Junior Tryout Camps: Money Grab or Opportunity?

By Scott Lowe – MYHockeyRankings.com

Young hockey players – and many times their parents, too – love to have their egos stroked. And they love to tell the rest of us when it happens.

That isn’t such an earth-shattering revelation given that most of us strive to be appreciated and lauded for our efforts in the classroom, at work or on an athletic playing surface. We all loved to be loved.

For teenagers who may be seeking acceptance among their peers as they prepare for uncertain, often-daunting futures academically, athletically and professionally, certain types of behaviors come to be expected. Young people stretching the truth or exaggerating to seem superior or prop themselves up among their peer group is not abnormal behavior.

When this type of behavior is exhibited by the adults in the equation, aka parents who should be guiding their kids’ decisions instead of just perpetuating a false reality and fueling unrealistic dreams, the situation becomes both challenging and concerning. They seek “advice,” but much like their teenage children they just want to hear how great their kids are instead of accepting the reality of the situation and using that information to help them make sound decisions.

Many times, both the parents and kids will ask questions and seek “advice” until someone tells them what they want to hear instead of the information they really need to be successful. Unfortunately, in the world of youth hockey, there are plenty of coaches, scouts and advisors more than willing to tell us what we want to hear instead of being truthful.

This time of year, for youth hockey players who are in their teen years and beginning to think about pursuing hockey to the highest levels they can achieve, this type of behavior becomes more prevalent as they are presented with opportunities to participate in various junior tryout camps that are held throughout the spring and summer all over North America. Players begin to collect camp “invitations,” most of which come in the form of mass emails or texts that are sent to hundreds of players at a time.

Many – if not most – of these players have not been seen or scouted by the teams sending the “personal invitations,” but that’s not what is communicated to those receiving the invites. The messages often appear to come directly from the general manager or head coach and indicate that one of their scouts had suggested that the player was a prospect to make the team and should be invited to camp.

This is music to the ears of many players or parents, even if the opportunity to make the team is not legitimate and the players never have been seen by anyone in the organization. They eat it up and take the bait hook, line and sinker.

Much like athletes in other sports who hope to receive offers to play collegiately, many hockey players spin these mass invitations and say things like “I spoke to the GM and he wants me at camp,” or “I’m being recruited” by that team or “the head coach personally invited me” to the camp after he watched me play.

Sometimes you’ll even stumble across a social-media post that looks like this, “Proud and excited to receive my invitation to attend” a team’s main camp. For future reference, DO NOT do this.

Over the years as it became more widely known that these camps often are used by higher-level junior teams to fund their team’s operations budget, that as many as 200 players might be in attendance and that most of the “personal invitations” were mass invites sent to anonymous names in team and league data bases, organizations got more creative.

At one point, most young players with aspirations of playing college hockey hoped to be able to attend one of these camps, assuming that it would provide them with a legitimate opportunity to play at a level of juniors that could help them achieve their long-term hockey goals. But over time as kids participated in these large camps and returned home with disappointing accounts of how many players were there and how little feedback they often received, the hockey community began to describe most of them as “money grabs.”

At least partially in response to that label, these days it’s not uncommon for mass texts to be sent from organizations to players that appear to be coming directly from a GM, coach or scout. While the exact origin of text messages can be difficult to detect, generally it’s relatively easy to tell from the wording and tone of a message it’s sincere and legitimate. A personal message from a coach or general manager who genuinely is interested in a player usually is worded much differently than a message that is sent to a group.

For those who are unsure if a text or email message is a legitimate invitation, all they need to do is ask someone who has experience helping players advance what they think of it. Those who ask must be willing to accept the answer they receive, however, and unfortunately many are not. They may just ignore the answer or keep asking people the same question until they get the response they desire.

So, we’re back to square one.

As someone whose own son went through this process and ended up getting drafted by teams in two different high-level junior leagues before playing five years of NCAA Division III hockey – and someone who tries to help other young players figure out their best path toward achieving their hockey goals – I often get asked whether junior tryout camps are money grabs.

My answer might surprise you: They don’t have to be.

Some people will tell you that kids should do as many tryout camps as possible to get the exposure they need to play Tier 1 or Tier 2 juniors, which is the only way that they will play NCAA hockey. That, of course, is not entirely true as for years strong Tier 3 junior teams and leagues have sent hundreds of players on to play at the NCAA Division III level. But it will be interesting to see how the trickle-down effect from Major Junior Canadian Hockey League players being granted NCAA Division I eligibility might impact Division III commitments from those leagues in the future.

While it’s easy for someone to say that a player should attend as many camps as possible, they are not cheap. The cost of doing many camps, with travel and lodging often thrown in, adds up quickly, so it’s important to make the most of these experiences.

Other folks will say that junior tryout camps are a total waste of time. Some will say that kids should attend camps for the experience and to see what it takes to play at the next level. And still others will advise players only to attend camps where they truly are wanted and have built a relationship with the general manager or coaching staff.

As usual, the real answer lies somewhere in the middle of all that and is highly dependent on a player’s age, ability and goals.

Let’s take a step back first.

Junior tryout camps carry many different labels. There are predraft camps, developmental camps, futures camps and main camps. Most people consider the main camp as the final step in trying to make a junior team’s regular-season roster, but the truth is that most teams will select 30-35 players from main camp to attend training camp in September. At training camp, the final roster of 23 to 25 players is determined, so a bunch of players will get cut all over the country and be looking for homes after many teams have already begun their seasons.

For the purposes of this article, we will focus on main camps since those tend to be the largest of the tryout camps and many of them will be held in the weeks and months ahead.

In a broad sense, main camps are tryout camps for Tier 1 and Tier 2 junior teams, but there’s often much more to them than that. Main camps are where Tier 1 and Tier 2 junior teams bring their returning protected players, their draft picks and their tenders to skate and play for three or four days so they can determine which 30-35 players will be invited to training camp. 

As mentioned previously, main camps also have another purpose; they help fund team operations. In addition to the groups of players mentioned above, teams will invite players, who in theory they have seen or scouted, to attend and supposedly try out to make the team. 

In the United States, Tier 1 and Tier 2 junior leagues are “tuition free,” which means that players do not pay to play for teams at those levels. The only USA-sanctioned Tier 1 and Tier 2 teams in the U.S. are the United States Hockey League (USHL) and North American Hockey League (NAHL), respectively.

The National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC), the top tier of the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL), originated as a Tier 2 tuition-free league, but after adding several pay-to-play teams during the past year, its Tier 2 status seems dubious at this point. Teams in that league – as well as some Tier 3 leagues that are fully pay-to-play – also hold main camps.

Running a tuition-free program is extremely expensive when you factor in costs such as ice time, travel, lodging, food for road trips, insurance, uniforms, equipment and staff salaries. While some USHL and NAHL teams play in more isolated locations and are run more like minor league professional franchises – with strong revenue streams generated by tickets sales and sponsorships – many tuition-free programs are funded by ownership money, player fees from lower-level and younger teams within their organizations, league contributions and camp revenue.

Because of this, you may see anywhere from 120 to 200 paying customers at many USHL and NAHL main camps. NCDC camps tend to be a little smaller, with numbers often in the 80-120 range.

Players from all over North America – and sometimes other parts of the world – attend these camps at prices that usually range from $250-$500. Some quick math shows that a camp of 150 that costs $250 to attend generates $37,500 in revenue.

Keep in mind that the NAHL and NCDC teams also run “predraft” camps before their annual league entry drafts. For these camps they try to bring in players recommended by their scouts or who they have been told about and want to see in person as well as other players willing to pay for the opportunity to be considered for that league’s draft.

So, the bottom line is that many Tier 2 franchises are probably generating $100,000 or even more from their various tryout camps.

Most people wouldn’t have a problem with this if the camps provided a true open tryout opportunity. The reality is that there is a lot more that goes into making a team at the Tier 1 or Tier 2 level than attending a tryout camp. While it does occasionally happen, probably 99 percent or more of the players who attend main camps and are not drafted or tendered will not make a team.

That’s why many people call these camps money grabs, and depending on how you approach and view them, they certainly can be just that.

Of course, the top priority at these camps is for the organization to select the 30-35 best players to invite to training camp in hopes of fielding the best possible team for the upcoming season. Doing some more quick math, if each team has returning protected players from the previous season, 10 or more draft picks and eight or so tenders at camp (there may be more draft picks and tenders at some camps), that can add up to nearly 40 players it already has a vested interest in who are going to receive every opportunity to make the team.

Keep in mind that draft picks and tenders from previous years who the team may have been developing and tracking or who remained part of the organization as affiliate players can cause the number of players a team is seriously considering to grow even higher, and many of those players will be competing for the few spots that the team considers as being open based on the number of returners.

If 30-35 players will be invited to training camp and 40 or more already are a priority for the organization, the odds of someone just walking in off the street for main camp and even getting an invite to training camp are slim at best. It does happen, but if you are not the best player on your team at camp or an otherwise dominant performer throughout the evaluation process, it’s just not in the cards.

It’s accurate to think that organizations want to put together a highly competitive camp that tests their returning players and new recruits – and possibly produces a few under-the-radar prospects and younger players who might be worth a draft pick or tender in the future – but you can be sure that priority No. 2 after picking the best team possible is filling the camp with paying customers.

Tier 1 and 2 junior teams have scouts all over the country. Those scouts are looking for top talent who they think can compete successfully as Tier 1 or 2 players, future talent who might be worth a draft pick or be able to make the team down the road and good players who can make the tryout camps competitive. These scouts will talk to players they like during the season, correspond with them directly and invite them to a predraft or main camp.

If a scout is very high on a player, one of the team’s coaches usually will reach out to the player via phone, and if they think the player is a potential draft pick they likely will personally invite him to a predraft camp so they can see him play in person and determine if he is someone they want to draft or possibly tender.

When a team really likes a player, it may offer him a tender. Tier 1 and 2 teams get a limited number of tenders each year that they can offer to players. Players who sign tenders are property of that team in that specific league until cut or released, but they still can pursue opportunities with different teams in other leagues. 

Because teams have a limited number of draft picks and tenders, they are going to use those only on top players who they think have a realistic chance to make their teams now or in the future. Draft picks and tenders still must go through the main camp, get invited to training camp and ultimately prove they should be on the team there. Younger draft picks and tenders who do not make the final roster may become “affiliate players” who can practice with the junior team and play a limited number of games during the season.

Scouts often get paid a commission for getting players to attend tryout camps, so they also are going to invite other quality players to make sure the level of play is high, the camp is full and they get paid. Some of these players may be younger and possibly could pan out in the future, and some of them are just strong players who will make the camp better but have no realistic shot of making the team. 

This is what most people don’t understand or want to understand; a team can think someone is a really good player and invite that player to camp to help ensure a high level of play while also believing that the player has no shot of playing at that level.

Recently a friend asked me about a second-year 18U player who was a family friend and was hoping to play in the NAHL. His advisor had told him that two general managers in the league he knew had seen the player on film and wanted him at their maim camps. The player assumed that meant that the GMs felt he could make team. I knew a scout for one of the teams and reached out to him to find out if that was true, and the scout responded, “I spoke to the GM. He’s a good player, but he’s a camp player. There’s a 99.9 percent he isn’t making our team.”

The frustrating part is that matter how many times I’ve seen kids go through this process, how many people I know and how often this happens, many players and their families often don’t want to believe the truth. They often end up chasing the dream all summer and wasting thousands of dollars on tryout camps.

In addition, any players who have attended league combines, played in a AAA league, attended a USA Hockey district evaluation camp, played in certain showcases or participated in any elite hockey program that required an email address to register are likely going to end up on a Tier 1 or Tier 2 junior team’s email list and may receive email “invitations” from GMs, head coaches or assistants to attend main camps.

These are mass emails framed as personal invitations to make the players feel wanted. These almost without fail are not personal invitations.

Remember that priority No. 2 is filling the camp and generating revenue to fund the program. If a player hasn’t spoken to a coach in person, on the phone or via text – or is not invited to have a phone or Zoom conversation in the email – it is not a personal invitation. These players have almost no realistic chance of making that team.

For older players who are 18 or 19, going to a main camp without being drafted, tendered or having been contacted directly by a coach is probably a waste of time and money. So, for them the “money grab” tag can be appropriate.

If a player wants to give it one last shot to make it at that level and knows that a specific team has a need at his position, there’s nothing wrong with giving it a go. But for these players, bouncing from camp to camp randomly is a poor use of money and time that could be better spent finding a good Tier 3 home that is a great fit, offers a lot of playing time and hopefully can help move the player on to NCAA hockey.

Older players who attend a main camp should make sure to reach out to the coaches to let them know they are coming and try to get a recommendation from one of their previous coaches. They should do whatever they can to get on their radar prior to the camp in hopes of receiving a fair evaluation instead of being just one of 150 names on a spreadsheet. They also should introduce themselves to the coaches upon arrival, be prepared to compete every second of every shift and ask for an honest assessment while thanking the staff on the way out.

Even if they don’t make a team, making an impression can lead to a call up if players get injured or persuade a coach to recommend them to other teams with needs at that level.

For younger players who are hoping to play junior and NCAA hockey, going to Tier 1 and 2 tryout camps at age 15, 16 or 17 can provide invaluable experience as far as understanding what it takes to play higher-end junior hockey and provide an opportunity to make an impression for the future. But it’s still important to understand that USHL teams will be drafting 2010 birth years next spring, so their scouts have already been scouring the country for the most talented players in that age group who they think might one day be able to play at that level.

Just like for older players, though, the camps are going to be what players make of them. They should be sure to introduce themselves to the coaches, compete like they’ve never competed before and try to get real, constructive feedback before they leave.

It’s important for them also to not wait and simply email coaches after the camp. They should make their best efforts to speak to someone face to face before leaving to thank them and ask them what they need to work on to get to their level. Coaches may ask players to wait a few days and to send a text or email to follow up. That’s fine, of course, but taking the time to speak to someone in person before leaving and later following up will make a positive impression.

Playes should try hard to get an honest assessment of their play while their performance is still fresh in the minds of staff members. After a few days go by and having seen so many kids at camp, coaches are not going to be able to remember the fine details about a particular player, especially one who is not making the team. This is another reason players should go out of their way to meet the coaches while they are at the camp.

There is a catch to all of this, however.

At larger camps, the veterans, draft picks and tenders may not come in until after the first day or two. Many players go to camps and perform well without realizing that they aren’t competing against Tier 1 or Tier 2 players and think that they deserve to be at that level. Then they don’t get invited to stay for the final games or the all-star games and leave angry and feeling that they are legitimately Tier 1 or Tier 2 players.

For those who pay to attend, show up to play and leave without meeting anyone or getting constructive feedback, of course the camp is going to seem like a money grab.

While exit meetings are common, they don’t always happen. It’s nearly impossible for a coaching staff to take the time to have meaningful conversations with more than 100 players in the chaos immediately after a camp ends. Most organizations will make sure that someone speaks to players they legitimately are interested in for that year or in the future before they leave, however. So, players who don’t get spoken to may not really be on the team’s radar for the future – another reason to try to meet with someone or otherwise make an impression before leaving.

If players aren’t sure whether there will be an exit interview, they should ask if there will be one or try to schedule one and ask specific questions. Don’t settle for “you need to get stronger and faster,” as a critique. Those are standard comments that most players hear.

Players should try to find out what they need to do specifically to play at that level in the future and focus on those things when they get back on the ice and do their off-ice training. If there isn’t time for anyone to talk at the camp, players should try to schedule a time to follow up with them later that same week. 

In hockey, as with anything in life, it is imperative that young players learn and grow from every experience. Much like high school or college, main camps are what each individual player makes of them.

They can be a money grab for sure, but they don’t have to be.