MIKE'S ICE ADVICE

Obviously I am joking with that title, but with the end of season playoffs, and extra games for certain teams who qualified for the OHL CUP there is going to be some disappointment in the air!! Parents whose kids have worked so hard to get to this point of their young careers face some adversity in the very near future.

It all started 10 years ago for most kids who have chosen hockey to be their sport of choice. Countless days and sometimes nights doing extra work with skating, shooting and work in the gym will come to a head on draft day, and all the $$$ that have been spent now really seem to be taking a toll on everyone especially the parents . Scouts have been seen by all the players at their respective games, and the players are wondering who and what they are either writing in that “black book” or talking about amongst themselves.

It’s not a panic situation for anyone, but most parents I believe have chosen to ignore the fact that not all the kids get drafted into any respective CHL team. There is I believe 12-15 rounds in the OHL draft of which there is maybe a handful or 2 of sure things to have a long career in hockey.

If your child gets drafted make sure they understand what it actually means. The biggest misconception by players and their parents is that they forget it is not an entitlement to be drafted because you seem to be a better player than most. You got drafted at a certain spot in the draft because scouts have identified something in the way you play that gets their attention.

Once you are drafted and go to camp the team may ask the player to recreate himself into another type of player. Those who understand how to overcome adversity are usually the ones that move forward. If you can’t it shouldn’t end your dream, just suck it up and work hard at the information your team that drafts you gives you as they send you back to play U18.

On the other side of the coin is the player that doesn’t get drafted. Parents of those kids should not throw in the towel either as my kids who both were not even playing U16 showed everyone that hard work and the will to become a better player overcomes a lot of things. Some kids haven’t even reached puberty yet , and like mine who played AAA all the way up were left off those teams because they were too small.

As I stated in a previous article it is not how fast you get to the 50, it’s how long it takes you to get to the 100. My goal as a parent was to get them an education and I did whatever needed to be done including asking people for information, guiding them through the everyday madness of what we call MINOR HOCKEY.

Please don’t take it out on your kids, and give them your full support. Put them in a situation where they will succeed! That is the path you need to follow, and hopefully they may be the ones who end up farther down the road!!

Good Luck!!

Mike Tanev

mtanev24@gmail.com