Was the Team picked BEFORE Tryouts?

If you googled this and landed on this page, trust your suspicions.

Tryouts are very rarely actually "open" tryouts where 15 roster spots are up for grabs.

With that, right to the point -- yes, most teams are picked prior to tryouts.

100%

I understand that sucks to hear and doesn't seem fair and blah, blah, blah...

But you need to look at it from the team or program's perspective too. At the end of the day, youth hockey is a business. Even the programs loosely diguised as non-profits.

Like, they know they NEED 10-ish competitive skaters and at least one goalie to even offer a team.

Without that, aside from lost revenue, they risk the chance of leaving a dozen families hanging in the breeze, unexpectedly, if things don't all come together.

I've seen it happen -- it's a terrible situation for more than just you.

So, while uncomfortable, it's in everyone's best interest to have teams line up the bare minimum for next season as soon as possible...and then add a few additional players utilzing the tryout process.

And, then from the player's side, we're all hockey parents here, right?

We've seen our kids put on a zero-effort showing before.

Or those times when the skates just aren't catching the ice.

I've sent my kid out on the ice, expecting them to rise to the occasion, when they're sick as a dog.

Before, and AFTER, that photo on the right was taken -- I told him to score goals. No excuses. He didn't.

Or, you see it almost every night, kid's just aren't in the mood sometimes.

It happens.

Does it seem fair that the best player on the ice, that everyone knows is the best, could get cut because his skates happened to be dull on the first tryout night?

If you're saying, "Yes", you're trying to fool yourself.

I could probably beat Sidney Crosby in a shot accuracy drill one time out of one thousand. If I happened to do it during the Penguins training camp, should I take over as their top center?

Absolutely not.

I got lucky.

And on that line, I've experienced a few times where my kid displays flashes of brilliance for 45 solid minutes before flaming out.

One tryout, he pulled off a between the legs goal and a Michigan...in a single shift.

But here's the thing -- usually, he's a sloppy stick handler.

How would that be fair?

Sure, he turned some heads and, perhaps showcased what could come further down the line...but the player they witnessed for 45 minutes is not the player he actually is.

It's a haphazard way to put a team together.

So as much as you may dislike the idea right now, there are solid reasons for it.

Players aren't ranked based on their last hour on the ice, nor should they be.

They're more accurately ranked based on what they've shown over a longer term.

This is one of the reasons it's so important to get your kid's name out there, prior to tryouts, like skating with other teams in January and February, so a reputation precedes them that will showcase that it's not luck, that's what you're going to get.

The "known" kids eat up the first 10-12 skater spots, usually, before the tryouts even begin. Every time.

Most are returning players or players the head coach is already familiar with.

Other players on the cusp are pencilled in -- not offered contracts in advance -- and could be replaced by that kid that pulls off the Michigan at full speed during the tryout process.

In my experience, players in that grey area are usually told in advance -- "Hey, maybe have a back up plan."

It's awkward and uncomfortable and I've seen parent get butt hurt over it and go full nuclear but, just this offseason, I witnessed half a team get ghosted by the coach and blindsided as the final night of tryouts came and went.

"Maybe the offer went to your spam folder?"

Please...

That's wrong...and I hate that it still occurs.

Programs should be more up front -- especially with the way tryouts are all stacked on top of one another so it's difficult to try out for multiple teams.

So, my best advice, as you come into the last few weeks of the season, would be to self evaluate where your kid falls on the depth chart. Realistically.

And, even better, try to get a vibe on whether the incoming or returning coaching staff actually likes your kid or if they're just a warm body rando on the bench.

If the coach frequently uses your kid to demonstrate drills, that's a good sign.

If the coach doesn't know your kid's first name, well, that's a bad sign.

If they get a ton of special teams ice time, that's good.

If they get pulled off the ice immediately, even when they draw a penalty 9 seconds into a shift, well, that's bad.

If you regularly golf with the coach, well, this article isn't for you anyway...

And, it's funny, as tryout drama starts to swirl about in February and March, I've had other parents say to me, "Your kid is untouchable. Must be a relief to not have to worry..."

But, inside, I can only think of one or two instances where I knew everything was a rock solid sure thing for the following season.

I ALWAYS have a back up plan.

Just this off season, we switched teams with one of my kids because I knew he was in that gray area where he was at risk of being replaced -- that drawing a penalty a few seconds into a shift scenario happened with uncanny frequency -- and so I committed to the new team before even learning his fate with the current one.

I knew. I was paying attention!

And that's the thing -- you may love one team over another or think more highly of this program versus that program but it is so, so, so important to go to a team and program that actually WANTS you.

Your player will be better off for it.

And while hockey is a team game, your primary focus should be your own kid.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know -- I love the feedback from all angles!

Chris Rutsch

Hockey Dad

Year round, I spend a significant amount of time and money transporting my three boys to and from freezing cold ice rinks. Not because I expect them to make it to the NHL but because I know the rigorous youth hockey experience will serve them well in the future.