
CHOICES
By BRETT SCHAFFER
Florida Hockey Life
With hockey tryouts upon us, many parents and players
join. Just because your friends are joining the team,
doesn’t necessarily mean you should. There are plenty of factors
for. Here are a few things that you should consider when the
should consider when looking for a team, is if it will work with
your schedule. Consider both your schedule, and your family’s
schedule when deciding about where to play. As well, if the rink
is close to your home, it may be a huge factor in your decision.
thing to consider. At the early developmental stage for athletes,
winning is great but not even close to one of the most important
things. It is important for the person to develop, not win. Talk
to people around the rink and try and get a feel for how other
their coaching style, and more importantly, is it something that
‘dictator’ like personality. Others prefer a coach that values the
input of the team and their players. Whatever your preference
develop as a person, and an athlete. Regarding the previous
worth the drive. Remember, much of a player’s development is
determined by the coaches they are surrounded by.
3) Long-term and short-term goals: At 8 or 9 years old, you
should not be planning out your junior and college career. In
fact, you really should only be focused on developing, growing,
and having fun; don’t discount the many values and ethics that
more importantly, the opportunity to advance your career, that
is something you may want to consider. With that in mind, you
may want to look at a team that has the resources, ability, and
desire to truly help you advance to the next step of the ‘hockey
ladder’. However, if you don’t have the intent or burning desire
to play juniors, prep, or college hockey, you may want to consider
and budget is an important factor, think about and consider that
many travel teams have road trips that require things like hotels,
spending $10-15,000 a season may sound…imprudent.
Remember, while these factors are something to consider,
the MOST important factor is the love of the game. Simply
put, if you don’t love it, do something else. Life, and childhood
especially, is too short to waste it on something you don’t like