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| Expect a crowd at elite team tryouts. |
Having just wrapped up a weekend conference with Brian Daccord's Foundation of Goalie Research and Education (FGRE) in Woburn, Mass., I was reminded that I've fallen behind on my blog. So I'll try to make up for lost time ... Here's the first of three posts, starting with one of my favorite topics -- so-called "elite" or "select" programs.
In short, the phrase "buyer beware" instantly comes to mind. These programs don't always provide an "elite" experience for your child, and you should do everything you can to learn more before signing on the dotted line, and committing hundreds of dollars, to make sure the program will be a good fit. In fact, several coaches this weekend told stories of appalling behavior by some programs, which were willing to back-stab players they had already selected if if meant an upgrade (telling me that this topic is, unfortunately, still current).
The lesson? You need to advocate for your child, because too many of these programs won't. Let me know what you think ...
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"Elite" hockey is no panacea … Do your homework
Select and elite hockey programs will promise you the world. I'm here to put a pin in their over-inflated balloon. That doesn't reflect any deep-seated malice. I do it because my only loyalty is to my readers. My goalies, their parents, their coaches. That gives me a certain freedom. Directors of "select" and "elite" programs don't have that luxury. They are beholden to their bottom lines.
Here's my cautionary tale. By the time you read this, my daughter will have finished her high school career. That's liberating. Like any parent, I was hesitant to criticize any organization that Brynne played for, concerned about in-season retribution (which, believe, happens, and happens often). But they often deserved criticism.
The following observations are generalized, occasionally focusing on goalies. In her first two years of "select" hockey, Brynne (a defenseman) played for a program on Massachusetts's North Shore. Her first year was a dream, with two great coaches who were dedicated to their players. It was an incredibly rewarding experience for Brynne as she transitioned from her co-ed youth hockey program.
The bubble burst a year later. Brynne was placed on a Tier 2 full-season team (the right placement, based on her tryout), despite my telling the program director that she was playing for her high school team. "That's OK," the director replied. "We want our girls getting more ice time."
The director's tone changed completely a month into the season. She and the coach realized that half the team was playing high school hockey, and MIAA rules often prevented those girls from participating in practices and games. The team struggled. The director called a parent meeting, asking for more commitment. We reminded her that she knew these girls were playing high school hockey.
Brynne switched to another "North Shore" program the following year, joining several high school teammates. Brynne's U-16 team had a "coach" who showed up for maybe half the games. Not a good sign. Since I was driving Brynne, I volunteered repeatedly to work with the goalies. I never once got a reply. Bad sign No. 2.
The next year, we got lucky. Brynne's Tier 2 U-19 team had several girls from the same prep school (for car-pooling purposes). Again, no coach was provided. Instead, two of the prep school parents and I volunteered to work the games, and the girls had a terrific season. But the goalies didn't get any in-practice instruction. The assumption was they'd find outside help.
This past season was the breaking point. Tryouts were a joke. After the last one, girls got herded into waiting area, and called in individually, best players first. They were asked to sign on immediately, before the director called in the next girl. After an hour, he sent everyone else home. We had to wait two days before learning that Brynne was again placed on a Tier 2 U-19 team, which was a mild disappointment (especially after we discovered some Tier 1 players never tried out).
However, one of Brynne's best friends was also on the team, and the director promised a high school coach. So we agreed to sign up. The first red flag was that coach missing the Beantown Classic, a summer tourney. The director advertised pre-tourney practices, but charged extra. Those practices conflicted with a camp that Brynne was already participating in, which we'd paid for. We declined, despite the director's complaints, realizing the practices were nothing more than a money grab.
The second flag shot up when the "coach" apparently hurt her foot before the season, and bailed. Just quit. The director again asked parents to pitch in. So, for the third straight year, Brynne's team didn't have a paid coach. No, there was no corresponding discount in the cost. Guess who pocketed that difference?
And our poor goalies – one a freshman playing for a U-19 team, and another who clearly needed instruction – got no help. Practices were a shooting gallery. Great, huh?
This stuff happens on the boys' side as well. Last July, I was talking to a pair of goalie dads. One I've known for years. The other had just moved his family to the area. During our chat, I learned the son of the new guy had displaced another young goalie we work with. In mid-summer, when team rosters are already set.
But the program these kids play for didn't care. They thought they found a better goalie, so they just cut the other boy. Here's your deposit, see you later. Oh, did I mention these kids are 12? What does that tell you about the program's commitment to each youngster?
The reality is that these programs are about winning, first and foremost. Because winning records (and trophies) draw more players. Better players. Which leads to more winning. What gets lost in that formula? Any genuine commitment to the players. They become replaceable. For an organization that purports to support youth development, that's reprehensible.
Keep this in mind if your youngster isn't an absolute stud: Don't expect equal instruction for equal payment. Some programs might provide that, but many don't. Talk to plenty of people before choosing a program, especially parents. Program directors often lie. Parents have far more likely to give you the straight scoop.
And, just to absolutely clear (and fair), these problems can happen at other levels. Here's an example of bad adult behavior at a town program.
I got a call last summer from a friend who is also a hockey mom. She was livid. Her son, "Pete," had played for a local youth hockey program for years, alternating between goalie and defense. He was very good at both.
With middle school looming, my friend's son decided to retire his goalie gear. The youth program had different ideas. Pete tried out as a defenseman. But when the team placements came out, my friend and her son got a rude surprise. Here's the email exchange between mom and program.
Town hockey program email No. 1: "We spend a LOT of time deciding on what team is right for your child, based on your child's tryout."
Town hockey program email No. 2: "Your child is assigned to Team X, at Goalie."
Mom's email reply: "My child didn't try out as a goalie."
Town hockey program: Crickets.
The placement was patently unfair. Courageous kids – those who volunteer to play goal – often get a raw deal when no one else has the guts to step up. That's wrong. To prejudice any child because of his or her ability to play the position is even worse.
The program was notified beforehand that Pete wasn't playing goal. By all accounts, he was one of the better defenders at tryouts. But with enough players for three teams, and only a single goalie, the program's "adults" took matters into their own hands, and assigned Pete to a Tier 2 PeeWee team, separating him from his friends on the Tier 1 squad.
Mom called the program president to reiterate that Pete didn't try out as a goalie. She got a voicemail from another board member, asking her to reconsider.
"I got seven unsolicited emails today from other parents incredulous that (Pete) wasn't on the 1's roster, skating out," she told me. "And (program organizers) wonder why enrollment has plummeted."
I don't blame my friend one bit. Hockey parents have a well-deserved rap of being a little unhinged. This isn't one of those cases. The organization put her, and her son, in an untenable position, simply because he had experience playing goal. That's unacceptable.
FINIS
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