Parents, 

The day is finally here and hockey tryouts kick off this evening!  We know this can be an exciting and nerve-racking time for both players and parents and so we wanted to provide you with some information to help you be better informed.  

IMPORTANT: Please help your player to come to the arena prepared.  These are the days that determine the team you play for this season and being focused is critical to the player's success.  We want the kids on the ice working hard to ensure their scores reflect their ability.

The Process: 
Players will be evaluated over three days.  They will receive a black / white or red pinney with a number that they will keep for the duration of the tryouts.  That number is all our evaluators will see, no names.  None of the evaluators were involved in assigning the numbers to the players.  Note - To help keep the scoring true please do not send your player with a jersey that has a nameplate or other identifying information.  

After checking their player in, parents will be asked to leave the arena for the duration of tryouts.  MWHA HOC and BOD members will be in attendance to ensure there is no loitering.  No HOC or BOD member will be present if they have a player at the level trying out to keep consistency.  

The first day consists of different skill drills (see attached for the drills being scored this year).  Goalies will be evaluated the first night at Stauber's Goalcrease.   The second and third days will consist of small area games, intra-squad and external scrimmages to see how a player performs in a game.   There will be three evaluators each day and their aggregate rankings are what determines final placement.  

We know how important the player evaluation process is in ensuring your son or daughter has as much fun as possible while developing their skills each year. This year, we invested in a tool called TeamGenius to help improve the process in a number of ways.

TeamGenius allows our coaches to enter their evaluation ratings and notes through a mobile app rather than on paper. The information is immediately compiled with other evaluators on the TeamGenius admin site, which is only accessible by our club administrators. This dramatically reduces the chances for error as we will not need to collect sheets of paper and transfer handwritten scores and comments from paper to spreadsheet. Additionally, the high quality data and analytics within TeamGenius will help us to confidently place your son or daughter on the appropriate team, and to notify you of their team placement much sooner after tryouts.

Teams will be announced and posted on westonkahockey.org the evening of Tuesday 10/15 and players will receive communications from coaches on next steps from there.  The team calendars will be updated on westonkahockey.org as well.  

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.  

CR Childers
Interim Hockey Operations Director
vice_president@westonkahockey.org

2019-20 Tryout Plan