There is a $100 non-refundable registration fee required to be paid prior to ANY players being on the ice for evaluations (no exceptions). Any player who fails to pay the initial $100 deposit will not be permitted to participate in evaluations or take the ice at the beginning of the season. The evaluation registration and payment is to be completed via SportsEngine. (This is a separate registration to the full season, a season registration will follow).
Tryout Overview:
It is in the player’s best interest to attend as many of the tryout sessions available, to ensure the evaluators get the most accurate assessment of each player.
It is ESHA’s policy to allow every player to try out for the age-appropriate team of his or her choice, regardless of where or at what skill level the player may have played in the prior year. A player's prior experience, level and/or club affiliation are not a guarantee that a spot will be held.
Roster spots will be open to any players who attend tryouts. Prior playing experience with ESHA will not be a factor in determining which players make a Blue roster. It should not be expected that a player will be offered a place on a Blue team based solely on which team they played for the previous season. No number of roster spots on a Blue team will be reserved for ESHA players. To qualify for a Blue team placement, you MUST make at least ONE tryout.
Tryout Objective:
The objective of the tryout process is to ensure that each player is given a fair evaluation and that all players are placed at the most appropriate level for their abilities.
Tryouts are led by our Hockey Director and his/her tryout staff. Players will be evaluated by a group of evaluators from the ESHA. These evaluations, along with the previous season’s end of year coach evaluation, will be used to rank players on skill level from top to bottom within each age category based on the criteria set forth by the Hockey Director. The Coach of a given team and Hockey Director will use these rankings as a tool to assist in the team selection process. In efforts to field the most competitive teams possible in some cases a full roster may not be selected immediately.
The evaluators will consider the following:
The player’s skating ability
The player’s individual hockey skills: puck handling, passing, shooting, and body play
The player’s team skills, both offensive and defensive
The player’s position play, teamwork, game skills, and hockey sense
The player’s work ethic, coachability, and discipline
Tryout Procedures:
Each player will be assigned a unique tryout number and jersey that MUST be worn at each evaluation.
A Rostering Committee shall be organized by the Hockey Director and will be comprised of the Hockey Director, and qualified evaluators, to be selected by the Hockey Director. This committee shall organize the drills and objectives for each level and shall evaluate at as many evaluation sessions as possible. The committee shall work with the coaches throughout the tryouts.
At the conclusion of each tryout session, or as soon thereafter as possible, the Head Coach of the appropriate team shall conduct a roundtable discussion to gather and review the tryout results.
After each session, the Head Coach upon approval of the Hockey Director shall be allowed to make selection(s) to the team, thereby waiving attendance at the remaining tryout sessions for those selected player(s). The appropriate coach has the responsibility of providing this notification to the affected players.
Post Tryout Notification:
At the end of the formal evaluation process, players may be assigned to a team for their specific age group based on evaluation results. The Head Coach will contact the player/family and notify them of their team assignment.
Upon selection for a team and notification thereof, players/parents will have 48 hours to complete the season registrations for their player for the team the player was selected for to be guaranteed the spot on the assigned team. This and the initial season fee payment, as noted during registration, are needed in order to guarantee their spot on the assigned team.
This requirement is necessary to ensure that all teams have a minimum number of players to support the team, both competitively and financially. This requirement will be provided at the time that the players are contacted in regard to team assignment. Final teams will be posted on the ESHA website as soon as possible.
Absent from Tryouts:
Any player who is absent from all three tryout sessions will automatically be placed on the Red or White team. Depending upon availability, coach’s input, number of players on a team, and approval by the ESHA Board of Directors, a player may be moved up to a higher level. Skill level is considered only in situations where team placement would disrupt the overall makeup of the team.
Special circumstances will be given special consideration. If a player cannot attend tryouts due to unavoidable circumstances, please notify the ESHA Board of Directors via email as soon as you become aware that the player will miss all three tryout sessions. Your written communication should detail the specific reason(s) why the player will miss tryouts along with any supporting documentation, including a doctor’s note, travel itinerary, and/or other supporting evidence.
The Board will evaluate the circumstances of each player’s absence independently and make a determination on the best placement for the player, taking into consideration all affected teams and players.
Valid reasons for missing tryouts may include:
· Injury, illness or other medical reason
· Planned vacations
· Important school events
Invalid reasons for missing tryouts may include:
· Trying out for Select Teams, Club Teams, and/or any other team
· Participation in other sports activities – baseball, soccer, basketball, etc.