| Every season, hockey tryouts are one of the biggest | | | | you. Or you may just not be good enough to be on |
| challenges for girls hockey players. While some girls will | | | | the team of your dreams...yet. As a player, it's easy to |
| be fortunate enough to make the team of their | | | | get frustrated and wonder why you put all that effort |
| dreams, there will also be many aspiring girls hockey | | | | in for nothing. As a parent, you are at a loss for how |
| players out there with broken hearts after getting cut. | | | | to help your daughter get through this challenging time. |
| I've been cut my fair share of times in my hockey | | | | The truth is, whether you made the team or not, you're |
| career and I know how hard it is. But one time in | | | | next question has to be... |
| particular hurt more than the rest. Five years ago, I had | | | | "What Do I Do Now?" |
| what I thought was my best hockey season ever. I | | | | If you didn't make the team you wanted to make, it |
| was playing alongside and competing with the national | | | | doesn't mean that you should just coast through the |
| team girls on a daily basis and not surprisingly, every | | | | summer and not work hard to be your best. I didn't |
| single aspect of my game improved. | | | | make a high-level team until I was 15 years old and I |
| I was pretty excited when the coach came up to me | | | | was still able to realize my dream of getting a |
| at a practice late in the year and all but "guaranteed" | | | | scholarship 4 years later. And if you did make the |
| me a spot on the team for the next season. | | | | team, you aren't off the hook either. |
| You can probably guess what happened next. | | | | Great hockey players are made away from the rink. If |
| Let's just say I was more than a little bit surprised | | | | you want to reach the elite level, your dedication to |
| when the coach called me into the office a few days | | | | becoming the best athlete possible off the ice is what |
| after the season was done and cut me from the | | | | will ensure that you are the best player possible on the |
| team. I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach and | | | | ice. That doesn't mean that you need to train 4+ hours |
| had the wind knocked out of me. I was angry, | | | | a day like the national team players, but you do need |
| frustrated and I felt hopeless. And the worst part was | | | | to move yourself at leastone step closer to your |
| that I didn't even get a chance to fight for my spot. | | | | hockey dreams every day if you want to achieve |
| Even though I had played so well, and slowly worked | | | | them. |
| my way up the depth chart by dedicating myself | | | | That might mean taking 100 or 1000 shots a day in |
| completely to become the best women's hockey | | | | your driveway, playing another sport regularly to stay |
| player possible, I wasn't even invited back for a tryout. | | | | in top shape or committing to an off-ice training |
| To say that it "stung" is be a HUGE understatement. I | | | | program for the summer. Whatever it is, keep in mind |
| was devastated. I changed teams, continued to work | | | | that reaching your full potential on the ice and realizing |
| hard and dream big, but it took me a while to get over | | | | all of your hockey dreams never comes easy. And no |
| being cut from that team. | | | | matter what team you are playing on, it's your |
| When it comes to hockey or life, nothing is ever | | | | commitment to becoming the best player possible that |
| guaranteed. You may think you are a lock to make | | | | will make you unstoppable and set the stage for the |
| the team, and then get the rug pulled out from under | | | | rest of your hockey career. |