Dear LEAFS Family,

I am excited that the new Fall season is now upon us.  All of the planning and details the Board has been working on the last six months is ready to be put in motion as our Fall coaches are finalized and teams are put in place.   Warm-Ups begin this evening, and are optional for all players registered for B-Level (NWHL) and Travel (NIHL) hockey--please click here for schedule.   ADM Program players do not need to attend Warm-Ups, Tryout or Evaluations, and will be advise of their practice and cross ice game schedule shortly after Labor Day weekend.

A parent must accompany their child at the Registration table on the first night of Warm-Ups and Tryouts.  Parents will be asked to review and sign our Club Payment and Refund policy (we recommend you print this off and bring it with you).  In addition, if you have any outstanding program fees, you must satisfy these payments prior to your child being allowed on the ice.   Walk-in player registrations will be taken, and we recommend printing out and completing this form prior to your arrival to expedite your time in line.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to educate or remind families on how our LEAFS Hockey Club Tryout and Draft processes works.   First and foremost, as parents, we ask that you maintain some perspective during what can often be a stressful time.   This year's tryouts will be as competitive as ever, and it's very easy to over emphasize this to our young players.  They already feel a sense of pressure in being evaluated by their coaches, wanting to please their parents and hoping they end up on a team with their friends.  As parents we often care as much about team placement as the kids do, hoping to stay with a group of friends we enjoyed the previous season and wanting our children to excel and make a specific team.   To reduce some of this pressure the LEAFS conduct a closed tryout process.  The coverings on the doors and windows are not intended to hide the process from  parents, but rather to remove distractions or pressure from the kids--this helps them put their best effort forward.
 
Our organization takes the tryout and team placement process very seriously, and have taken measures to insure a fair and objective Tryout process.  Our Hockey Directors will oversee Tryouts at their level-- supported by their head coaches, and one or two coaches from another level (except Midgets where only head coaches evaluate).    Some will know the player well, while others won't have any preconceived stereotypes and be evaluating players strictly on what the player is demonstrating.  All evaluators will then provide their player evaluations and recommendations on team placement for skaters and goalies during the Draft process.
 
The first night of Tryouts directors and coaches will begin evaluating skaters and dividing them into two groups of similar skill sets.  The top coach (top two where we offer Central States major/minor) will begin to focus on the players they are considering for their team.  After the first night of Tryouts, we will post color group names (e.g., red, blue, green) on the website with the player's assigned pinnie number listed so you know what session to return to on the second night of Tryouts.   We anticipate having this information posted by 10PM.
 
On the second night of Tryouts, players will attend a session with similarly skilled players.  Some may be asked to stay for a second session if coaches need to further evaluate their skills against players at a different level.  This is done to insure no one is overlooked.  By the end of this session the top coach(s) will identify players they are considering rostering.   Some players may be advised they do not need to return for further Tryout evaluations on the final day to allow the coaches to focus on a smaller number of skaters to insure proper player placement on all teams.  Again, we anticipate having this information posted on our website after 10PM.  Players who do not wish to be rostered on a LEAFS team must advise their Hockey Director or our Registrar that they wish to pull out of Tryouts by the end of this night in order to receive a refund, minus the $180 tryout fee.  By the end of this night all necessary coaching realignments and new assignments will also be finalized.

On the third night, coaches will complete all Tryout player evaluations, and the Draft process to determine teams will begin.  The Draft process includes Hockey Directors, head coaches, player evaluators, and the following Board Members:  President, Registrar and VP Membership.  There are no parents allowed in the room during discussions of their own player (with the exception of head coaches) so these Board Members will step out of the room when discussion of their player(s) take place.  Many factors are considered when making final player selections--such as skating, speed, stick handling, sense of the game, maturity, size, position, coachability, and discipline.  As coaches announce their team selections there is a great deal of discussion on the last few players selected on one team vs. the top skaters selected on the next team below.   Once the final team rosters are entered, coaches will receive their equipment and practice schedule.  Once all drafts are completed we will post players last names by team on the website. We anticipate this being done within 24 hours of last tryout session.  If your player's name is not posted, you will receive an email indicating when the NWHL Travel evaluations are scheduled for your player to participate in.

The NWHL Travel Evaluation process is similar; however, Drafts are conducted as per NWHL guidelines--requiring all teams to have balanced talent because they will likely play one another over the course of the season.  Each team selects one player at a time to accomplish this.
 
I truly wish every player (and parent) could be placed on the team they want and think they belong, but unfortunately this is not the case.  If you find yourself in this situation, we ask that you provide the coaches and Board 48 hours (after the Labor Day weekend) before you request or provide feedback on the tryout process or outcome.  This time allows us an opportunity to recover from the grueling tryout process that has us working past midnight every night, and also allows you time to approach the situation with an objective and clear mind--minimizing emotional responses that can often become unnecessarily contentious.  After the holiday you can contact Ed McHale, VP of Membership at memberrelations@leafshockeyclub.com with any questions or comments.
 
I hope this helps everyone see the professional and methodical way in which we approach this process.  It is easy to judge the outcome and compare your player to another; however, it's important to remember, especially at our youngest levels, that team placement one year in no way is an indication of their long term potential as a hockey player.   A player's skills and their physical and mental maturity will continue to develop and change each year of their hockey career, and this will continue to impact what team they make.  Sometimes they will surge ahead of expectations and sometimes they will take a step backwards.  As parents we can teach our kids to keep working hard to achieve their personal goals and take satisfaction in watching them develop, at their own pace, into the well rounded young men and women they will become both on and off the ice.  

A reminder to our Mite/Squirt parents, Hockey Director Tim Tighe and Club Board Members will be hosting a meet and greet to answer any questions you may have about the tryout process or the upcoming season tonight at 6:20 and tomorrow night at 4:10.

Thank you for being a part of this great year to be a LEAF.  Good luck and best wishes to you and your player during Tryouts, Evaluations and as you kick off this new season. 

Danielle Gulli
President