Wings Hockey
A “note” to Parents concerning the selection process
While we will make no “formal rule” that parents stay away from tryouts, you should give serious consideration not to attend. Only you can answer the question of whether your presence will put undo pressure on your son or other potential players.
If you do attend any of the tryout sessions, please do not attempt to coach or direct your son in any way. You are there as an observer – nothing more. Furthermore, please do not make any derogatory comments concerning other players and do not yell at players or the team from the stands. Actually, this is a good rule of thumb throughout the season as well!
In addition, please do not sit near or attempt to engage any coaches who are evaluating tryouts/scrimmages. No, we are not so “tightly wrapped” that we won’t say hello! However, I’m sure that you will agree that it is our primary objective to give our players a fair look and we do not want any undo distractions.
The selections for the junior varsity and varsity teams will take place over a 3 to 5 day period. The majority of our time will be spent in tryout scrimmages, as we believe this is the best way to evaluate players. All players will be given equal ice time in these scrimmages. For the final day of selections, coaches may inform each player of his status in a brief one-on-one meeting or a posting.
The coaches will not accept calls at home and will not discuss the decision with players or parents on the day in which the decision is made; the reason for this is that it is an emotional time for everyone and a cooling off period is always best. However, players are encouraged to schedule a time to speak with Coach Charleston a few days later if they require a more detailed explanation.
A “post tryout discussion” is rarely beneficial. The reason for this is that the parent would like to see his or her son on the team, and they usually disagree with the decision. The decision will not change so the outcome is already predetermined before the discussion begins.There is no debating the issue that ten different people may make ten different decisions in respect to personnel selection.In the end, all final decisions are a head coach’s prerogative.
When a team is selected, there are large numbers of factors that a coaching staff must take into consideration: talent, a player’s acceptance of his role, work ethic, behavior, team chemistry, etc. If a player is not selected, it is simply because the coaching staff did not believe that he measured up to the criteria for making the team. It doesn’t mean that the particular player does not have talent, nor is it a reflection on him as a person. We take the tryout process very seriously, and no decisions are made without a great deal of care and thought.
If you feel a need to contact Coach Charleston, then he will answer any questions that you may have. We would only ask that your son speak to Coach Charleston first. The most important person in all of this is your son. If he doesn’t understand, or there is something “lost in translation”, then of course we would encourage you to contact Coach Charleston at 708-309-6941 or .