Tryout Tips for Players and Parents
The Peak Performance Hockey Team is made up of current minor hockey rep coaches. With our experience, we have compiled a few tips for the player and parent to consider for tryouts, as seen from the coach’s point of view. Obviously every coach is going to look at different aspects during tryouts, but these are our suggestions; from experienced coaches to hockey families.
For the players
PAY ATTENTION – The term “Coachable” is used often around the rink. Whether or not a kid is coachable can be more important to an evaluator than the player’s skating or shooting. What makes a player coachable? Being able to listen to the instructor, and do exactly what is asked of them.
At tryouts, take a knee when the coach is speaking, listen to what they say, and make sure you do the drills right. If a coach says turn left or stop right, then turn left or stop right!
BE READY – There can be upwards of 70 kids on one sheet of ice for tryouts. That means a lot of waiting in line for each player. The last thing a coach wants to see is players get to the front of the line and not be ready to do the drill. Also, leaning against the boards or taking a knee while in line is a huge turn-off for evaluators.
At tryouts, always be ready to go. Watch the front of the line, and when it’s your turn, get into your ready position, wait for the whistle, and go your hardest!
FOCUS ON YOU – It’s true, each player is fighting for 1 of 17 spots on the team, but at the end of the day, the only thing that you can control is what YOU do on the ice.
At tryouts, don’t worry about what the other kids on the ice are doing. Focus on doing the drill to the best of YOUR ability, and not how everyone else looks. If you spend too much energy worrying about others, then you won’t be able to be the best YOU can be.
IF YOU'RE NOT CHEATING, YOU'RE NOT TRYING – This may sound like a weird one, and contrary to the last point, but when it comes to tryouts, it’s true. Now don’t get me wrong, a coach isn’t going to appreciate a kid starting 5, 6, 10 feet in front of the line, however, you won’t get extra points being the ONLY kid who doesn’t look for a head start. This could lead to you finishing the drill a couple seconds behind someone who you are just as fast as, but the coach may only see the finish line.
At tryouts, when in line with others, look for the player who is cheating the most and cheat a little bit less. If a player has a 6 foot head start, then you take 4 feet! (If the on-ice instructor happens to push everyone back to the line, then be coachable and listen.)
For the parents
Manage your expectations – Sometimes, tryouts can be more stressful on parents than they are on the kids. Just the thought of your child not making the highest level might keep you up at night. We all think the world of our little players. This is understandable. But what parents need to remember is that it’s not the end of the world if your child gets cut from the team that they are on or trying out for. Your boy or girl is going to be playing hockey this season, regardless of the level. The number of A’s in their title doesn’t directly mirror the kind of person they are, or the kind of parent you are. Make sure you understand this going into, and coming out of tryouts.
Manage your kid’s expectations – Nothing is better than the joy you see in your child’s smile when they read the word ‘congratulations’ on their letter. To a youngster, it’s one of the greatest feelings in the world to be accepted into this club that they have just worked so hard for. That being said, nothing is worse than seeing the pain in your child’s eyes after they read the letter saying ‘better luck next year’. Obviously we want the best for our kids, but do not sell try-outs as an all-or-nothing event.
In my opinion, all kids need to be cut at least once in their life. It teaches them that there is always something else to work for. It is hard for a parent to explain this to a child, but it’s the truth. It makes them stronger and shows what kind of resilience they actually have. As a parent, you should not be making excuses for your child, but instead tell them that they just need to work even harder to make the team next season.
Trust the coach – Coaches are given the responsibility of picking the team for the upcoming season. Are they always the most qualified? No. Do they always make the best decisions? No. But, it is their job to do. Whatever the outcome after tryouts, it’s simple; RESPECT IT! Following up with a coach or association and complaining that your child should have been on their team will give you a bad reputation for years. Unfortunately, a bad rep from mom or dad can mean that their child could be a parent cut for the foreseeable future. The coach was chosen for a reason, and they made their decisions for a reason. You do not have to agree with any of these reasons, nor may you even know them, but you should respect them. It is fully within your right to ask the coach for feedback for you child. This way you will know what they should be working on to become a more complete player for next year’s tryouts.
We at Peak Performance Hockey hope that you take these tips into account. We would like to wish you the best of luck in this season’s tryouts.