Minor hockey tryouts (was: How to motivate a novice (or any) player for tryouts?)

[Yukon Joe]

How did it go?

Hoping for the best for your boys!

Thanks Hue!

My 2010 is still with the AAA team. After cuts there's now 9 D for 6 spots, so not out of the woods yet.

My 2012 had tryouts in a couple of hours.

 

[Slats432]

Something to remember. We had our first U17AAA/U16AA skate yesterday. I just did the rankings.

We as a group grade on a scale of 1-10 for each player to a 0.5 resolution. There are probably 10 evaluators but some are on different teams etc.

My coaches are a group of four evaluators.

The top defenesman stood out.
The next two were separated by 0.1.
Defensemen 4 through 7 were separated by 0.3.

On forward 2nd through 4th had identical scores.
5th and 6th separated by 0.1.
7th through 9th have identical scores.

Players and parents have to realize that the margins are so small.

I went to the U18AAA tryouts after ours were done. I watched 4 scrimmages. There are 10 teams of about 20 kids each trying out for two teams. So I watched 160 kids play. Maybe 10 stood out significantly. Bottom half were a little over their head but all good players. So 30 spots to be earned out of 150-170 kids with the slightest of margins.

Every backcheck, every rush, blocked shot or hit could be the difference between making it and not.

 

[Yukon Joe]

Thanks slats - I was curious how players were evaluated on just a purely mechanical level - so on a scale of 1-10.

If you want to answer - how do you keep track during the game?

And maybe a more dangerous question - are you given the names of players when you're evaluating?

 

[Slats432]

Thanks slats - I was curious how players were evaluated on just a purely mechanical level - so on a scale of 1-10.

If you want to answer - how do you keep track during the game?

And maybe a more dangerous question - are you given the names of players when you're evaluating?

At the club level we have a bunch of information. Name, Birth year, height, weight, previous year's team.

We have the list of players with number/colour.

I can't speak for other coaches/evaluators. You have to basically have two eyes. One is with the play. Following what is going on in that instance, whether it be a shot, one on one battle, rush etc. The other is away from the puck, which is harder to focus on.

A lot of times, you start getting a baseline on a player early. Fast skaters, good stickhandlers. I will a lot of times give them their baseline score early. If you just end up blending, you end up with a blank on the page until much of they way through the skate. You have to have an effect on the play to get a score (either good or bad)

I usually have a baseline on every player half way through the skate. Then I make corrections based on events. Every good play or poor play will be like your driving test demerits or merits (if you will).

If you have a baseline of 7.0 out of ten, and you make several excellent plays, then your final score will reflect your good performance.

I forgot to add one thing. You are basing your assessment out of 10 vs the peer group they are skating in. For example, when players that are released from higher, they will drop into the group, which will affect future scores.

 

[oldunclehue]

Something to remember. We had our first U17AAA/U16AA skate yesterday. I just did the rankings.

We as a group grade on a scale of 1-10 for each player to a 0.5 resolution. There are probably 10 evaluators but some are on different teams etc.

My coaches are a group of four evaluators.

The top defenesman stood out.
The next two were separated by 0.1.
Defensemen 4 through 7 were separated by 0.3.

On forward 2nd through 4th had identical scores.
5th and 6th separated by 0.1.
7th through 9th have identical scores.

Players and parents have to realize that the margins are so small.

I went to the U18AAA tryouts after ours were done. I watched 4 scrimmages. There are 10 teams of about 20 kids each trying out for two teams. So I watched 160 kids play. Maybe 10 stood out significantly. Bottom half were a little over their head but all good players. So 30 spots to be earned out of 150-170 kids with the slightest of margins.

Every backcheck, every rush, blocked shot or hit could be the difference between making it and not.

I am showing this to my son who is trying out this week for AAA. Slats you are a great hockey mind! Appreciate it.

 

[oldunclehue]

Are you subject to the same geographic restrictions dictating where your kid can play? If so, are other organizations in your league dealing with the same problem of losing their best players to these academies? If the answer to that is "yes", can anything be done to allow teams to merge at the U15 level? Cut the number of teams, but make sure the kids playing AAA are actually AAA players and not just the 12 or so best the org has even if only 5 of them should be playing that level?

We are subject to area restrictions, if cut and another team wants your kid, you could try for a release and move the kid to that area somehow (rare). I am not sure about other areas as of right now, I know other areas do lose kids, but it doesn't seem to be to the degree we are at.

I mean three of the four people on our AAA hockey area board are sending their kids to academies which really sends a message as to their level of commitment to the programs (hence no coach named yet or understanding of scheduling etc).

My son will be a lower bubble, he in a minor trying out and several majors are trying out. I am on the fence as to if he does make it if I will be happy as it may be a long year, if he doesn't make it then the AA program would be good for development but also comes with some pretty wild issues (playing in a league on the other side of the province).

I'm going to just try and enjoy the week and see where it goes.

 

[Yukon Joe]

And the first round of cuts for my 2012 kid came out last night - and my kid was cut. I had to tell him in the morning. Pretty stoic, didn't say anything. When I asked him how he felt he said "well I wish I wasn't cut" and that was it.

So this is his second year trying out for U13. Last year I didn't think he'd make a team, but thought maybe he could stick around and make it interesting for awhile. I was wrong, he was in the first round of cuts.

This year was his second year trying out. I could see how much he'd grown, both in his hockey skills, but also just physically. I thought the AAA team was not very likely but thought he had a great chance at the AA team. But again I was wrong - he was in the first round of cuts again.

I'm not here to whine and say my kid was treated unfairly. I doubt we'd try and seek a tryout with another club (in part because I don't want to potentially be dealing with two entirely separate clubs with two different kids, plus he'd also like to be with at least some kids he knows).

You're just left with the question though of "what should he have done differently". I thought he was doing all the little things - blocked shots, physical in the corners. It's not like he was just getting beat cleanly on a regular basis, or hardly at all. He was often looking to the bench and being waved off - was that a negative? Was it that, as a tryout team, they lost each game, at least one by a wide margin? Was it that he's just not a very offensive player?

And then finally for next year - he can try out again, but we're back to the "rich getting richer" - kids who have been playing AA/AAA 1-3 years, versus him playing in community. We can definitely look at some extra enrichment (more power skating and skills development) but at some point he needs to play against really good competition.


My 2010 kid - he's on the AAA roster, but still cuts to be made. They play an exhibition game shortly, and my kid is playing. He's paired with a kid who has plenty of talent to make the roster - but rumour has it that attitude may well keep him off the team. Not my kid so not my story to tell (and there is a story) - but my own kid is not at all complementary to this kids attitude in the locker room when coaches aren't around.

 

[Slats432]

And the first round of cuts for my 2012 kid came out last night - and my kid was cut. I had to tell him in the morning. Pretty stoic, didn't say anything. When I asked him how he felt he said "well I wish I wasn't cut" and that was it.

So this is his second year trying out for U13. Last year I didn't think he'd make a team, but thought maybe he could stick around and make it interesting for awhile. I was wrong, he was in the first round of cuts.

This year was his second year trying out. I could see how much he'd grown, both in his hockey skills, but also just physically. I thought the AAA team was not very likely but thought he had a great chance at the AA team. But again I was wrong - he was in the first round of cuts again.

I'm not here to whine and say my kid was treated unfairly. I doubt we'd try and seek a tryout with another club (in part because I don't want to potentially be dealing with two entirely separate clubs with two different kids, plus he'd also like to be with at least some kids he knows).

You're just left with the question though of "what should he have done differently". I thought he was doing all the little things - blocked shots, physical in the corners. It's not like he was just getting beat cleanly on a regular basis, or hardly at all. He was often looking to the bench and being waved off - was that a negative? Was it that, as a tryout team, they lost each game, at least one by a wide margin? Was it that he's just not a very offensive player?

And then finally for next year - he can try out again, but we're back to the "rich getting richer" - kids who have been playing AA/AAA 1-3 years, versus him playing in community. We can definitely look at some extra enrichment (more power skating and skills development) but at some point he needs to play against really good competition.


My 2010 kid - he's on the AAA roster, but still cuts to be made. They play an exhibition game shortly, and my kid is playing. He's paired with a kid who has plenty of talent to make the roster - but rumour has it that attitude may well keep him off the team. Not my kid so not my story to tell (and there is a story) - but my own kid is not at all complementary to this kids attitude in the locker room when coaches aren't around.

Sorry to hear, but one thing to remember as parents we have a positive view of our kids and overlook their flaws and see the best of them. (I did the same for 15 years)

The team thing doesn't matter, game scores don't matter. Evaluators watch the individual and how they play. You are watching them constantly. Evaluators are watching them in context of 39 other players. Not sure about looking to the bench. I don't think I would evaluate it but I would focus on the play, not on the bench.

I have a kid at tryouts who is an excellent skater, excellent shot, great puck handler, but if he doesn't have the puck, you wouldn't know he is on the ice. His dad will point out his skills, skating and goals, and I would counter with "Why did he not pick up a guy on the 3 on 2?"

If I was in charge of an association, I would strongly consider sharing the rankings. That said, that probably opens up too many worms to consider.

 

[Yukon Joe]

If I was in charge of an association, I would strongly consider sharing the rankings. That said, that probably opens up too many worms to consider.

I wish they would, but understand why they don't.

In my job there are a number of things we absolutely, 100% will not give an explanation for. "I'm sorry the decision is final". The reason of course is that the moment we start giving explanations is that people want to argue with us, and then taking it to higher authorities. I'm fully prepared to justify the decision to my boss - but not the public.

That being said - the one coach coached my kid three years ago, so I have his contact information. The coach addressed my kid by name so he remembers him. I might reach out to the coach to see if my kid (not me) could call him to ask what he needs to improve on.

But I'd want to see if my kid would want to even do that first.

 

[Slats432]

I wish they would, but understand why they don't.

In my job there are a number of things we absolutely, 100% will not give an explanation for. "I'm sorry the decision is final". The reason of course is that the moment we start giving explanations is that people want to argue with us, and then taking it to higher authorities. I'm fully prepared to justify the decision to my boss - but not the public.

That being said - the one coach coached my kid three years ago, so I have his contact information. The coach addressed my kid by name so he remembers him. I might reach out to the coach to see if my kid (not me) could call him to ask what he needs to improve on.

But I'd want to see if my kid would want to even do that first.

Funny, after watching the U18AAA a couple days ago, two of my previous players texted me because they saw me in the stands and asked what they could do better....lol

Always of value to get that opinion.

 

[MeHateHe]

And the first round of cuts for my 2012 kid came out last night - and my kid was cut. I had to tell him in the morning. Pretty stoic, didn't say anything. When I asked him how he felt he said "well I wish I wasn't cut" and that was it.

So this is his second year trying out for U13. Last year I didn't think he'd make a team, but thought maybe he could stick around and make it interesting for awhile. I was wrong, he was in the first round of cuts.

A million years ago when I was coaching, we cut a goalie and went with an underager - and it was my decision to make. The kid we cut came up to us afterward and told us we would regret the decision. It was pretty ballsy for a 14-year-old, I thought, especially a goalie. The rule was then if you got cut from a team in one association, you could basically go try out for any other association in the city, and this kid did just that.

And he was right, in the end. The underager ended up being our backup through playoffs and the kid we cut wound up starting for another association. None of these guys had hockey careers to speak of - one of our team's players was eventually an NHL draft pick, but that had nothing to do with the coaching - but the kid I cut went on to have a pretty successful rest of his minor hockey career.

Moral of the story: a closed door often leads to a hallway to something else. It suckkkkkkks to get cut, but life is long and your kid will have other doors to open.

 

[krown]

A million years ago when I was coaching, we cut a goalie and went with an underager - and it was my decision to make. The kid we cut came up to us afterward and told us we would regret the decision. It was pretty ballsy for a 14-year-old, I thought, especially a goalie. The rule was then if you got cut from a team in one association, you could basically go try out for any other association in the city, and this kid did just that.

And he was right, in the end. The underager ended up being our backup through playoffs and the kid we cut wound up starting for another association. None of these guys had hockey careers to speak of - one of our team's players was eventually an NHL draft pick, but that had nothing to do with the coaching - but the kid I cut went on to have a pretty successful rest of his minor hockey career.

Moral of the story: a closed door often leads to a hallway to something else. It suckkkkkkks to get cut, but life is long and your kid will have other doors to open.

This 100%

My kid's story almost eerily. He's a goalie. In the covid year, he entered first year U11 and got cut from the A1 team for an underager U9. We had alot of friends on the team, and they said that during the season (not of much of one because of no games and such), the goalie would be crying because the shots were too hard. He would ending up stepping out of the crease if a kid was about to take a slapshot.

I always wonder when a coach makes a roster decision, do they take the younger kid who can potentially develop faster, or the year older kid who has more maturity, mentally and physically.

 

[Slats432]

This 100%

My kid's story almost eerily. He's a goalie. In the covid year, he entered first year U11 and got cut from the A1 team for an underager U9. We had alot of friends on the team, and they said that during the season (not of much of one because of no games and such), the goalie would be crying because the shots were too hard. He would ending up stepping out of the crease if a kid was about to take a slapshot.

I always wonder when a coach makes a roster decision, do they take the younger kid who can potentially develop faster, or the year older kid who has more maturity, mentally and physically.

There are lots of factors, but in multi age teams, it does make sense to have a percentage of first years that will develop and be key players the following year.

In a single birth year team, those things don't happen. In club hockey in Edmonton there are three (Mostly) single year teams. U18 U17 and U16, and that generally goes by merit so you will see mostly the older age with a few talented players that are one year younger. U15 and U13 are two year age groups, so at the top level it is more likely for 1st year players to get released unless they play themselves on the team.

 

[Yukon Joe]

This 100%

My kid's story almost eerily. He's a goalie. In the covid year, he entered first year U11 and got cut from the A1 team for an underager U9. We had alot of friends on the team, and they said that during the season (not of much of one because of no games and such), the goalie would be crying because the shots were too hard. He would ending up stepping out of the crease if a kid was about to take a slapshot.

I always wonder when a coach makes a roster decision, do they take the younger kid who can potentially develop faster, or the year older kid who has more maturity, mentally and physically.

No opinion on whether your kid should've been cut or not, but U 11 will have 9 and 10 year olds on the team. Why on earth would you put a (presumably) 8 year old goalie on there? There's a world of difference between a grade 3 and a grade 5 kid. I don't care how good you are in U9 - you're still in U9.

 

[May Day 10]

And the first round of cuts for my 2012 kid came out last night - and my kid was cut. I had to tell him in the morning. Pretty stoic, didn't say anything. When I asked him how he felt he said "well I wish I wasn't cut" and that was it.

So this is his second year trying out for U13. Last year I didn't think he'd make a team, but thought maybe he could stick around and make it interesting for awhile. I was wrong, he was in the first round of cuts.

This year was his second year trying out. I could see how much he'd grown, both in his hockey skills, but also just physically. I thought the AAA team was not very likely but thought he had a great chance at the AA team. But again I was wrong - he was in the first round of cuts again.

I'm not here to whine and say my kid was treated unfairly. I doubt we'd try and seek a tryout with another club (in part because I don't want to potentially be dealing with two entirely separate clubs with two different kids, plus he'd also like to be with at least some kids he knows).

You're just left with the question though of "what should he have done differently". I thought he was doing all the little things - blocked shots, physical in the corners. It's not like he was just getting beat cleanly on a regular basis, or hardly at all. He was often looking to the bench and being waved off - was that a negative? Was it that, as a tryout team, they lost each game, at least one by a wide margin? Was it that he's just not a very offensive player?

And then finally for next year - he can try out again, but we're back to the "rich getting richer" - kids who have been playing AA/AAA 1-3 years, versus him playing in community. We can definitely look at some extra enrichment (more power skating and skills development) but at some point he needs to play against really good competition.


My 2010 kid - he's on the AAA roster, but still cuts to be made. They play an exhibition game shortly, and my kid is playing. He's paired with a kid who has plenty of talent to make the roster - but rumour has it that attitude may well keep him off the team. Not my kid so not my story to tell (and there is a story) - but my own kid is not at all complementary to this kids attitude in the locker room when coaches aren't around.

Stinks to hear about 2012. Its tough.

I am in a similar situation with my U12 player. We are in an area with only 1 true AAA team, 2 teams who are kind of AAA, play tougher competition, practice more, etc, and then 2 other AAA teams who are mid to low-level AA teams in ability.

Its the US, so we can choose where we go, but there are no paid non-parent coaches and it is all political. The AAA teams have not changed any/many players in 3-4 years. My son, in my opinion should be able to play and be a contributor on those teams, but he is not given the opportunity, and you cannot attend the tryout because everyone's are scheduled on the same day and time. The only opportunity is given to VIPs who are invited ahead of time. He can play for the lesser "AAA" teams, but we have declined. He has played on upper AA teams. The upper AAA teams in the area do not (will not) play our team, so we remain relatively obscure and everyone remains in a bubble.
For spring stuff, these AAA teams, coaches, and players all cycle through one another as favors to each other, and visa versa, so little/no opportunity comes from that. We have to play for non-local teams for my kid to play actual high-level hockey. He does great.

So my worry, is he is not getting to play against the same competition, isn't provided the same resources, ice time, support, etc as the other kids. He works hard, goes to a lot of extra skating classes, but at some point, he is not going to feel like its worth it. This Summer he was on the same ice as some of the AAA kids for various things, and he looked just fine, and out-played most of them though.



My other son is a few years older, and it wasn't anywhere close to this bad when he was this age. It's getting worse in my opinion.

 

[Minnesota Knudsens]

And the first round of cuts for my 2012 kid came out last night - and my kid was cut. I had to tell him in the morning. Pretty stoic, didn't say anything. When I asked him how he felt he said "well I wish I wasn't cut" and that was it.

So this is his second year trying out for U13. Last year I didn't think he'd make a team, but thought maybe he could stick around and make it interesting for awhile. I was wrong, he was in the first round of cuts.

This year was his second year trying out. I could see how much he'd grown, both in his hockey skills, but also just physically. I thought the AAA team was not very likely but thought he had a great chance at the AA team. But again I was wrong - he was in the first round of cuts again.

I'm not here to whine and say my kid was treated unfairly. I doubt we'd try and seek a tryout with another club (in part because I don't want to potentially be dealing with two entirely separate clubs with two different kids, plus he'd also like to be with at least some kids he knows).

You're just left with the question though of "what should he have done differently". I thought he was doing all the little things - blocked shots, physical in the corners. It's not like he was just getting beat cleanly on a regular basis, or hardly at all. He was often looking to the bench and being waved off - was that a negative? Was it that, as a tryout team, they lost each game, at least one by a wide margin? Was it that he's just not a very offensive player?

And then finally for next year - he can try out again, but we're back to the "rich getting richer" - kids who have been playing AA/AAA 1-3 years, versus him playing in community. We can definitely look at some extra enrichment (more power skating and skills development) but at some point he needs to play against really good competition.


My 2010 kid - he's on the AAA roster, but still cuts to be made. They play an exhibition game shortly, and my kid is playing. He's paired with a kid who has plenty of talent to make the roster - but rumour has it that attitude may well keep him off the team. Not my kid so not my story to tell (and there is a story) - but my own kid is not at all complementary to this kids attitude in the locker room when coaches aren't around.

It’s not a question of “whining”. You’re a parent and you want the best for your kid. It’s totally natural to be upset. Plus I think there’s a tendency to think hockey dad’s are always crazy and biased, but maybe some of these evaluations aren’t fair (or razor thin like Slats said).

I watched a game in which my son had about 3 high danger chances, 4 SOG, scored a highlight reel goal and hit the crossbar. Then on some late PKs he forechecked like a beast and was greatly responsible for his team maintaining a one goal lead. He played in 2 games and scored 2 of his team’s 5 goals. The fact that he got cut after that game had me absolutely flabbergasted.

And you’re totally right, it’s the difference between getting ice time, with and against, high level players vs dominating a bunch of kids that can barely skate twice a week.

 

[Minnesota Knudsens]

At the club level we have a bunch of information. Name, Birth year, height, weight, previous year's team.

We have the list of players with number/colour.

I can't speak for other coaches/evaluators. You have to basically have two eyes. One is with the play. Following what is going on in that instance, whether it be a shot, one on one battle, rush etc. The other is away from the puck, which is harder to focus on.

A lot of times, you start getting a baseline on a player early. Fast skaters, good stickhandlers. I will a lot of times give them their baseline score early. If you just end up blending, you end up with a blank on the page until much of they way through the skate. You have to have an effect on the play to get a score (either good or bad)

I usually have a baseline on every player half way through the skate. Then I make corrections based on events. Every good play or poor play will be like your driving test demerits or merits (if you will).

If you have a baseline of 7.0 out of ten, and you make several excellent plays, then your final score will reflect your good performance.

I forgot to add one thing. You are basing your assessment out of 10 vs the peer group they are skating in. For example, when players that are released from higher, they will drop into the group, which will affect future scores.

A few questions because I found this really interesting:

Do you weight scrimmages and drills differently? I’ve seen a lot of kids that look really pretty going through pylons that completely disappear in a scrimmage.

And then the other one is, do you sometimes have a tough time differentiating a player from the linemates he’s playing with? I saw a scrimmage in the spring in which my son and 2 very good linemates had the opposition pinned in their own zone all game. Because they were all decent players making contributions, it was difficult to tell who was stirring the drink.

 

[Slats432]

A few questions because I found this really interesting:

Do you weight scrimmages and drills differently? I’ve seen a lot of kids that look really pretty going through pylons that completely disappear in a scrimmage.

And then the other one is, do you sometimes have a tough time differentiating a player from the linemates he’s playing with? I saw a scrimmage in the spring in which my son and 2 very good linemates had the opposition pinned in their own zone all game. Because they were all decent players making contributions, it was difficult to tell who was stirring the drink.

There are no drills at our level. Game only with referees.

We also have people on the bench to ensure equivalent ice and change of defensive partners and linemates. Even if players do end up playing with other good players, their evaluations usually stand on their own.

 

[Yukon Joe]

It’s not a question of “whining”. You’re a parent and you want the best for your kid. It’s totally natural to be upset. Plus I think there’s a tendency to think hockey dad’s are always crazy and biased, but maybe some of these evaluations aren’t fair (or razor thin like Slats said).

I watched a game in which my son had about 3 high danger chances, 4 SOG, scored a highlight reel goal and hit the crossbar. Then on some late PKs he forechecked like a beast and was greatly responsible for his team maintaining a one goal lead. He played in 2 games and scored 2 of his team’s 5 goals. The fact that he got cut after that game had me absolutely flabbergasted.

And you’re totally right, it’s the difference between getting ice time, with and against, high level players vs dominating a bunch of kids that can barely skate twice a week.

So here's the thing - I am biased. When my kid is on the ice, I watch my kid 90% of the time. I am not a neutral observer of my kid. While after this many years as a hockey dad, hockey coach, and hockey player I think I know a tiny bit, I wouldn't trust my observations. (I only started playing as an adult, despite now being at it several years)

So I do want the best for my kid. He put a "stiff upper lip" on it this morning (cuts came out on a website at about 1:30 am) but I could tell he's hurt, which hurts me as a dad. But I absolutely can't say he was treated unfairly. Maybe it's not 100% the correct result, but all the participants involved seemed to be trying their best. And as I've said before, I think in this thread - "make it so they can't say no", rather than on the fringes say the slight advantage should go to my kid rather than someone else.

There are no drills at our level. Game only with referees.

We also have people on the bench to ensure equivalent ice and change of defensive partners and linemates. Even if players do end up playing with other good players, their evaluations usually stand on their own.

Err - after the first round of cuts, the kids are doing drills and practices...

 

[Slats432]

So here's the thing - I am biased. When my kid is on the ice, I watch my kid 90% of the time. I am not a neutral observer of my kid. While after this many years as a hockey dad, hockey coach, and hockey player I think I know a tiny bit, I wouldn't trust my observations. (I only started playing as an adult, despite now being at it several years)

So I do want the best for my kid. He put a "stiff upper lip" on it this morning (cuts came out on a website at about 1:30 am) but I could tell he's hurt, which hurts me as a dad. But I absolutely can't say he was treated unfairly. Maybe it's not 100% the correct result, but all the participants involved seemed to be trying their best. And as I've said before, I think in this thread - "make it so they can't say no", rather than on the fringes say the slight advantage should go to my kid rather than someone else.



Err - after the first round of cuts, the kids are doing drills and practices...

A think to remember is mine got cut at U13AA and played Tier 4. The association had a lot of weak players so that is where the team ended up.

( The next year tier 3 U15, then U15AA, U16AAA (which no longer exists), then two years of U18AAA before Junior A. Getting released should build the fire for next year.)

The year after mine got cut, he decided that he would never again let it be up to the coach. It was 5 days a week 3 hours a day in the gym every summer. Never cheated a drill in practice, or any summer skate. 100% all the time.

Right now I have 8 forwards within 0.9 of each other. If you have three coaches give you an extra half point in their evaluations in one skate, that might be enough to make a team. It is that close.

Err - after the first round of cuts, the kids are doing drills and practices...

We are still in the first round of skates. U13 and U15 started earlier than us.

 

[Minnesota Knudsens]

So here's the thing - I am biased. When my kid is on the ice, I watch my kid 90% of the time. I am not a neutral observer of my kid. While after this many years as a hockey dad, hockey coach, and hockey player I think I know a tiny bit, I wouldn't trust my observations. (I only started playing as an adult, despite now being at it several years)

So I do want the best for my kid. He put a "stiff upper lip" on it this morning (cuts came out on a website at about 1:30 am) but I could tell he's hurt, which hurts me as a dad. But I absolutely can't say he was treated unfairly. Maybe it's not 100% the correct result, but all the participants involved seemed to be trying their best. And as I've said before, I think in this thread - "make it so they can't say no", rather than on the fringes say the slight advantage should go to my kid rather than someone else.



Err - after the first round of cuts, the kids are doing drills and practices...

I do watch my son, but I also tend to know most of the other kids as well. They’re pretty much the same kids that my son played with or against for the last year, and I get really involved in watching the games. I can also acknowledge when a player is waaay better than my son. It’s when you get into that tweener territory that I find it difficult. So in a tryout I’m really looking at which players stand out. Also which groupings seem to dominate zone time or conversely, get hemmed a lot in their own zone. Was a D man too weak to exit the zone? Could the forwards not get through the neutral zone and why? Does a certain player repeatedly have the play die on his stick? Player X might be a good skater but his shot is a muffin. Etc.

You tend to see a lot of this stuff all year round while watching games though. I understand this is impossible while trying to have independent evaluations.

Also I get what you’re saying about incumbent players being a known quantity and therefore, getting the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Yukon Joe]

Funny, after watching the U18AAA a couple days ago, two of my previous players texted me because they saw me in the stands and asked what they could do better....lol

Always of value to get that opinion.

When I asked my kid if he wanted to talk to the one coach about what he could do better - he said no.

 

[Slats432]

When I asked my kid if he wanted to talk to the one coach about what he could do better - he said no.

That's not abnormal. My guys were 16 years old and they have been in the elite stream for a few years. They like feedback. Younger guys, not so much.

 

[Yukon Joe]

That's not abnormal. My guys were 16 years old and they have been in the elite stream for a few years. They like feedback. Younger guys, not so much.

I think it's just more a general discomfort in talking with authority figures in general.

We're going to see where this kid lands in his home club. He'll be doing school hockey as well so that's two extra ice times per week, and then we might discuss supplementing on to of that if he really wants to if he really wants to make elite hockey next year.

 

[oldunclehue]

I think it's just more a general discomfort in talking with authority figures in general.

We're going to see where this kid lands in his home club. He'll be doing school hockey as well so that's two extra ice times per week, and then we might discuss supplementing on to of that if he really wants to if he really wants to make elite hockey next year.

I'd recommend if you want too, as he is still fairly young, send a nice email to the coach. Just saying your son was thankful for the oppourtunity to try out and was asking what he can improve on to help him for the season and next year. I as a coach received one of these emails from a parent and it really made me see that player in a different light moving forward. I explained she needed to work on her strength and shooting. She did so and the next year made the top team and actually thanked me for the feedback.

I know hes a 2010 and may be thought as best from him, but as hes only a 2010, kids don't email so it could be viewed as basically from him even though you sent the email.

Tomorrow is the start for my 2011, fitness testing (I don't understand why at 13 years old they would do much fitness testing) and then practice followed by two games saturday before cuts,

I likely won't sleep much, even though hes likely to get cut I really want him to make it to the intersquad game.