Welcome to the 2019/2020 Atom AA Team Tryouts!
My name is Eric Macmillan, and I will be your Coach for the upcoming season. I would also like to announce that Craig Donaldson will be Coaching alongside me this season. We are both very excited to have the privilege to coach your kids and look forward to a fun and exciting year of hockey.
Please see the below information on details for the upcoming season.
Tryout Schedule
Tryout #1
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
6:15 PM – 7:45 PM ACC2
Tryout #2
Thursday, April 25, 2019
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM ACC2
Tryout #3
Friday, April 26, 2019
5:30 PM- 7:00 ACC2
Tryout Process:
1. You must pre-register your child on-line (AMHA Website) for the upcoming season & purchase a tryout passport.
2. Please arrive at least 45 minutes before tryout 1 and 2 and 60 minutes before the third tryout begins.
3. When you arrive at the lobby of the arena, please go to the AMHA table to sign-in and receive your child’s tryout jersey. THIS JERSEY MUST BE RETURNED AT THE END OF EACH TRYOUT! It does not go home.
4. Please ensure that players come prepared for their session, this includes warmup clothing, water bottle, full protective gear, including neck and mouth guards – players without, or missing such protective equipment, will NOT be allowed on the ice.
5. You must attend the first tryout in order to be invited back to the second and third tryout.
6. There will be a team of independent evaluators who will be assisting us with assessing the players. The AMHA will also assign a team of independent evaluators.
7. During and after the tryout, please do NOT approach the evaluators, as they have a job to do.
Drills and Evaluations
The tryouts will be an anxious time for all of us(coaches included!)
It will be an extremely difficult task choosing 17 players (15 players, 2 goalies) for the team from a large group of hardworking athletes. Player selection will be based on their individual abilities and consistency of execution within these categories:
Skating
Work Ethic
Team Play
Passing/Shooting
Positional Play
Coach-ability
Hockey Sense
Compete Level
Leadership
In an effort to take some of the "unknown factor" which can contribute to players anxiety over tryouts, we have decided to post an overview of our first tryout session practice plan.
The plan is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances but provides an idea of what to expect at Tryout 1.
In addition to easing anxiety we also hope that players will be able to take a look at what is expected and arrive with an idea of what the drills entail. If you aren't able to follow the drill diagrams do not worry, all drills will still be demonstrated on ice but hopefully this will cut down on the time it takes to do so.
Our goal in posting this information is that players arrive to the rink relaxed, confident and able to perform at their highest potential!
TRYOUT_1_PRACTICE_PLAN.pdf
Selection or Release Process
After each session a list of passport numbers will be posted on the 2019/2020 Atom AA webpage. These numbers will indicate which players are being asked to return, those not listed will have been released to the Atom A team.
Communication of our decisions after each tryout will occur via the website and NOT in person at the arena. Although we would like to spend time with each athlete to discuss what we saw and use redirection as a constructive process, due to numbers this simply isn’t possible. Your child’s tryout passport submission ID number is your code that identifies you on the website (Look at Atom AA for the team and the tryout page).
• After the 1st tryout, results will be posted after 4pm the following day.
• After the 2nd tryout, results will be posted no later than midnight the same day.
• After the 3rd tryout, results will be posted either by midnight of the same day or by 10am the next day.
Parents/Guardians of ‘released’ players are welcome to reach out via email to the Head Coach but please respect the OMHA protocol of waiting 24 hours after the final tryout, should you have specific questions or desire additional feedback. As coaches re-directs are never easy. Our end goal is to have players playing at the level at which they can best develop, succeed and continue to grow their love for the game. We assure you that we will treat all players with respect and kindly ask that that respect is returned to us.
“Bubble Calls” - NEW
At the coaches meeting for the 2019-2020 season the AMHA and coaches had a lengthy discussion on the topic of “Bubble Calls”. For those of you new to Aurora Minor Hockey, in previous years, the coach of that specific team would contact the family of the player prior to the 3rd tryout who played on the team in the previous season, who is now fighting for a final spot on the current seasons team. Upon discussion, the AMHA has decided that there will be NO “Bubble Calls” to incumbents for the 2019-2020 season. The rationale for this decision is that the AMHA continues to expect us as coaches to select the best skaters and goaltenders to comprise our team. The AMHA will still have independent evaluators which provides consistent discretion on individual talents on each player that are compared to our evaluations. As always, we encourage that you share this information with your child and to make sure that she/he understands that they must always give 100%, at all tryouts, and all season!
Positions
All decisions about player positions are at the discretion of the coach and may change during the season based on the needs of the team, and / or for development opportunities.
I am aware that some players (and/or their parents) may experience anxiety during this process. PLEASE kindly reinforce with your child that they perform at their best when feeling relaxed and confident!
It is also important for parents to help manage their child’s expectations during this process. A roster position on this team should never be assumed. Let’s all make the tryout process an enjoyable one! Remember that although tryouts can be a time of anxiety we are still fortunate to be PLAYING hockey, and that should always be a fun filled experience!! I wish all players the best of luck in their tryouts,
Play Hard and Have Fun!!!!
Yours In Hockey,
Eric Macmillan
Craig Donaldson