I am sure that the upcoming season tryouts are on your players' minds right now. This time of year can be confusing and anxiety provoking for players and families alike. To support our players and parents, Annie and I wrote a few resources for players and parents to check out before heading into the tryout atmosphere. The document is below. 

The first, a comparison of two examples of tryout experiences written from the perspective of a player (Annie and I both went through these so much as young players ourselves, it is not fiction), is an important exercise for players to reflect about previous tryouts and create concrete plans to succeed this year.

The next, a short, player-centered list of tips for tryouts is a concise and empowering reminder that players have so much more agency in their tryout experiences than it can feel for them.

And finally, a letter to parents about asking excellent questions of your organizations, thinking about long-term athletic development during tryout time rather than framing their results as majorly consequential during an inherently hypocritical process, navigating all the choices in a supply-side economy, and talking to your kids during the challenging time. We put our kids in hockey in order for them to learn how to deal with adverse situations, right? We can support them through tryouts in ways that will help them learn excellent life skills! What an awesome opportunity to learn/practice reflection, perspective, growth mindset, emotional regulation, loyalty, kindness, delayed gratification, and dealing with envy or developmental differences between peers.

All families are invited to attend Marty's How to Tryout Seminar on Monday, April 21st at the Olympic View Arena. The seminar will educate players and families about the tryout process from his own experiences through elite hockey and from the inside as a leader in the hockey community. RSVP here!

Please let us know what questions you have. All SJHA tryout information is on the following pages:

Mets Tier II

Mets Development Rep

Red Hawks

Good luck in your tryouts! We want all SJHA players to land in places where they feel challenged, motivated, and part of a hockey community.