As hockey seasons around the world wind down, I’ve been talking with anxious parents, players who want to “move up”, and coaches who have recruited and guided players along in their development. Namely, my questions have focused on: What matters when deciding where to play next? And more to the point, what does not matter?
Common Phrases
“I want to play at the highest possible level.”
“I want to give my son/daughter the best chance to play at the highest level.”
… Fill in your own phrase here
What Really Matters?
An easy place to look is Norway. Based on research into why people play sports and best develop long-term, they created “Children’s Rights in Sport.”
Here are a handful of examples that can guide a decision around the best place for a player to play next season:
Where your player feels comfortable and confident
Where your player has the most fun and grows their passion for playing
Where the player can get the most development time and resources
This doesn’t mean the best facility. It’s about what happens within the facility. See Arizona State’s old rink for example. Coach Greg Powers once said… “This is a dump, but it’s our dump.”
A coach that will create a positive growth environment
Cost
Commute or distance to home
An environment that fosters friendships and lifelong bonds
Parting Words
Find a place where your player can grow in their self-confidence, grow their passion, and make lifelong connections. Through those, they will develop on and off the ice.
It’s more than finding the highest-level team in the highest-competition league. Those two things can lead to the opposite of what really matters. Oftentimes, not maximizing the level of play is best and can allow the player more room to grow in many aspects (e.g. can test out more skills rather than just trying to survive).
This reminds me of a quote that resonated with me:
It’s not just about the next four years (high school/college), but the next 40 years (lifelong).
Further Reading