Dear Players and Parents,
I wanted to take a moment to reflect on our recent U11 Tier 1 Tryout and provide some insight into what to expect for our upcoming sessions.
The 2nd tryout marked the completion of our skills evaluation, a small yet crucial aspect of the tryout process. I was impressed by the dedication and skill displayed by each participant, and it's clear that we have a group of talented individuals vying for a spot on the team.
As we move forward, the next two tryouts will focus on showcasing the girls' abilities in an intersquad game (scrimmage). This environment creates a lower-stress opportunity to demonstrate their skills and their strengths.
Logistics: For today's tryout, the girls will be wearing a yellow or blue Wolverines jerseys. Upon check in, they will be directed to their respective dressing rooms and then assigned a jersey numbers. Please also get ready in the assigned dressing room.
What I'll Be Looking For: During these scrimmages, I'll be closely observing several key aspects:
1. Physical Play: How players engage physically in checking, 1 vs 1 battles, gaining position, and attacking rebounds / clearing puck from the front on the net.
2. Skills: How the skills demonstrated in previous tryouts translate to a game setting, generally, shooting, passing, puck control, and skating.
3. Attention/Drive: Players' hunger for the puck, readiness to transition, and engagement when not actively involved in the play.
4. Team Play: Observing how players contribute to team dynamics, including positional play, passing under pressure, and backchecking. At this age, I often see girls panic when they get the puck and just shoot it down the ice. I'd rather see girls getting control then looking to make a play and lose it, than just shoot it away. I'll also be looking to see if the know when to pass vs when to skate with the puck. I anticipate a lot of clustered play, so it's these little things that I'll be watching for.
As always, I encourage all the girls to give their best effort and showcase their talents. Remember, these tryouts are not only about skill but also about attitude and determination.
Thank you for your ongoing support, and let's make the most of today's tryout!
See you at the rink,
Coach Phill