What is the difference in costs for these tiers?
Teams at different levels may pay for some costs involved with playing, including equipment and housing. Most teams in junior hockey today, are pay to play. Some teams may help pay for housing and some equipment. Pay-to-play means that there is usually costs for billeting, ice time and coaching vary depending on location of the franchise.
What questions that CHM will help with before deciding which tryouts I should attend?
There are fees involved with participating in tryouts, so players and parents should do their homework before deciding where to try out.
They should ask other questions as well: How many veterans will be returning? How many roster spots are available? Where do players go after they ‘graduate’ from the program?
There is also a big difference between a recruiting pitch in April and how things might play out during training camp in September. Similar questions should be asked before signing to play for a program.
When is the right time to play Junior hockey?
This is more of a family decision because the majority of Junior hockey players must move away from home to play. Again, players must ask a variety of questions before making a decision.
Is the player mature enough to handle the responsibilities of living away from home and handling the hockey, social and academic elements of Junior hockey? What are the player’s goals, and how realistic are those goals?
Do I have to play Junior hockey at an early age to advance my career?
It’s not a bad thing to stay home and play high school hockey or Midget hockey if you’re not quite ready to handle all that goes along with Junior hockey. Teenagers develop as players and people at different rates. There are advantages to excelling at the high school or Midget level for an extra year before moving on to play Junior hockey.
Where does education fit into the life of a Junior hockey player?
Because Junior hockey is considered a gateway to college hockey, teams at all levels should be placing emphasis on the educational component. That’s why Cain Hockey Management develop relationships with high schools, community colleges and four-year institutions to make sure their players have educational options.