Individual player meetings occurred with the coaching staff this evening. We gave the players feedback on what we have seen from them during the selection process. Players that are continuing in the tryout process are now listed in the tryout tab. For more information in our evaluation process, future player releases and some team information please review the remaining article.
Our tryout this evening was structured as a practice based on the #'s of the players remaining. At the start of practice we set up skill stations designed to improve our passing, skating and shooting. Some of these stations allow for player creativity and make the players aware of their body positioning. Our direction as a coaching staff is to improve the skill sets of our players and their conditioning. Once our team is finalized we would like to have dry land sessions one day per week until November.
In regards to our team composition, our association has instructed us to take 13 skaters and 2 goalies. We have asked to take 14 skaters + 2 goalies which has been approved. The tryout tab has the players that are remaining.
The players that have been released to date have been made completely based on an evaluation process with a scoring system with 7 various outside evaluators. These evaluators have no association with players, families or in most cases Twin Centre. The players have been evaluated on; their skating and agility; their puck control and passing; their shooting based on pace, accuracy and release; and their tactical abilities, reading and reacting to space, aggression and intensity . Two of these evaluators are goalies, both with professional and goalie coaching experience. All evaluators have provided feedback and scoring on all of the players. The evaluation criteria for goalies was based on positioning, angles, pads, gloves, stick positioning, recovery, anticipation, rebound control and composure.
We as a coaching staff are now left with making the final player releases which in my opinion is the most difficult task as a coaching staff. Ultimately, these boys are not making it easy. As coaches, we are now in a very difficult situation and we feel that we will not make all of our player releases until after our home and home series with Listowel. My feeling is that I do not want to make my final releases at an away game but we will not be on the ice until September 26th . As such, final player releases will be made on September 22nd via phone call with the player.
We are booked into three tournaments this year.
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Port Dover October 24 – 26th
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Aylmer November 14th – 16th
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Kincardine Silver Stick December 27th – 30th
Based on this information, team fees should be $150-$160 per player. I will be recruiting from our parent group some on ice assistance and a trainer for the coming year.
Finally, I would like to have a parent meeting on Friday September 26th @ 8:30 after practice to review our year, the expectations, address any concerns and or questions and to finalize a parent rep . Thank you for your patience in this process.