PuckerUp

Just clarifying....SHAHA '08 had 5 forwards, 3 D, and 1 goalie in attendance at Mid-Am camp tryouts. Two forwards advanced to the Mid-Am camp.

@Loach, maybe I was mistaken and there was more than one evaluator watching, but I genuinely don't believe that was the case. Yes, it's possible that evaluators were watching on LiveBarn, but why? At the rink, there was an area at the far end of the bar-side bleachers that was clearly marked (cordoned off) for Mid-Am personnel only. During my son's four games there wasn't a single evaluator in that area. The only other location where evaluators could be isolated from the general population was the viewing area above the benches. That's where I saw one evaluator each time and one individual that was in charge of the clock. There was one coach on each bench, but they never made any notes...maybe mental notes, perhaps, that were passed along later. Edit...I meant to note that the bar area was packed full of parents all weekend, which meant evaluators were definitely not watching from there.

I thought I'd add my two cents regarding the mid-am camp tryout process with hopes of helping future families navigate the situation. Full disclaimer, my son is an '08 and this was his second year at the tryout...He did not advance to the mid-am camp either year. I can only comment knowledgably on the 2008 group. My understanding (which could be incorrect) is that this year the number of players a coach could nominate was loosely determined by the team's ranking at the end of the year. Obviously, with two strong national-finalist squads in the Pens and Vengeance, both teams deservedly had many players attend. I say loosely determined, however, because there were a couple of lower-ranked Western PA organizations that seemed to have a disproportionate number of players in attendance. I'm not fully certain whether or not something changed from last year, but in 2022 we noticed nearly entire teams present for some low-ranked WPA squads. Fortunately, that wasn't the case this year. My son's team had eight players at the most recent tryout. I'd be remiss if I failed to mention that it was clear that there were a number of high quality players that were not among the roughly 175 players that attended the tryout. Also worth mentioning is that as part of the registration process parents are asked how many points the player scored in the most recent season, as well as where, and what level he/she played in the most recent season and seasons prior. As a coach and evaluator myself (not hockey), I fully understand that tryout/Evaluation process is difficult and flawed by nature. That said, I was disappointed to see only ONE evaluator present during each of my son's four games. The evaluation areas were clearly marked and it was easy to determine that just one evaluator was trying to take notes on roughly 35 players across a 45-minute running-clock game. Evaluating is difficult...it's imperfect...it's stressful...But having the expectation that ONE person can objectively and effectively evaluate 30+ players, let alone in such a short time, is absurd. I can't speak to whether or not the single-evaluator model was in place for all games, but can only speak to my son's games. While I watched many games that weren't my son's, I didn't pay attention to the evaluator situation for those games. Unfortunately, I don't recall the evaluation situation in 2022. With all of that in mind, I firmly believe that a player's full body of work should be a factor (clearly not the only one) in situations like this with his/her most recent season's performance given the most weight. If there were five evaluators present for each game, I'd suggest the weight should be low; but with just one evaluator present the weight has to be higher. Part of the problem is that the talent divide among all players trying out is ENORMOUS! Contrary to popular belief, the hockey is not very good at the tryout. This is where it seems clear that certain organizations and individuals (namely coaches) have superior, and sometimes undue, influence. The list of players advancing in 2022 supported that, and by looking at the '08 list of advancing players this year, it seems clear as well. Don't get me wrong, the vast majority of players on the '08 list are fully deserving, but there are more than a few head scratchers on there--Players that looked completely lost. Certain organizations/teams had an improbable number of players that advanced to the camp. It's no coincidence that those organizations/teams had a strong presence and influence at the tryout. tl;dr Tryouts are imperfect in nature and evaluators have a very difficult job. Mid-am makes the job more difficult by not having enough evaluators present for each game. Not all of the region's best players attend the mid-am camp tryout. Certain organizations/teams/coaches have more influence in the mid-am district than others. If making the mid-am camp is your lone goal find an organization/team/coach with mid-am influence. One goalie showed up for the first night, played 12 minutes, faced three shots, and then left the tryout. He advanced to the mid-am camp. Is he deserving based on his body of work? Absolutely!! Is his selection "fair" based on the tryout? You be the judge. Anecdotal evidence as discussed by many parents suggests that if you're a forward and you get your name in the goal column a couple of times...you're going to advance. All goals are reported to the evaluator in real time.