Help Please!!!

[Canadien2199]

Hi,
I am currently a 16 year old inline player playing on 4 different club teams (one high school and 3 adult). One of the adult leauges I am in has a bunch of ex- pro and ex- junior players so im pretty good for my age but I have never played competitively in tournaments. I want to continue roller hockey through college and later on so I wanted some of your tips on how to raise my game to the next level. How did you guys do it??? Thanks a lot!

Also how should you go about trying to play in the NCRHA?

[CUDangled]

Hi,
I am currently a 16 year old inline player playing on 4 different club teams (one high school and 3 adult). One of the adult leauges I am in has a bunch of ex- pro and ex- junior players so im pretty good for my age but I have never played competitively in tournaments. I want to continue roller hockey through college and later on so I wanted some of your tips on how to raise my game to the next level. How did you guys do it??? Thanks a lot!

Also how should you go about trying to play in the NCRHA?

This question has been asked several times on here...so your best bet would be to search.

BUT...I will point you in the right direction anyway because I am bored at work and have nothing better to do.

First, don't pick a college based on their inline team. Pick a school based on their academic programs. The degree and education that you get while you are in school is #1.

However, I see nothing wrong with using the schools inline team (or lack of) as a tie breaker between two otherwise equal schools.

Once you find the school you like, go to http://www.ncrha.org to see if they have a team. Go to the team page and contact the team...from there it is pretty easy. Find out when they are holding try-outs and see if they are holding pre-season skates before the season starts.

Good luck.

[CUDangled]

Hi,
One of the adult leauges I am in has a bunch of ex- pro and ex- junior players so im pretty good for my age but I have never played competitively in tournaments.

One more thing...don't justify your level of play with a comment like the one above. It can sound either cocky or ignorant.

Cocky...because you are 16 and comparing yourself to a pro
Ignorant...because you are relating your ability to the level of play that your fellow league members attained at some unknown point in their past.

Not trying to be jerk, I understand what you were trying to say...just a little advice from a coach's point of view. The "...so im pretty good part" is where you went wrong, I think. Just because an "ex-pro" plays in your league, does not mean you are at the same level. Also, just because a player is an "ex-pro" doesn't mean he is any good at the present time, or at inline. He could be a 65 year old washed up has been (or never was)...so the comparison is meaningless.

Sorry for the long version to the short answer...just bored at work.

You should focus more on the fact that you are 16 playing in the mens league.

"I am 16 playing in my rink's platinum (or insert appropriate level) mens league that has former pro and junior players in it"

This states the same thing, but doesn't make you sound so cocky. Too many college coaches see incoming freshman say "Well I was captain of my high school team". Wow. Were you? Well, that was high school. You are at a college try-out now. This is where all the former "high school captains" are playing. Plus, being good at high school inline is relative. Was the league any good? Was your team any good? Were you the captain on a good team? Or were you captain because you formed the team and you were one of the 6 guys that showed up for the games? See my point...?

Again, not trying to bash you, just give you constructive suggestions. A coach will be more impressed with you when you step up to the next level if you have a confident, yet humble attitude. Don't be shy about promoting yourself in a "player bio". In some cases, you might not even get invited to try-out for a team with a solid background. But focus more on facts, rather than justifying the label you desire based on comparisons.

Don't expect respect...earn it.

My $0.02

[mr sticky]

i was kind of wondering the same thing, im in high school but i dont play for my highschool, i play in a leage at a skate rink, but i was wondering how do i know if I'm good enough to even look into college inline. i have 3 more years of highschool left so i have plenty of time to get better, im just worried about wat would happen if i didn't make the team, i love hockey and i want to play in college.

[CUDangled]

im just worried about wat would happen if i didn't make the team, i love hockey and i want to play in college.

If you don't make the team, you practice and try again the next year. Meanwhile you go to class and get a good education because you chose a College/University for their academics and not their hockey program. :)

[mr sticky]

true, do you think it would be easier to make an inline team than ice hockey though? i would think so because less people play inline, i have like 3 years to get good enough so i think I'll be fine (sorry for my horrible grammar)