Being Yourself
Sports, like life, can create some crazy dynamics. We see it happen all of the time in sports, where you can inject or remove small pieces and the energy in the room can alter drastically. Some groups are a team of destiny, formulated over years of careful consideration and deliberate movement towards the top. Other teams find themselves making moves to get back on track only to see immediate and sometimes surprising success. Sakic and Bednar in Colorado spent years finely tuning a machine to get to become Stanley Cup Champions. In recent history, bottom of the barrel teams have injected a new player and coach mid-season and end up going on a bit of a surprise run. Teams that come to mind are St. Louis and Pittsburgh, teams who have fired coaches’ mid-campaign and won a Stanley Cup that same year.
What is important when being evaluated for spots on any team, is that a player plays to their strengths and abilities. Many times, we see players trying to do too much or try and play outside of their means to impress the coaches and potential teammates. Even if you make the team on a heroic weekend, you will now be expected to hold that form the complete season. If a player is not ready for a certain team, an honest tryout will help coaches give players and the club feedback on how to improve the player in the best way.
Being yourself in general is always a great way to live life. Embracing one’s abilities, even if not considered “the best” is the quickest way to grow confidence. Confidence, especially in hockey, is the nectar of the gods. If a player is feeling confident within their boundaries, they can more easily push those boundaries in practice, creating a better player in the long run. Don’t be caught chasing unnecessary status, be caught striving to be placed correctly, having fun, and being put in a great learning spot.
Once tryouts are over, be sure to get your team registered for any of our rapidly approaching boys and girls hockey tournaments across the great state of Michigan. For a calendar of events, or any other information about EAS, please check out our Facebook, Website, or here on the blog for more information regarding the 2022-2023 season.