Making the team is about making a great impression. Of course we’d all love to be the best player on the ice and be a “lock” to make the team. Every girls hockey team is going to have a handful of those players who have a “guaranteed” spot, and everyone else has to battle it out to make the team.

Here are 3 tips you can use during tryouts to stand out if you are “on the bubble”.

3 Tips For Standing Out During Girls Hockey Tryouts:

1) Go to the front of the line. This seems simple enough, but it can also be really scary. The coach explains the drill, and you are pretty sure that you get it, but does that really mean that you should go first? Definitely. Coaches notice little details like this. Trust me on this one – going first and messing up the drill a little bit is much better than hiding in the back of the line because you are worried about making a mistake. Show some initiative and confidence in yourself and your ability to do the drill right.

2) Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you have a question as the coach is explaining the drill on the board, ASK! Odds are that at least 4 or 5 other people have the exact same question and were probably scared to ask. Sometimes coaches don’t always do a great job of explaining the drills perfectly. By asking the question, you are actually showing that you are being a team player, because you are giving every player on the ice the opportunity to see it again and feel more confident in their ability to do the drill properly.

3) Out-hustle everybody. Every single girls hockey coach out there wants players who are willing to compete in every drill and will push themselves and their teammates to be the best. Be first to the puck, be the first player back on the back-check, be first in everything. And if you get beat 1 on 1, turn the puck over at the blue-line or let in a weak goal, be the player that recovers the fastest from their mistakes. Hockey is a game of mistakes – it’s the players that recover quickest and
capitalize on the mistakes of others that standout from the rest.

Always remember – Hard work Beats Talent When Talent Doesn’t Work Hard.

Work Hard. Dream BIG.

~ Coach Kim