“It’s Navigation Nightmare Season”

Everyone is in a hurry these days. It’s warp speed or nothing when it comes to development and opportunity. If things don’t happen when some people want it or assume it has to happen, they instantly blame others for it and start searching for answers or alternatives. Those that stay the course are often considered to be an afterthought and ultimately end up second guessing every move they make along their pathway in the game.

Everyone wants answers, everyone wants results especially when you’re paying for it or are part of elite hockey. One can only imagine how difficult it must be when all the time and money invested to play the game these days only to have a less than stellar experience.
Clearly every parent wants the best for their child, that’s only normal and very expected when it comes to the game of hockey and if things didn’t go as expected one year the hope is that it will never be experienced again, that’s why it’s so hard for some people to stay the course or trust the process.

They don’t know who to believe or trust, there is so much uncertainty out there in the hockey world, they don’t know what course or direction to take.

They’re lost. Isn’t it ironic that the majority of parents and players are dead set on which option or direction to take. Some have been playing all of the backchannel overtures the entire way through and they get the desired results while others don’t.

Their kid might be worthy and ultimately deserving of being where they are right now, but in some cases the sense of entitlement is still something to behold.
Staying the course can be hell for the “non entitled” hockey players and parents. We all know there’s no guarantees, but it’s hard to stay the course when spots on teams, ice time and promises are made and subsequently kept for a select few rather than the masses.

Obviously, everyone knows the drill or do they?

The hockey world is incredibly difficult to navigate at the best of times, but one can only imagine how hard it is to stay the course. Everyone gets anxious near the beginning and end of the season because of the uncertainty that the next level, growth or developmental process might have on their kid. That’s why so many hockey “folk” are constantly searching for answers or the correct path or direction to take.

In some cases, the hockey world has pounced on that uncertainty and have created a multitude of opportunities for players and parents. It’s not much wonder why the political and entitled aspects of the game arise when you see how some minor hockey provincial teams are selected and how some minor hockey associations are run.

“Considering Their Options”

This time of year is not about enjoying the off season, it’s all about jockeying for position or literally positions for that matter for next year. There’s no time off for those trying to navigate the hockey world.

“We are considering all of our options.”

That’s a line you hear nonstop this time of year, and you know what, who could blame them. It’s incredibly difficult to “trust the process” in this day and age, because so many people have been screwed over by the political aspects of the game that they want to make sure their kids have a plan in place for the upcoming season that aligns with their development goals.

Some will say all the right things publicly, but behind the scenes they’re literally panicking. Many people are willing and able to pay the money for the opportunity and who could blame them, again it’s all about what they believe is best for their child and you can’t fault that, but hopefully the right parameters are in place for maximum growth and development and that the child completely understands that path which they’re about to embark on and that they understand the desired end result.

Some players and families have experienced so much within the game of hockey on so many different levels.
The families that have stayed the course or deviated from the course even when it seemed impossible deserve so much credit for their persistence and resiliency. “Stay the course” can mean a lot of things for a lot of different people.
Some hockey parents and players put all of their trust in certain people within the game in effort to stay the course. Sometimes when we stay the course it can be incredibly rewarding. Sometimes when we feel compelled to stay the course, we end up finding out the hard way that we needed to deviate or change our course a long time ago.

What’s best for the kid? Is a loaded question, especially when there are some people that are ok with providing misguided information and or intel with regards to the player’s ceiling, current location, or place within the game.

Here’s to everyone trying to navigate things right now in life and in the game of hockey. There’s a lot of double standards out there, there’s a lot of massive decisions to make that impact every aspect of the family’s lives.
Best of luck in whatever course you decide to choose, but we can only hope those making the decisions consider the following questions or themes.

1. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side just because someone says it is, people have to make sure they do their homework and research when considering going abroad and putting their child in different and challenging situations.
2. It’s hard to find someone to trust and I mean really trust in the game that’s really passionate and have similar thoughts and beliefs when it comes to the main objective which is doing what’s right for the player. It’s also very difficult to find a person to trust to provide a clear and untainted evaluation and projection with it comes to the player and their potential.
3. Education should be at the center of every decision, unfortunately the “hockey” usually takes precedence which really hurts the navigational aspect of the entire process.
4. Realistically how good is your son or daughter, will they be challenged, will they develop, will they play, what’s the practice to game ratio at the prep school or alternative program you’re considering and what’s the ultimate end goal?

So many people can’t see the forest for the trees when it comes to their child’s present talent level.  They try to project that talent but are blinded by the opportunity which they’re paying for rather than realistically evaluating the process behind future growth and development. Providing the best opportunity for the child to succeed which they’re paying for gives them a massive stake in the game, or that’s how they feel anyway.

Once the “hockey” starts the reality of the situation starts to hit home for the player and the family. You see some hockey parents want to control the speed at which the proposed developmental framework that is set-in place. Instead of letting things happen naturally and authentically they want to or feel compelled to and dramatically control every aspect of that process and become entitled trying to accomplish just that.

You see they can’t control every aspect of the process, which then drives them crazy, because they can’t relinquish that control.  No matter how entitled they are or become because “they are paying” they can’t speed up the process or developmental curve which only adds complexity to the entire experience.  

They might be able to pay for the experience and opportunity, but that doesn’t mean they can control the speed at which things happen from a developmental standpoint or become pissed off or confused when other opportunities don’t arrive at the desired pace.

Obviously, this becomes a developmental and navigational nightmare for the hockey parents, but what about the player. Like most experiences the kid becomes trapped in the middle of hockey promises, opportunity, and money, but let’s not forget their own personal beliefs and thoughts on their skill set and ceiling.

Every player’s path and trajectory in the game is different. Some get screwed over, some play the political game and win, while others lose that game. Some hockey parents try to force it, try to control it, which is impossible to do, even if they pay for it.

Elite level hockey like any other sport is a nightmare to navigate. Everyone is in a hurry these days. It’s warp speed or nothing. If things don’t happen when some people want it or assume it has to happen, they instantly blame others for it and start searching for answers or alternatives. It’s navigational nightmare season. Good luck to everyone playing that game right now.