Where am I going in hockey?

   

This question sometimes puzzles me, or more specifically the lack of asking the question bothers me.

 

I am the Best Hockey Player around

 

I know a lot of 8 year olds that are going to play in the NHL but do not know many 17 year olds that believe that it is going to happen to them. For guys playing hockey there are several options. For girls it's pretty clear the path you have to take.

 

Look from the Top-Down

 

Look at the rosters of the Colleges, Leagues, or Teams that you want to play for and see where they recruit their players from. You will see trends from programs or geographical areas of play.

 

Passion for Hockey

 

My first advice is to make sure you have the passion. Being the coach and parent of a talented girl ice hockey and inline hockey player has provided our family opportunities and expenses beyond belief. It also requires a time and monetary commitment to the game that most are not willing to make. I am the parent of a girl that lives in Arizona, practices and plays on a national girl's ice team in California each weekend, travels across the US and CAN each month to play other national teams, plays on the USA Womens Inline Hockey team since she was 15, maintains high grades in AP classes and is near the top of her class, is Editor-in-Chief of her school newspaper, and somehow finds time to have a life with friends.

 

Education

 

Grades and Sat's are very important. Make sure you watch your time lines so you don't miss the opportunity to get a second or third chance. The lack of attention or commitment to your academic work will limit your athletic opportunities while focus on this will create opportunities that your athletic abilities lack.

 

Who do you play for?

 

The teams or programs that you play for make a difference. Playing for a nationally ranked team will get you noticed. Who are those teams? Check out the teams or programs that play at nationally sanctioned events.

 

Playing for teams where the coaches are involved in the National Programs will also make a difference. It is very difficult to make it to the 'Big Leagues' on your own. It really does take a hockey village to raise a hockey player.

 

You should really look and evaluate the teams that you play on. Where are the best players on your team advancing to? Are you one of the best players?

 

Teams should have bios on each player show-casing their talents and stats ready to hand out to recruiters at each event. If they don't then you should be prepared with this information.

 

Other Hockey Exposure?

 

Contact the coaches or programs that you want to play with early in your recruiting career. Having somebody watch for you is a lot better than being 1 of the 40 kids out on the rink, let alone the 100s attending the tournament.

 

If I can't afford travel or I do not have the opportunity to play for a scouted team what else can I do?

You need to play in national show cases or attend national/college camps geared for individual players. You should be aware of the recruiters that will be attending.

 

 

 

 

   

Email coach with any
comments or compliments that would improve this site or the sport of hockey.
coach_greg@az-hockey.com

 






 
©1998 - 2015 az-hockey.com - All rights reserved
Created and Maintained by Coach Greg Era