Welcome to the Midget AA 2015/16 tryouts
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My name is Brandon Donches, and I will be the head coach of this year's team. As of right now, I have inquired about an assistant coach, but will be looking for a trainer and a manager once the season begins. If you have experience in these categories, and are interested in helping out next year, please express your interest after the third tryout, and if your child has successfully made the team.
THere will be three tryout sessions, which will take place on September 9th, September 11, and September 12th. The second tryout will be at ARC at 8:45 pm, and the third will be at ARC at 5:00 pm. Remember that all three tryouts will be
FULL CONTACT , however, the safety of the players will be a priority.
During the tryout process, I , as well as my third party evaluators, will be assessing players on the following criteria:
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Basic skills such as puck handling skills, skating skills, shooting and passing.
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Hockey knowledge (reading and reacting to the play)
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Understanding the TEAM aspect of the game
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Ability to stay focused and follow instruction
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Willingness to be involved in the play
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Positional Play
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Physical capabilities
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Creativity
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Goaltenders: Read, react, recover, and strong positional play.
After each tryout, players will be asked to return their tryout jerseys in order to return to the next tryout, although there will still be cuts made. This year, you must check the website the next day to see if you were released or asked back to the next tryout.
Unfortunately, we cannot take everybody this season, as we are only going to roster 16 skaters (10 forwards, 6 defensemen) and 2 goaltenders. If you have any questions about our choices, please feel free to contact me 24 hours after the tryout.
Looking ahead at the season, there will be many expectations from both the players and their families. Rep hockey is very time consuming, and requires a large commitment. Please expect there to be anywhere between 3-5 ice times a week. This includes games, practices, and tournaments. I would like to start the season off with 2 practices a week in hopes that we can focus on team systems, but drop to one practice a week as the season progresses.
Throughout the season, I am looking to participate in four tournaments, two of which I am hoping to be out of town. As of right now, I have booked an early bird tournament in Orangeville September 18-21. We are also planning to go to Boston, Kingston, and Georgina (Silverstick).
As it stands, the team’s practice night will be Mondays (Time TBA), and I expect everybody to be at every practice, pending unavoidable circumstances. I know that the kids are at an age where they have a lot on their plates, so we would like to minimize practices, making it crucial that attendance is full.
My estimation for the team budget will be between $32,000 and $40,000. This is approximately $2,000-$2,200 per player. This is on the safe side and will most likely be less. Fundraisers and sponsors will be discussed in order to make this number drop significantly.
My personal approach for the upcoming season will be one that places the players’ enjoyment above all. While doing this, I will strive to improve their skill, knowledge, and focus one having a healthy team atmosphere and camaraderie.
Thank you once again for attending the Midget AA tryouts.
Sincerely,
Brandon Donches
416-919-2665
[email protected]