Rep Tryouts: Preparation

What do you need to have for rep tryouts? Rep tryouts are just about underway and obvious question is what do I need to bring to the rank, what do I need to do and and how do I get ready for them? So Dave, what does a player need to bring with them to the rank for rep tryouts? Well, just from a preparation standpoint, if we’ve got time now, this is the time to open the equipment bag if you haven’t already. Make sure things still fit, skates are sharp, all your your equipment is in in safe condition, that type of a thing. Obviously need full hockey equipment. We ask that players don’t bring their jerseys from spring programs or other teams, we want to be a little more generic, so it helps our evaluators be able to look at kids as objectively as possible. The big thing you can do from a preparation standpoint for your kids is make sure they’re well rested, well hydrated, eating a proper diet. It’s a busy time, kids are starting school, lots of other things are going on at that time and we know it’s not easy, but if you can, just have them as relaxed and prepared from that standpoint as possible. How early should kids arrive? We would like kid particularly the first day because you’re going to be handed a a pinny or a set of pinnies on the first day. So Which you need to keep the whole process. Yeah, yeah. So he’ll explain that each each player will be given a a pinny, two pinnies, an orange one and a white one. And that they’ll keep that through the the entire trial. It’s the one number, whether they’re playing in a scrimmage on team orange or team white, they wear the same pinny number. So they’ll be given each set of pinnies. So that’ll be on the first first session when they when they check in. And that will be the key identifier. The evaluators don’t have access necessarily to who the players’ names are, they’re known as pinny number 11 or pinny number 12. So we’ll have that out. So if you can be there in the you know, maybe 45 minutes before that first ice time to to get checked in, to allow the players enough time to get dressed and organized and and they’ll be a presentation from the evaluators to just to calm the kids and let them know what they’re they’re looking for on that on that first day, that that would be helpful. Um, it’s not helpful if your kid comes in in a rush in the last few seconds trying to get ready for the ice time, so that kind of preparation is important. Yeah, is there any requirements from a like the gear that they wear normally neck guard, a lot of stuff is standard siege help proof gear, right? Yeah. Yeah, yeah. We do have a list on our website if you need to look at the the equipment that you need. And where where do the players check in? Do they have to check in once for every ice time? And where is that at each arena? Yeah, we will have again, our volunteer division manager will solicit other volunteers to help us as well. Um, it’s an opportunity for for parents to get some of their volunteer hours at the working the check-in table. Um, so this will be in the lobby of of the arenas, as you come in, we come and check in, you’ll be told in the scrimmages which team you’re on, orange team or white team, so you know whether to wear your orange or white pinny, which dressing room each of those teams are going to. So that’ll be part of the process and obviously getting checked in, so the evaluators will know that you’re there. Um, and that allows this to update the app that I mentioned earlier, the so that we if a player is not there, they’re don’t show up and can’t be evaluated. Perfect. Um, and then typically that sign-in table is in the lobby of said arena, whatever rank you’re at, right? And then should anything happen during the tryouts where, you know, whether it’s a player gets hurt on the ice or, you know, might require the parent, um, where would the parent go to, like we want to avoid communication with all the players. Your key conduit for communication is the division manager. Uh, so each division will have one, maybe two if we can, um, in some cases, division managers. That would be your your key contact people. We’d like you to through the process, really avoid conversations with the coaches and evaluators who may know them and those type of things. But, um, it does provide a perception of bias if nothing else if parents are spending a lot of time talking to the coaches or evaluators. So we want to avoid that. And the division manager will be your your key communication. If you want if you need to find schedule things or if you have a concern about injury or illness or, um, other issues, that type of a thing. And they’ll relay that to the people that need to be informed. And then this last thing and just, uh, because sometimes it can be, um, I don’t know if awkward is the right word, but, um, communication with the evaluators, evaluation team directly or the coaches is is not permitted during the trial process. I think, uh, we’re asking that group to stay as, uh, objective as possible and, you know, having multiple conversations with even if you know the person well, we would discourage that obviously through the process. Yeah, and on both sides. We, we try to tell our evaluators the same thing. So if someone that you’ve, you’ve known for a few years, is all of a sudden a little standoffish.