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5 Tips for Hockey Try Outs

 This is another partner post with Hotels4Teams! I hope you have been enjoying these as much as I am! If you want a particular sports related post let me know!!

I love watching hockey. Something about talented athletes zipping across the ice chasing after a puck gets my adrenaline running. When winter time falls on Western New York you can find me located at every local hockey game our team plays. While watching said game you might also hear this passionate Moma telling the referees when they miss calls, encouraging our players and loudly cheering when the scoreboard changes. So when I say I am going to give you some tips for Hockey tryouts, know it is from my bench seat point of view. You know the one that watches with a stomach full of nerves, as I watch these players who have become family, put everything they have on the line to make a team.

1. Go into tryouts with a positive attitude. I tell my son on repeat: “Do not look at the other players and what they have. Focus on what you can bring to the table!” If you go into try outs thinking: “I am too short, slow or that you can’t shoot or score…guess what you WON’T! You are practically telling your brain “OK, go ahead and mess up NOW”. Try to calm your nerves because we ALL know you have them and feed your mind positive thoughts. I often see the saying “You believed in Santa for years how about believing in yourself for five minutes”. TRUTH!!

2. Don’t strive to be a success, strive to add value. The saying goes there is no “I” in Team?! If you score every time, block every puck…great. If you can’t pass the puck or work in a team dynamic your talent has an expiration date! You need to work as a team, to win as one, so show you can adapt. 

First impressions matter….

  3. First impressions matter. How you act off the ice can sometimes mean a heck of a lot more then how you perform on the ice. Get your head in the game and focus. People are watching you, even if you do not think they are! You just never know who may know a corporate sponsor or scout! Trust me, I know TONS and they will all say the same thing “Character”! If you are acting a fool by the locker room/bathrooms while waiting for the cuts to post people see you. People hear you…People talk…Ask any restaurant on Yelp, all it takes is ONE bad review to change someone’s mind about you!

 4. The Coaches have a team in mind. If I have learned one hard lesson in tryouts: coaches have a team in mind. If they want a team consisted of tall players and you are short…… how you do at tryouts might not even matter. You could have a shut out as a goalie…but if you are not what they are picturing in their minds for their team, they will cut you! Period. Here is a great article about dealing with getting cut that could really help, Hotels4teams. Time after time, I have seen talented players walk out without packets because they just weren’t what THAT particular coach was looking for. Guess what, that’s OK! You will find the right fit, just keep trying. How you handle a loss (or cut) tells more about your character than how you handle a win. If you are full of bad sportsmanship…this might not be the game for you anyways, see tip #3!

5. Have fun! First rule in hockey (any sport really) is to have fun. Yes, you want to show your best self and make the team but remember why you are doing it. If you want a scholarship putting to much pressure on yourself will NOT make you get one. Have fun, smile, enjoy these moments before you know it they will be gone. Soon you WILL get picked for a team. You WILL be leaving the town you feel at home in and traveling off to college. You WILL miss your teammates, family, friends and community. Before you get there enjoy these moments you have with them! You have your whole life to grow up, don’t wish it away. It is just as hard for us to see you go as it is to say goodbye 🙁

Do you have some tips for trying out?

Have you ever been cut or had a kid cut from a team??

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11 Comments

  1. Unknown
    July 13, 2018 / 9:47 pm

    What an amazing resource to mentally prepare for a tryout!

  2. Stephanie
    July 14, 2018 / 1:30 am

    This is great advice for those trying out for any sport, really. Even some of the ones that are played as an individual on a team, like when I was on the golf team in high school. We played individually, but our scores counted as a team. Being positive and showing you have good character can take you a long way!

  3. Angela Tolsma
    July 14, 2018 / 5:10 am

    I love the don't strive to be a success, strive to add value mentality. I've never had anything to do with hockey other than watching the occasional game. It's interesting to see a different side of it.

  4. Helene.Vlacho
    July 14, 2018 / 4:57 pm

    Wonderful tips for those who likes the hockey. I have never tried it though, I am so afraid of it.

  5. Lasha
    July 14, 2018 / 7:04 pm

    These are great suggestions. My kids aren't quite ready for hockey yet…but someday!!!

  6. hellolittlepeepers
    July 15, 2018 / 3:45 am

    Hockey isn't a huge sport in this area. I have a few friends that have kids that play but it is super pricy.

  7. Linh
    July 15, 2018 / 6:24 am

    Such useful tips! I would love to have fun playing hockey, too. Thanks for sharing!

  8. Laura Dove
    July 16, 2018 / 7:55 pm

    We dont have hockey over here the same as you do, or if we do I am unaware of it for my own children, but I will share this with my US followers! This is so helpful!

  9. www.keepingupwithcandy.com
    July 16, 2018 / 8:45 pm

    I put my older son in ice skating lessons because I wanted him to play hockey…that it until I saw a tooth missing (from a child) from this sport. However, these are great tips!

  10. Unknown
    July 17, 2018 / 3:38 am

    My son has been asking to play hockey! I’ll have to keep this in mind for him! Thanks!

  11. Unknown
    July 17, 2018 / 3:39 am

    My son has been asking to play hockey! I’ll have to keep this in mind for him! Thanks!