Do Spring Tryouts For Youth Hockey Players Make Sense?

We’ve all seen it, the difference 4 months can make in a child, or teen’s development.

Why then, are most minor hockey organizations holding tryouts, and solidifying their entire roster 4 months before the season begins? It doesn’t seem logical. Let’s look at a small example.

Two players, let’s call them Jane and Jill, tryout for the same hockey team. They are almost identical in skill, but Jane manages to edge out Jill for a spot on the team. Over the summer, Jane spends 4 months sleeping in, eating junk food, and feeling relaxed and excited for the season to come, knowing her spot is secure. Jill however, was born later in the year, and hits a growth spurt around mid-June. She signed up in the spring for an off ice strength training program, plays soccer, and spends an hour a day stickhandling, and practicing her shot in her driveway. By the time September rolls around, Jill has far surpassed Jane in terms of her on ice skills, dedication to the game, and athleticism, yet the spot on the team still remains Jane’s.

Does this seem right?

It’s definitely not an uncommon occurrence. On the converse, I can understand the need for teams to secure their top players, and a core of their roster, to guarantee they’re competitive the next season.

Still, to ignore the impact an entire offseason can have on a players development, a player of any age is ludicrous. Junior and NHL players lose their roster spots from a poor offseason. Other players earn roster spots through off ice dedication, and the skill development, not to mention the natural growth, some players experience in the offseason.

To cut a kid in April makes no sense unless they are so far below the talent level, that all logic says gains can’t be made. Even so, closing doors on players is undoubtedly hindering the development of some youth.

What if, a team were allowed to sign one line of players, and told the rest they had the remainder of the summer to work hard off the ice, improve their skills, and come back ready to compete for the final roster spots in August or September? Would this not motivate, and encourage kids?

Every coach makes mistakes in the selection process, and sees a player the next year who they cut, who in all likelihood could have helped their roster.

In today’s hockey game, it’s politics that drives this early selection process. “If we don’t make our team now, Brad and Steve will both go play in another city, and we’ll have neither player.” Decisions are being made for dollars and cents, and for registration numbers, not for development.

And after all, minor sports are created for a few reasons only – fun, wellness, and development.

Pro sports are for peak performance…and even professional teams make their final roster decisions in the Fall. Why? Because they know the value of an offseason, something which many of our local hockey organizations, not just in Chatham-Kent, but in Ontario and Canada, are forgetting all about.