Taking someone’s word can be a safe option, or it can backfire. Coaches haven’t officially landed a recruit until he arrives on campus and takes part in a practice. As a result, university hockey turns into a blindfolded game of poker in which all coaches are expected to come out with their chips lined up in perfect order.
Building a team around false hopes can be risky and tough to manage. Players select schools based on a few categories: the program, its location, the team’s reputation of winning and also the perks included (which is a whole other subject).The summer months appear ever so quiet, but behind the scenes schools are searching for the foundation of their program.
Monday 17 August 2009
Jason Cassidy’s Blog: A productive off-season is a must
Jason Cassidy's latest entry at The Hockey News
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I would say that "RECRUITING" is an ART rather than a SCIENCE and requires a good deal of persistance and tenacity.When one MATT HOGAN appeared at STU in early October,the Gleaner did an article about "Those Late Recruits",I (and my son) had spent the beyyer part of 5 years interfacing with various Hogan family members as Matt played in Cornwall.My son went to school with is older sister and I would instruct Tony to keep in her face about the merrits of STU as I was doing the same with Matts father in the morning line-up at Tim Hortons,the coach of the time Al MacAdam and I made a fortuitous visit to New Market where Matt was then playing and AL met ,I believe, all living members of his family who were also at the game;to make a long story short,Matt had in his back pocket,STU's proposal, as he was cosidering pro options BUT it would be on his terms and the plan was for him to call us if & when the Pittsberg Penguin offer was not to his liking or wishes.
ReplyDeleteHe called my home,no answer there,then called Al MacAdams office and inquired from Al as to did he know where I might be( Iwas sitting across from him in his office)Al handed me the phone and Plan B was implemented and Matt arrived at STU in time for our next game vs UdeM and promptly scored 5 goals,fresh from a pro camp and in the shape of his life,mission accomplished ,the late arrival (after 5 years of recruiting efforts)
The job of recruiting is getting much more difficult and the competition for the services of appropriate student/athelites is more than complicated as often these young atheletes ar finally facing the reality that thier aspirations for an NHL career may not eventuate.
Putting a team together is certainly more difficult than it might seem to outsiders as there are so many "balls in play" for these recruits and as a good friend of mine would say to me "these prospects need to be good enough to play pro BUT smart enough not to,but rather use their Academic pages and then test the waters.
Both STU and UNB have many examples of just that and for the good and health of the AUS I for one hope that it continues and that matters get settled on the ice and that some of the uninformed,misinformed rhetoric on some of these sights gets put to bed.
BARRY COLLRIN,BA 68( Former STU RECRUITER)