Try Out Tips by Pro Ambitions Hockey, Inc.

Do not cram for try outs. Plan a month in advance, get your calendar out now and map out your month in advance with your team obligations, school work and think about sacrificing social obligations to clear the deck this month prior to try outs. A lot of teams have try outs in March, now is a good time to plan one month prior. Start now getting the proper rest, hydrating, stretching, shooting and stickhandling at home, scheduling some small group training and or privates during the month of February.

When try outs arrive, you will be prepared. Obviously come to the rink hydrated, after having a good night sleep and having a light meal, be there early and don’t socialize, be quiet and focused in the locker room, introduce yourself to the coaches briefly before it starts, thank them after, be vocal on the ice-if you are open SAY IT, stick on the ice at ALL times, transition as quickly as you can, when you lose the puck NEVER give up battling and digging until someone scores, remember if you lose the puck then you transition from offensive to defensive play and  STAY ENGAGED. Do not miss a beat and skate even harder to re engage, this is what evaluators are looking for.

There are many intangibles coaches are looking for. Intangibles are effort, communication, body language, and hockey IQ or decision making. Many players in try outs make the mistake of thinking they have to “out perform” others and take a bad shot instead of making a less fancy pass which is the better play. A lot of times you will have the exact opposite, good players will be too nervous to take the shot and make the play as they would normally do due to the stress of try outs. Be aware of the hockey intangibles I discussed above because that will keep you in the mindset of what coaches are looking for and help you navigate your quick decision making during try outs. The mere fact that we are discussing this now gives you time before try outs to execute some good hockey IQ in your upcoming practices and games. Treat every time on the ice this month like it is the try out. Practice how you play.Get in the mindset now for Try outs. Pass tape to tape. Distribute the puck. Control the puck. Absorb bouncy passes off the boards. Get your shots off quickly. Make all the little things look easy…by practicing them all month.

Advice to heed now a few weeks or a month prior to try outs a recap:

• Knowledge is power. Reading this article is the start to getting into the right frame of mind prior to try outs.
• We are looking for gamers not drillers. Remember that.
• Practice makes perfect.
• Practice takes away nervousness.
• Preparation is not a cramming session. Start now.
• Mental and physical preparation takes away nervousness.
• Use your Mr. Assist at home daily.
• Watch hockey games, college, NHL, watch your own game tapes, better yet have your games evaluated by a coach. We do this at Pro Ambitions and call it The Game Changer. Email henry@proambitions.com  for a free consultation.
• Get more sleep and fuel your body even a little better than normal. Little efforts add up.Talk to your parents and  look at the calendar together, map out all of your obligations for the month of February. Count the days till Try Outs. Make a plan. Make social sacrifices. The winter season takes its toll. Make a conscious effort to take better care of yourself.
• Schedule a private lesson or two and ask your coach to focus on a specific skill. We like to work with kids who relish taking every type of bounce off the boards. Not necessarily the most fun lesson but…after we work on this for an hour, then players go home and continue working on their own. Voila.
• Attend an extra skill small group skill session or two away from teammates.
• Self Discovery Training. This is a big one. Work on your hands and shot at home. Stickhandle with your tennis ball. Without a coach.
• Do all this and relax.
• You will be ready.
• Do your best and let the chips fall.

We are The Battle Camp which is learning via game situational battles. Our niche in the  youth hockey development industry for decades. The morning session is skill and drill. The afternoon session is where players  engage in the battle drills encompassing all skill development in a game situations. This is where you learn to  hone your hockey IQ and decision making. We introduce a second puck into every battle drill after the initial battle is won or lost. We want you losing your battles at the beginning of the week of camp. You will not be by Friday. We will push players moving them up accordingly throughout the week. Our philosophy is positive reinforcement while challenging players and pushing them out of their comfort zone with professional coaching and building block progression skill development. We are the official development camp of Hockey East. We are the official development camp of The Boston Bruins. Ages 6-16. Schedule privates now. Summer camp sign ups. We have private lessons and small group skills every Saturday and Sunday morning of the year from 730-930am at Boch Arena in Dedham and will have small group skills all summer every Saturday and Sunday in Falmouth on The Cape from 9-11am with private lesson offerings as well. We are welcoming back Chicago Blackhawks Skills and Skating Coach Kevin Delaney for advanced skating this summer and and and…

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