Dear Parents and Guardians,
I am excited to see such a strong turnout for this year’s
tryouts. Peterborough is a great city in which to play hockey and we work hard
to develop a program that supports long term athlete development.
The first tryout will take place on Saturday, May 3rd
at the Miskin Law Community Complex (CHE Pad).
I have divided participants into two groups as follows:
Group 1 - 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Skaters with last names J to Z
Goalies with last names D to Z
Group 2 - 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Skaters with last names A to I
Goalies with last names A to C
As we move through the tryout process, its important to note that the evaluators and I are looking for specific attributes in players that best fit the character of this team. This includes a combination of skill, coachability, willingness to work hard, and a positive rapport with teammates. These choices are never easy and not everyone will agree, but I promise to give each decision my careful consideration and to keep the highest standards of integrity throughout the process.
As I've already mentioned, we seek to develop a program that supports the long-term development of the players. As such, my "Look-Fors" in these tryouts are very similar to those of Coach Buchner from the AA team:
Skaters:
- Speed and agility
- Passing, shooting, puck handling skills
- Attack mentality
- Positioning and on-ice awareness (Hockey IQ)
- Are they a team player?
- Effort, resilience, compete
Goalies:
- Puck control and rebound management
- Focus and recovery after shots
- Positional play and angles
- Crease control - owning the space and asserting presence
- Being set and composed before each shot
Tryouts can be a stressful time for both players and families. Whether your child is selected for the U12A team or released to look for other opportunities, I hope they will find the right fit for them to continue playing the game they love next season.
Thank you again for your interest in the Peterborough U12A program, best of luck with tryouts and I look forward to seeing your player on the ice.
Sincerely,
Steve Armitage
Head Coach - U12A Peterborough Petes