I've told everyone I know so I'll tell you boys (and girl) too, my little dude made the "B" tier select hockey team. I figured he had a chance they way he grew again this year, his arrow is pointed straight up, but there were definitely a lot of good kids there - better skaters really. I think what set him apart was the effort, intensity and physicality. I mean the last day he wasn't playing quite as well, but then he was able to absolutely CRUSH this kid against the boards in an amazingly clean check, separated the player from the puck and passed it to his teammate to clear the zone. He's excited he'll finally be able to check and get physical. He surprisingly still has a speed edge on these kids too. In Rec/C he got to a point where he could "turn on the jets" and just blow past kids for an easy 1:1 with the goalie, and I told him he won't be able to lean on that, and yet, he was able to do it a few times in try outs even heh. If any of you all have advice on your kid moving up and what you wish you had known, that would be cool, hockey specific better but I'll take any advice on higher levels of play for sports in general. The time and money commitment is huge no question, I really never planned on him moving up. But what changed my mind was at the end of the season in the playoffs, when they lost 3-2 to the eventual champs - he was PISSED because some of the kids didn't care - and that's fine for them, it is rec. If he wants to win, needs to play with kids that will put in the same amount of effort off and on the ice that he does. That and given his coach said he was the MVP, one of the top kids in rec....it was just time. Have to play against better competition to continue to improve. That and the extra ice time, professional trainers, video analysis, 1:1 coaching, etc, that all comes with that hefty bill I pay. It does mean I may not be able to catch as many Bears games next year, I will rely on boxscores and you guys heh. They definitely have games most sundays, plus the fly-away tournaments etc. We can always drop back down after next season if it's really too much, but man he and I are looking forward to it big time. Those try-outs were fun as hell for me to watch.
Congratulations V, that's awesome! Your kid sounds like he has a future on the ice. If it's possible to put him in spring/summer ice hockey camp you should do it. Since he's probably growing like a weed it will help him to grow his skills to match his size. I live down the road from Aaron Downey who won the Grey Cup in 2007-2008 with the Redwings. After he retired and moved back home he would run summer hockey camps locally and the kids who attended his camps really grew in skills. I firmly believe that serious hockey players can't afford to take the summer months off from training.
Oh yeah, we do the camps. First year was maybe a mistake because fresh out of learn to skate these kids dominated him to the point he would have quit if I let him. But the next 2 summers we did some camps and he had fun. This year I sent him to a checking clinic because for us in the US, checking only begins now, and only in select. I also sent him to a "select prep" camp run by a AA coach, which had the age bracket older than him as well, and he said that was a HUGE help for try outs because it got him ready for the speed. We were already signed up for a summer league which is a practice and a game per week, and we'll do stick'n'puck, so the question is if I can find a camp here or there for some weekend. He's dying to get started because he knows he's near the bottom of the new team, but his goal is to get AA/A next year. Which fuck me if I want to pay for it, but we'll see, we didn't even try out for it this year. His buddies from his team 2 years ago made it, and he's been chasing them in skill heh (they are a year older). We even finally got a private lesson, because a teammate of his had an extra spot, and when track is over we might be able to do more. I also got him in another checking clinic, this one that our association runs, because it's apparently mandatory, but also because I think this kid could be a bit reckless, and the last thing I want is for him to get hurt, or hurt someone. Do it right. Look at us, practically Canadian.
