USA Hockey District Futures, Your Environment, and a bunch of Tangents

So, a couple of weeks ago, the New England District Futures "tryout" was held.

Honestly, I didn't even know about it until I realized a number of kids weren't at practice...

If you've never heard of it, it's a USA Hockey thing where, if you're selected, you get an invite to a "development" camp in the Spring. Might be in the summer, I don't remember.

For us, being in New England, it's usually in New Hampshire or Maine or something..

At one point, years ago, I had it entered in my calendar as something we should definitely NOT miss.

We did miss it, though.

Well, not really.

Things in the world were a little wacky in the Spring of 2020, the year we would have gone.

But, since that year, I haven't even given it a second of consideration.

Not one.

And with good reason too.

You know, making note of who "makes" it and where they end up the year after and the year after that -- years of observation at play, err, 10 minutes looking on Facebook and then EliteProspects -- really showcases things.

Literally, 10 minutes of "research"

Much like our 2009 birth year Jr Bruins Brick Series experience -- one of the most skilled 2008 players we've ever skated with did not make the USA Hockey Futures New England District cut back in 2019.

Perplexing...

Well...it wasn't perplexing once you saw the group of dad coaches making the selections...and their angst towards a kid that DIDN'T play on their teams.

I don't want to put it down or throw shade at those proud to have been selected to their USA Hockey District team so I'll just stop here.

Okay, sorry, I can't help myself and do feel the need to pull the curtain back...

I think it holds weight and can open doors and lead somewhere for the girls.

The options for girls at the U15 level are limited and very, VERY competitive.

At the onset, like, as mites and squirts, I'm super jealous of how girls have the open opportunities to double and triple roster but as they get older, I do not envy the avenues available to them.

Almost overnight, it goes from having too many options to, well, you'd better be awesome if you even want to play next season. THUD!

Being named to a USA Hockey Futures District team is a valuable feather in the cap. 100%

For the boys...yeah, um, well...if hockey is your passion and you have lofty goals, by 12 years old, you should really only be participating in things that lead you closer to your goal.

That goes for all of the off-season extras.

Or even the in-season extras.

Or, yep, that one weekend in New Hampshire. Or Maine. Wherever it is this year...

The runway is getting really short as you move into bantam -- use your time and money very wisely from here on out.

A USA Hockey Futures camp will not open doors -- it'll get you a practice jersey.

There's a reason the top flight players don't attend -- they already have dozens of practice jerseys and are nearly over the horizon on a completely different path.

And they don't attend.

Trust me.

They really don't.

Those kids are the ones that will roll back into the picture as 15 and 16 year olds and really get noticed...by USA Hockey.

The USNTDP isn't scouring these district camps for peewee talent. They're not.

They're not scouring high school teams either.

You need to make a high end midget team, gain some NCDC traction, and then maybe, just maybe, you'll get some "real" USA Hockey, or NAHL, or USHL attention.

If that's your goal, of course.

For the record, that super talented 2008 that didn't make it is doing just fine today -- varsity player (as a 10th grader) at a Prep School known for hockey.

So is the other 2009 Jr Bruin alternate -- he's at an Academy scoring at an unbelievable pace. Division 1 is in his future.

As for the kids we know that did make the cut for the Brick Series or US Hockey District teams?

A few took off and still play high level.

Most went on to lower end high school hockey.

Some don't even play anymore.

I'm sure everyone has heard or read the thing about how you're the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.

Might be four people. Six people? I dunno. Doesn't really matter.

Basically, your interests are generally drawn from the crowd you hang with.

Like, in University, I briefly fell victim to hanging out with the Jerry Springer loving crowd.

Not shockingly, my level of taste fell dramatically.

But it's so true.

I grew up in an affluent town -- MTV shot a 'Sweet 16' episode in town -- and can't tell you how many of my friends from primary school are currently living a very affluent lifestyle.

One could argue they were born with a silver spoon in their mouth and, sure, for a handful, that's true.

But the vast majority got to where they are today on their own based on the wise (inadvertent, maybe) choices they made along the way.

We're all truly a victim of our surroundings, for better or worse.

So, like, you never actually want to be the smartest or most talented person in the room.

Ever.

Being aware of that fact, early, is an ace in the pocket.

Same is true for hockey. Or any sport, really.

Any environment!

My oldest son's team has the best set of blue liners he's ever been a part of. It's not even close.

He raves about it on almost every car ride home -- doesn't give a hoot who his partner is, they're all solid.

There isn't a tandem or combo where you just have to cross your fingers and hope not to get scored on.

They're all good.

And that makes it a perfect environment for them all to get better.

And with tryout season coming up fast, lots of articles here on that, that's what you should seek.

I still stay the coach should be the top priority.

You want a coach that creates a positive development culture...and then players that fit into that culture.

Imagine a roster full of like-minded players with similar goals operating under a great coach.

See where I'm going here?

They feed off of one another.

That's the needle in the haystack I've been continually seeking for my kids.

We've had some hits -- the 2016-17 Connectict Chiefs mite team was something else!

...and we've had some misses.

Mostly, though, it's been a combo.

I'll stick with defense, in youth hockey, since it's easier for me to evaluate.

Let's be honest, outside of maybe one forward per team, the rest are nearly interchangeable. Some have considerably more points than others but 10 times out of 10, that's due to more ice time.

Ice time is earned, yes, but I've found that it's not a great indicator of talent, skill, or ceiling at the youth levels.

You'd be shocked how many points that kid getting 2 shifts per period could put up if they were out there like the kids playing every single power play and penalty kill.

Kills me every time I encounter a depth chart based on points on a coach's whiteboard.

Factor in ice time as a denominator...and the names would be shuffled.

Maybe even reversed.

Points comes from opportunities. More ice time, more opportunities. Direct correlation, there.

When that third line kid pops in two goals with limited ice time -- it should be rewarded for more than the rest of the game. They earned it...but seldom get it.

So many coaches -- parent coaches overplaying their own children, usually -- making lineup decisions can't seem to grasp this.

Math is important.

But back to the defense...where points (or talent?) don't matter.

Nearly every team we've been on, there's maybe one kid that wants to play defense. Two or three forwards, bigger kids usually, that get put on defense and hate it. And then the kids that the coach deems not good enough to play forward...so they try to "hide" then on defense cause, like, defense doesn't matter.

That's the defense for nearly every mite and squirt team around. It's like a junk drawer of spare parts.

Men's league, too, now that I really think about it.

So, my son's "crew" of five or six other players hasn't exactly been ideal for development over the years.

I mean, if you truly become the average of your surroundings, it's not exactly a great situation to find yourself in, you know, with three kids that don't want to be there, and a couple more that have been deemed not good enough.

Full disclosure -- my kid was originally one of the "not good enough" kids before he turned into the kid that wanted to play defense. We've seen both sides.

The past two seasons, though, have been epic.

I credit two things -- first and foremost, his head coaches both played professionally.

And, likely more importantly, both played defense.

For a kid that plays defense and has always felt insignificant (which is every single defenseman under the age of 12), having that type of coach is hugely advantageous.

They get it.

They automatically recognize talent that doesn't show up on the scoreboard.

Confidence is everything and these guys promote confidence to the blue liners.

Up next, with that confidence, the general mood of the kids at the far end of the bench is higher.

The top two pairings last season were four kids that WANTED to play defense. They excelled.

This season, on a roster that can boast eight or nine defenseman, has six top flight players playing regularly...and two or three more available to step in at a moment's notice.

I don't usually post photos of other players on here...but that's the set of 13 and 14 year old blue liners up above, with one missing. They're really good. All of them.

I'd venture to guess over half of them play junior hockey or in prep school over the next couple seasons.

It's a team within the team -- and they're boosting that average upward as a result.

Let's circle back to the idea that you never actually want to be the smartest or most talented person in the room.

I was listening to a radio show the other morning on a sports network and they were talking, at length, about some college basketball player.

I don't keep tabs on college basketball at all -- a cardinal sin in Connecticut -- and had never even heard of the player they were discussing.

Even now, I can't recall his name but they were talking about how "indecisive" he seemed in his overall gameplay.

Like, he'd force a pass when he should have taken a three. Or he'd pick up his dribble at all the wrong times. He looked lost.

That was the general consensus.

And the reason they were having this conversation was because he was a 5-star recruit -- he should be dominating but was appearing to be a bust, total disappointment, getting way to much playing time.

That's what the "radio" guys were saying.

And then the former pro chimed in.

He said the player's perspective had changed and it was nothing to worry about...yet.

In high school, as a five-star recruit, he was "the" guy.

He was surrounded by less talented players. And he was playing against inferior competition.

It was easy to be the three point guy, the dunk guy, the block guy, and the kid that put up 40+ points per game -- all in one.

We used to have a 7-foot kid play at our local high school and he plays Division 1 basketball now.

Let me tell you, high school basketball was very easy for him. I mean, being almost two feet taller than everyone, on it's own, is a huge advantage.

That advantage evaporates in the NBA where nearly every player is pushing 7-feet, these days.

And that's what this former pro was saying far more eloquently than I am now -- using overused sports cliches with real basketball terms sprinkled in.

He was saying that he's not the most talented guy on the floor anymore -- he's not alone out there -- and he's not depended on to do everything...nor should he be...like the radio guys we're alluding to.

"No scout wants to see a player that just scores -- you need a more complete game."

This guy's hesitations and decision making missteps were part of the process of making this guy a top end player in the NCAA.

In this former pro's mind, the coach was 100% justified in giving this kid the playing time he was getting -- it was going to make him more attractive to the pro game.

And so I extrapolated that to my experiences in youth hockey.

I've long said that my kids have played on self proclaimed "elite" teams since they were mites. Whether they're really elite or not doesn't matter - they've all been of a higher level than the other local "town level" programs.

Each season, we'd add a new player that had come from town league, totally accustomed to scoring two or three goals per game.

Every year, every kid's team, all the way up through first year bantam, a fresh face would join.

So, like, those kids were coming in like this freshman college basketball player -- coming in as "the guy" and then finding themselves surrounded with equally or more skilled players.

Some kids can take that and adapt to their "new" role.

Most parents of those kids, though, can't take it, I've found.

So, if you're one of those parents...step back and take it all in.

Don't sink your kid because of your vicariously bruised ego.

Hockey is supposed to be hard.

All sports are supposed to be hard.

Always remember, if you're the smartest person in the room (or best player on the team), you're in the wrong room.

Chances are, your kid is now in the right place...and will only get better.

On the flip side, every year or two, a kid on the roster kinda goes out on their own.

Plays for a different tournament team, stops coming to every practice, and quietly makes an exit.

Social media usually outs them though -- we parents are all friends, after all -- and it become apparent that they're playing for some team in a different league, an academy, or a prep school, or even one of those grade 6-9 pre-prep schools. These players are usually not just along for the ride -- they've got a goal in mind and they're chasing it. I can think of one player that left our team -- he was our stud -- to play for a more skilled program.

(Not going to use my kids as examples -- all three of them have left for different pastures and it's always been for that exact reason -- to get further and get better.)

The following season, he came back, though.

I don't know the circumstances firsthand.

Maybe the kid hated it.

Maybe dad hated that his kid was no longer "the" stud.

Doesn't matter -- that kid came a back a better player, overall.

Like, he left the roster as the leading scorer but also one of those players that just kinda hung in the neutral zone.

Most of his goals were breakaways or on the PP. Empty netters were commonplace. Big kid but not a fan of physical contact either.

Great finisher...but not really a complete package.

Legit, I'm not sure he was capable of skating backwards.

You know the type.

So, he goes to this new team, a higher level team, where they already have four or five players just like him -- and probably a bit more skilled too.

Kid was stuck between the second and third line, getting limited special teams time, and dad was probably hating every second of it...but they stuck it out for the full season.

Next September, not really liking the situation they were in, they came back to our team.

Some weren't happy to see him return, though.

Like, you know, other kids that were previously below him on the depth chart had taken his spot... They weren't happy our former "number one" was back...and was poised to re-take his position. Can you say locker room drama?

A-holes ran him off the team with off-ice nonsense...but from my vantage point, a one dimensional player left and a complete player returned.

He was the top scorer on our team when he left the first time. He was the BEST player on our team when he returned.

That year with a high level team served him well. Regardless of his role -- this kid was a total package and I really hope his father saw it too despite his lower point totals.

Kid bounced around a little bit after that but was always on higher end teams.

Pretty sure dad realized the talent his son had eventually -- we crossed paths earlier this year and his son was playing on a U16 split season team and, boy, did one kid really stand out.

Didn't score any points but was very clearly the most talented kid on the ice.

Connecting all of this rambling, you know, the USA Hockey District tryouts, the crappy coaches, and the parents unable to come to terms with the fact that they're kids aren't as great as they thought...I feel that youth hockey, in general, does a poor job of broadcasting the different levels of play.

Some of that is the elite, premier, select, and whatever name you want marketing nonsense that starts as early as mites...but I do believe that youth hockey is 100% guilty of handing out what equates to participation trophies.

Many of these kids "making" the USA Hockey District teams, and their parents, truly believe that their sons or daughters are on a clear cut path to the Olympics or professional hockey, blissfully unaware that there are hundreds, yes, hundreds of players within a 60 mile radius that don't even bother to attend these types of events because they're below them already...as middle schoolers.

Your team can win their "State" tournament and move on to "Regionals".

You could win that too...but you're still not even the best team in your own ice rink facility.

Been there, seen that.

They flew across the country for Nationals...but would never be able to beat a team they share a building with...

"But, but, but, they went to Nationals?!"

Sounds super important! Super impressive too...until you peel things back. It's a lower end "tournament".

Hard to explain if you haven't seen it all firsthand.

Sites like MyHockeyRankings.com (which I hate, by the way) have caught on for a wider audience than ever before -- and that's a good thing...but all of these programs with rankings in the low 80's are out there pretending none of the programs rated in the mid-90's exist.

Like they're unicorns.

They do exist.

And they are that good.

And, chances are, you'll never play against them...

Or see their players at a USA Hockey Futures tryout.

It's just a different crowd. And a different level.

Totally different level.

And, I've found, one crowd doesn't even really even seem to know the other crowd exists.

But when your kid is 17 or 18 -- the pool is small enough (youth teams fizzle prior to midget, just you wait) that you'll be competing for roster spots against them.

That's the harsh reality check -- not one player on that State Champion PeeWee team is good enough to play for the worst team in junior hockey.

Junior hockey is really competitive...and 90% of the players on those teams came up playing for programs that most hockey families didn't even know existed.

I'll say it. Elite youth hockey really is better.

And then take it all the way to the top -- there are guys in the NHL that are just 18 years old while these "unicorns" (that DO exist) are still playing junior hockey when they're 21 years old.

That just showcases how AMAZING the NHL kids are.

And how far from the NHL the middle-of-the-road 13 or 14 year old player aiming to play high school hockey truly is.

Totally different paths.

Now, these families might get the last laugh as nearly everyone ends up playing in the same men's leagues at the end of it all...

I don't want to discount the families with players attending the USA Hockey Futures tryouts...or events like that.

My goal is really to shine more light on the fact that there are so many levels ABOVE that...

Levels that even gung-ho hockey families might not know exist.

You know -- stamp out some of the false hype and save you some money along the way too.

It's like playing in a consolation bracket in a tournament. They're just giving you games.

That's worth something, absoutely, but not something to shout from the mountain tops -- we came in 1st place! (in the fourth loser bracket...)

Sure, it's cool to win...but you should be aware there are levels above you. Or even alongside you.

Slight tangent, but in Connecticut and under USA Hockey's conference, it's like every fourth team is crowned a state champion. It's ludicrous how many "Divisions" and "Tiers" (different Tiers than you're thinking of) they've put together to make everyone a winner.

If you have kids playing for different programs -- you'll witness it and it's very confusing so much so that when you experience it, being a "State Champ" feels like a participation medal...cause that's what it is.

Low end youth sports...with fancy names attached.

So, the main message in all of this is that youth sports routinely prey on the inexperienced parent.

The USA Hockey Futures District teams are not what they sound like.

Being crowned "State Champions" doesn't even put you in the top 20 teams for your state.

National bound does NOT actually mean "national" bound.

That summer tournament team touring Europe as "Team USA" isn't actually a good team...or affiliated with Team USA.

And be weary of AAA or Elite proclamations.

You may vehemently disagree with me now...but you'll figure it out on your own, soon enough.

Youth sports are VERY competitive.

There are levels above you that you don't even know exist.

And, yes, they truly are that much better.

And to pile on...no, they won't find you.

Good luck at tryouts, everyone!

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.