Tryout Process
Evaluation Panel:
A panel will evaluate players during tryouts. This panel includes experienced members of the BYH Hockey Community, which may consist of:
- Head and assistant coaches
- Coaching and Hockey Directors
- At-large members of the Bloomington hockey community with relevant experience
Criteria for Evaluation:
Players will be assessed on a variety of skills, attributes, and qualities, including:
- Skating: Stride, edges, speed, and overall mobility.
- Puck Skills: Stick handling, shooting, passing, and precision control.
- Puck Support: Positioning, getting open, playmaking, and supporting the puck carrier.
- Effort: Competitiveness in small-area battles, 50/50 puck races, forechecking, and backchecking.
- Positioning and Hockey Sense: Awareness of on-ice positioning, game understanding, and decision-making.
- Attitude and Coachability: Sportsmanship, attitude toward teammates and coaches, and responsiveness to coaching.
- Team Focus: Ability to contribute to team play and cooperate with teammates.
- Personal Maturity: Emotional maturity, professionalism, and overall character.
Evaluation Methods:
Players will be assessed through some if not all of the following:
- Skills Drills: Individual drills to showcase skating, puck handling, passing, and shooting.
- Small Area Games: Competitive, short ice games to evaluate game sense, effort, and decision-making.
- Full-Ice Scrimmages: Real-game scenarios to observe players in a team context.
Post-Evaluation:
After all evaluations, the panel will confer and make a final assessment of each player. The final decision for player placements rests with the relevant team’s head coach, under the oversight of the Coaching and Hockey Directors.
Position-Specific Criteria
- Bantam and Midget Levels: Players will be ranked by position (i.e., forward or defense). This allows coaches to assess their readiness and suitability for those specific roles.
- Younger Age Levels (U8 to U14): Players will be evaluated based on overall ability, as youth players benefit from playing multiple positions. The focus at these levels is on broad skill development rather than specialization.
Final Decisions and Transparency
Once the evaluations are complete, team selections will be posted by the head coach. These decisions are final unless there is substantial evidence that the tryouts did not follow the outlined process. We understand this can be an emotional process for families, but we trust that the sportsmanship displayed throughout will guide us all toward creating a positive hockey experience.
Key Reminders
- Transparency: While decisions are made based on the panel’s collective judgment, we are committed to transparency in the process.
- Sportsmanship: Regardless of the outcome, we expect all players, parents, and coaches to maintain respectful conduct. The way we handle tryouts is an important lesson in resilience and growth.
- Development Focus: The BYH program is committed to fostering long-term player development. A focus on developing the individual, not just team performance, helps every player reach their potential.
Good luck and we look forward to seeing everyone at tryouts.