition fees that rise annually. It’s hard for organizations to turn away a family that might have spent $60,000 or $70,000 for their kid to play over a five- or six-year period and that will continue to do so without complaint, haggling or missing payments.

As a coach in the business once liked to say, “We’ll take them as long as the check doesn’t bounce.”

Very few top Tier 1 or Tier 2 youth or junior programs enter tryouts with a blank slate looking to find the absolute best 20 players who pay to be part of the selection process. If that were the case, coaches certainly wouldn't treat the process like speed dating and select their teams in a matter of days when there might be 50 or more talented players hoping to make the final roster.

There are returning players who have earned their trust – and helped pay the bills – who coaches want to reward as well as some other top talent they have scouted throughout the year and are targeting. The goal is to win the arms race by convincing as many of those kids as possible to sign contracts as quickly as possible. 

This isn’t a new phenomenon.

My son attended AAA tryouts 10 years ago and was pulled off the ice during the first session and handed a contract while the other players kept skating. One local team wouldn’t let any players attend the final tryout without them first signing an agreement stating that they would sign a contract to play for that team if one was offered.

You read that right. It essentially was a contract saying that you’d sign a contract if you made the team – a contract to attend one last tryout session.

There are always unhappy players who leave programs – as well as players who feel they have outgrown a particular program or who have worn out their welcome – so there may be a handful of spots open, but usually the opportunities are extremely limited.

That just adds to the pressure and anxiety too many young players feel this time of year. The combination of knowing they have just a few opportunities to stand out from the masses and earn one of the extremely limited roster spots on their team of choice, combined with the fear of possibly not being able to continue on an upward path toward achieving their goals, can be a heavy burden for any young person to shoulder. 

The panic in the air this time of year is palpable, and it seems to grow daily as teams conclude their tryouts, contracts are handed out and rosters are posted publicly. While that is understandable given the current youth hockey climate, no matter what happens right now it's important for players to understand that it's not the end of their hockey careers if they don't make the team that is their top choice.

The coach who pulled my son off the ice in the middle of his team’s first tryout handed my him a contract and said he had 24 hours to decide. He followed that up by essentially telling him that his career would be over if he turned down the offer. He was 15.

As it turned out, as flattering as it was to be wanted, he ultimately did turn down that AAA offer and went back to his AA team. That team was half the price, was playing an upgraded schedule in a AAA league and he was going to be captain. He was the best player and played in every key situation as the team qualified for Tier 2 Nationals.

His career didn’t end; he went on to play more than 100 NCAA Division III games in five years. Whether players are just entering their teens or are moving up to play 18U, getting cut by one team is not a death blow to their hockey future. 

In fact, three players from that 16U AA team went on to play at the NCAA Division III level. Not bad for a Tier 2 team in Maryland, a state that only produces a few players who advance to that level annually.

My son only played one year of AAA as an 18U and was drafted by teams in the NAHL and NCDC. Another player from that team who advanced to play Division III hockey also played only one year of AAA. The third player left home at age 17 to attend a prep school and played for a DIII team that advanced to the Final Four. He and my son also served for two years as captains of their college teams.

These tryouts literally are not life or death, and the results are not the end of anyone’s hockey career. Kids are resilient, and there are more opportunities than ever to play at a high level and get the exposure necessary to continue advancing up the developmental ladder. Getting cut also can provide the motivation a young player needs to make the commitment on and off the ice that often separates players who advance from those who don’t.

The first thing players should realize if they don't earn a spot on an initial roster is that many teams don't completely fill their teams immediately following spring tryouts. The year my son played AAA, at no point during that season did the team have a full roster, and the coach surely would have added players who could have helped the team at any point before January 1.

There are a couple of factors at work here.

Some coaches may be hesitant to roster players who are attempting to move up to a new level based on a few tryouts until they are positive that those kids are the best available options. Combine that with the belief among many coaches that the grass is always greener – that better options will come along – and many teams leave roster spots open for some top-line forward or brick-wall goalie who magically is supposed to emerge and walk through the door the first day of training camp.

Many coaches facing this type of situation allow players who are on the bubble to stick around and continue skating with their teams to see how they develop while they continue to look for players who will make their roster stronger. Tier 1 coaches don’t take building their rosters lightly, so unless they absolutely are convinced a player can help their team, they are going to try to watch the players they aren’t sure about on the ice over a longer period.

Thus, for players who didn’t get a contract right away, it’s not time to panic.

Players who don’t get the offer they want should step away from hockey for few days before reaching out to tell the coach of the team they hope to play for that they still are very much interested and ask the coach to keep them in mind if anything changes or a spot becomes available. They should make it clear that the team is their top choice but that they also will continue to pursue other opportunities while training and preparing for the season ahead. Expressing a willingness to come and skate again at any time if that opportunity arises is a good idea, too.  

At that point, it’s up to these players to follow through by participating in an off-ice strength training regimen, maintaining their cardiovascular conditioning and continuing to work on improving their skill and skating.

Another important reality for players to understand is that no matter where they end up playing, there are no guarantees when it comes to achieving their long-term hockey goals.

Players must be willing to make the commitment to the sport on and off the ice that is necessary to continue moving up the developmental ladder and progressing toward higher levels of hockey. Playing AAA hockey doesn’t guarantee anything other than perhaps a little ego boost and a higher level of competition.  

No matter the level, the burden is on the players to dedicate the time and put in the effort necessary – while being coachable and hungry to improve  –  that proves they are ready to advance to whatever the next level may be.

There are so many different pathways to that lead to junior and NCAA-level hockey – and still others that lead to great academic and hockey opportunities at the collegiate club level – that it isn’t worth looking back or stressing over what might have been. Those who make the most of whatever situation and opportunity is presented and do everything in their power to prove they are capable will be better people and players and have plenty of excellent opportunities from which to choose.

My son left that meeting with the 16U coach and said that while he liked the coach – with whom he had trained quite a bit previously – he didn’t appreciate what the coach said or how he was treated. He went to tryouts the next day and kept skating hard but told the coach he needed more time to make his decision.

Despite the pressure to make an immediate decision, the offer was not pulled (if they really want you, the offer isn’t going away no matter what they say), but in the end he chose to stay with his AA team because he knew that he would be captain and that the team would be playing in a high-level showcase league against a bunch of AAA teams in New England. 

“My team is going to be better. I’m going to be captain, and we will probably go to Nationals again. We are playing a schedule that's as good as theirs, and it will be a lot cheaper.”

In general, he was a kid of few words. When he spoke, I listened. And it was hard to argue with his reasoning; I knew he was a leader who loved his teammates and coaches and would make the most of his situation.

Another player from Maryland who participated in many of the programs I run never made the jump to Tier 1. He played AA through his first year of 18U then made the leap to juniors. After two years playing in the Eastern Hockey League (EHL), where he was an all-star and all-academic selection, he was accepted to Wesleyan University. He made the team as a walk-on and played in 14 games his first year there.

All he wanted from the day I met him was to get an opportunity to play college hockey at that type of high-ranking academic institution. Mission accomplished.

Including the two other players from my son's 16U AA team mentioned previously, that makes four players who played mostly AA hockey for programs located no more than 20 miles apart in a non-traditional hockey market who went on to play NCAA Division III hockey.

The pathways to NCAA hockey are many and unique to each player’s specific situation. Players who possess the drive and initiative to make the most of whatever opportunity is presented can achieve their goals. The most important considerations are aligning with respected coaches who have track records of moving players to higher levels and searching for teams that play challenging schedules and are comprised of like-minded, dedicated players who are committed to doing whatever it takes to advance.

NCAA-hockey television commentator Dave Starman long has been one my favorite people in the sport. Very few people watch more amateur hockey or do more to help grow the sport than he does. He also has been a Tier 1 youth coach and coached junior teams. 

"There is no question that players at this age group are certainly responsible for their own careers," Starman wrote in an article focused on players moving into their mid-teenage hockey years. "Their coaches see them maybe three hours a week in practice, so what they do with the other hours in terms of stretching, rest, studying, training, etc. is up to them. Some run with the responsibility, some expect to have it handed to them. That being said, they need to be coached, taught, trained and developed."

Many times, playing at a level that provides good competition – but may not be the highest level offered for a particular age group – can help a player develop more than playing for a higher-level team in a much-reduced role. There are ways to get exposure to higher-level competition and scouts through summer training programs and by playing in well-scouted showcase events – as well as by attending select legitimate junior tryouts and college prospect camps. 

Players who take responsibility for their careers, demonstrate initiative, fully commit to the process and strive to be leaders on their teams have a chance to realize their full potential and advance to the highest level they are capable of achieving.

The best plan is to continue putting in the time and effort on the ice, off the ice and in the classroom. Players should always open to coaching and take advantage of every opportunity that is presented.

Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning is famous for saying, “I wanted to be coached every day. I wanted to get better. If there was a day that I didn’t get coached, it made me angry.”

Players looking to maximize the odds of achieving their goals must get into a serious off-ice training program with a certified strength and conditioning coach. And even if the team they will be playing for full time isn’t quite at the level they had hoped for, driven players always can find opportunities to play against better competition and in front of scouts during the offseason.  

Players should embrace feedback and not get angry if it's not what they want to hear. They should listen intently and absorb the information without responding until the coach has finished talking. Then, if they use that feedback to their advantage and work on what needs improvement, progress can be made.

It’s not possible for athletes to improve without leaving their comfort zones. Driven players will embrace the feedback and the process by getting right to work using the information they’ve been given while focusing on the details of their play that can carry them to higher levels. Those who combine that approach with a tailored off-ice regimen and become students of the game always have an advantage.

By making the most of every opportunity that is presented and embracing the developmental process, whatever happened at tryouts last week, next week or later this summer won't matter. 

It will just make the story even better for those players when they ultimately achieve their hockey goals.