Page 20 - The Hockey Academy News February 2018

Looking at the Big Picture
This Tryout Season
By Dan Fontas
Tryout season, the most wonderful time of the year! This is the time in youth hockey where we all start looking towards next season. It is a common behavior for youth hockey parents, coaches, and directors, but why? Are our players really all that focused on next season? I don’t believe too many are. Can we, just like most kids, continue to focus on the current season so the players and coaches don’t lose sight of what they have been working toward all year? I am the General Manger of the New England Stars and I get it; our minds are xed on the future. I am forced to advertise early for tryouts so my coaches and families can plan and there is a part of me that wishes I did not have to do that until our current season is over. As much as directors are a part of the
problem, it does not mean that we can’t stress the idea of focusing on the here and now. So that is what I am going to do! Let’s worry about nishing THIS season strong and tell the players not to worry about what next season may bring. If your child is hard working, a good listener and attempts things his/her coaches are trying to teach then they will likely be
just ne next year. Let’s aim to not put any more unnecessary pressure on them at this time of the year.
This brings me to a question almost all hockey parents ask themselves; “what program is right for my child?” As a director and coach who has been involved in youth hockey since 2003, I have seen it all. I have seen parents leave a program for a multitude of reasons that just don’t make sense to me. Do you see what I did there? I said parents leave a program, not players leave a program. Nine out of ten times it is the parent and not the player that
20 FEBRUARY 2018 | THEHOCKEYACADEMY.COM