COVID-19 Update: Proactive Over Panic
By Scott Lowe - DMVProspects.com
The current situation we face because of the COVID-19 restrictions that we all have been living with is coming to a head for the hockey community, and there is a lot of angst among young players and their parents.Normally the period of time from the end of USA Hockey Nationals, beginning around the second week of April, through early May is when most tryouts for AAA youth hockey teams are held. Tryouts for AA programs usually start a little bit later in April and run a little bit deeper into May.
By this time most years the majority of AA and AAA youth hockey players have figured out where they will be playing the following fall. But right now, as a result of the COVID restrictions being enforced in the DMV – as well as most other parts of the country – no tryouts have been held. Coaches have been talking to players, and no doubt many roster spots have been promised.
But so far in our district, the PVAHA, no player contracts should have been offered or signed, according to this March 23 announcement. This doesn’t present much of a problem for players returning to the programs they played for last year since the players who wrapped up their seasons, had exit meetings with their coaches and were told they had a spot on next year’s team are all set.
It’s the players who were looking to potentially move up to a higher level this year or to switch to a new club who have been left in limbo, which understandably has many players and families on edge.
“Until new 2020-2021 season tryout dates are announced by PVAHA, and started for each level of play (Tier I, Tier II and Travel), no association or teams shall have any player or parent execute any player agreement contract for the 2020-21 season,” reads the PVAHA announcement. “If any PVAHA association holds team tryouts for 2020-21 teams or requests player contacts or agreements for the 2020-21 season before PVAHA authorized tryouts start, that Association and all Association teams will be sanctioned through PVAHA discipline proceedings.”
That announcement was a noble attempt by the PVAHA to level the playing field when it comes to tryouts and to help calm some nerves. The reality at this point, however, is that many AA and AAA coaches have been recruiting and assembling their rosters.
Meanwhile, programs in New England and some other areas of the country have been handing out player contracts based on video evaluations, scout and advisor recommendations and player reputation for weeks. In the Atlantic District, which includes New Jersey, Delaware and much of Eastern Pennsylvania, teams will be allowed to hand out contracts without first holding tryouts starting June 1.
The general consensus is that the PVAHA MAY similar concessions very soon; nothing is certain at this point.
Those players without a home for next season who have been proactive in reaching out to coaches, providing the right types of video clips and advocating for themselves are in a much better position than the ones who have been sitting back and waiting for teams to reach out to them. In fact, many of the proactive players may already have received verbal offers.
For those who haven’t been as aggressive, don’t worry or panic. It’s not too late.
In any year, many AAA and AA teams sprint out of the gates in April, making a bunch of contract offers early in the process without actually filling their rosters. They will give players 24 or 48 hours to sign their contracts in an attempt to lock in the players they feel are the best before another team can get to them.
The reality is that even in a normal spring, many families take much longer than 48 hours to make what amounts to a very substantial financial decision. My advice to families who aren’t sure and want to discuss the decision at home and perform their due diligence in a normal year is, “If they really want you, that offer is not going away in two days or two weeks. Take your time and do what’s right for you.”
While under normal circumstances some players may have been told by this time that they aren’t in a team’s plans and should look somewhere else, AAA rosters at the 15-18U levels are almost never finalized by this point. The same goes for most AA teams. Many of those programs usually seem to have two or three open spots available every year as the season approaches.
Over the past several years, local Tier 1 coaches for those age groups have spoken to me well into August – sometimes even well into their seasons – about needing players to fill roster holes and who might still be available. Last summer, more than one local AAA coach came out to some of our Sunday Elite Hockey League (SEHL) games in July and August to scout players who might be able to fill openings on their rosters.
Hopefully that will ease the minds of players and families who are nervous or feel that they are behind the curve. However, with it appearing pretty likely that teams will be able to offer contracts without holding tryouts sometime in the near future, now is definitely the time for players to reach out to the coaches of the team or teams they hope to play for and advocate for themselves.
Please keep in mind that any correspondence with coaches should come directly from the player. Most coaches at ages 15U and older do not want to hear from the parents, and one of the benefits reaped by kids from participating in sports is developing the ability to interact confidently with their adult coaches.
Club hockey carries a pretty hefty price tag, so of course there are off-ice and other logistical issues that a parent may need to discuss with a coach, but anything that involves the player’s role on the team, a need for instruction or extra coaching, scheduling conflicts or a recommendation or reference should be handled by the player.
Young athletes forge a personal relationship with coaches through their interactions during practices and games as well as in the locker-room setting. This often leads to the player developing a comfort level interacting with the coach on and off the ice that can be used to encourage the player to communicate even more with the coach as a means of helping him or her become more comfortable interacting with other adults.
Parents of players with junior and college hockey aspirations who handle all or most of the communication with coaches, teachers and other influential adults in their kids’ lives risk creating a situation in which their child is grossly unprepared for handling situations on his or her own when it comes time to look for a junior team, head off to college or find a job.
At some point, coaches, teachers and other adults are going to refuse to talk to a kid’s parents, and if the child isn’t prepared to speak on his or her own behalf, handle constructive criticism and/or communicate his or her needs effectively, there could be severe negative ramifications athletically, academically and/or professionally.
The initial correspondence can be done via an introductory email to the coach in which the player states his or her desire to play for the team as well as why he or she is interested in that program, outlines any past teams he or she has played for and important individual accomplishments or credentials, asks pertinent questions in regards to the number of returning players and openings on the roster and provides video clips that allow the coach to evaluate the player.
The email that is sent doesn’t have to be long, and the video clips don’t have to be part of a fancy production that costs a ton of money or takes six weeks to put together. At this time there probably isn’t a lot of time to waste anyway, so keeping it simple and making it easy for coaches to see what they need to see are imperative.
Any video that is sent doesn’t need music or graphics or shadow boxes or circles around the players; no bells and whistles are necessary. Send clips of all the shifts from two or three good games while including a few highlight-reel-type plays like goals and assists and other clips of specific game situations such as penalty kills and power plays. Throw in a few hits and blocked shots and that’s pretty much all that is needed.
Just like we preach to players when they are on the ice, keep it simple.
Coaches are talking to and looking at a ton of players right now. Give them a couple of weeks to absorb the email, evaluate the video and check with any scouts or references they might want to contact. Be persistent without being a pain. Players should advocate for themselves and make it clear by their actions how important the opportunity is to them.
Winning over a coach can be a process. A player may not get an offer right away, but as time passes and personnel decisions need to be made, a coach is more likely to be comfortable making an offer to a player who has taken the time to build a relationship, who has proven that he or she really cares and who clearly values having a spot on that team over one who is good hockey player but more of an unknown off the ice.
Patience is key throughout this process. Given the uncertainty surrounding hockey right now, it’s understandable that many players are anxious and want to know what the future holds for them as soon as possible.
But ultimately the timetable is controlled by the coaches who are making the decisions. A parent or player isn’t going to be able to speed up that process, so hang in there and keep the lines of communication open.
It is important for players – and parents – not to freak out or panic if the initial news is not they want to hear. There is plenty of time between now and the upcoming season, and I can promise you that rosters still will be taking shape well into the summer. Players should keep communicating, be persistent without being overbearing, work hard off the ice and continue to advocate for themselves.
Remember that hockey is a small, tight-knit community. Many coaches at the higher levels know each other and communicate regularly. Handling things in an adult and professional manner with one coach can open up 10 more doors down the road – either for this season or in future years. Making a great first impression now on the coach a player hopes to play for – even if it doesn’t result in a roster spot this year – might persuade that coach to give the player an opportunity in the future or help find a home for the upcoming season.
Recent events should serve as a lesson to everyone in the youth hockey community not to take anything for granted. You never know what might happen in this crazy world we live in, so for young hockey players who are hoping to someday play beyond their high school and youth careers, it is imperative to sit down as a family at least a few times a year to discuss the player’s hockey goals for the short and long term and outline steps that the player should be taking on and off the ice to continue on the path toward achieving them.
From this point on, relationship building with coaches of teams at the levels to which the player aspires should be ongoing throughout the year. A player can reach out to coaches with a similar introductory email to the one described here then continue to update them on his or her progress, send occasional video clips and tell them when there are games they can come watch in their area.
Players should keep their video clips current, updating them every so often when they have a strong game, and have them available at a moment’s notice if a coach or scout requests them. If at some point a coach or scout for a team that the player wants to play for is in a pinch and needs to fill a roster spot, being able to respond as quickly as possible to the request just might help the player get an opportunity over others who aren’t as prepared.
In addition, keeping the lines of communication open with coaches and updating the video library will keep a player on a team’s radar and allow him or her to be ahead of the pack when the current season ends and everyone else is scrambling to find options for the following season.
By taking a little bit of time to think about the future and plan ahead, there will be no panic the next time the world shuts down and no scrambling to figure what teams might have openings or interest in the player this time next year.
Instead, the player will be taking calls and fielding offers from all the coaches with whom he or she already has built relationships while others are in panic mode.