| February 2006 |
2/21/2006
Record Turnouts and our Best Program Ever
Wow!
Thank you to all who attended yesterday's evaluations. We had a record turnout and we are absolutely humbled by this. Thanks to
many dedicated Prospects staffers and you - the parents committed to providing your child with an opportunity for skill and character
development - the Prospects program has never been stronger.
We have the best facility, the best coaches, the best players, and the best program ever.
Our commitment to excellence must, and will, continue. In fact, we feel a renewed and heightened responsibility to provide your child
with an enjoyable, productive experience this Spring. One that will make them a better player and person.
The program emphasizes discipline, respect, and hard work. You'll be amazed how the kids buy in - and how this can help us get so
much accomplished.
Our coaches send along their appreciation, too. They were faced with many difficult decisions. They did their best to be fair, and at the
same time assemble the most competitive teams at each level.
As a side note, talking with one 1996 family, I found out that they felt that not making the 96 team last year turned out to be the best thing
that could have happened. They paid attention to the coach's advice and committed to development over the last 12 months. Now, their
son has climbed way up the ladder. In that he is a respectful and personable boy from a classy family, this is a great story.
Within the next 1-2 days we will post the times for each group. The general ice slots run from 3:20 to 10:00 on Sat and Sun, and from
6:00 to 10:00 during the week. 98-96 and u12 will generally go first, 95-93 and u14 in the middle, and 92-91 and u16 last. We are
making adjustments because we had to unexpectedly add second groups at the 97 and 98 levels. Now we have to go get more ice
than we originally booked. (We may even have to add another team at a different birth year, too). Please bear with us.
Once again, thank you for being part of the Prospects family. The program has evolved and improved with the help, and even the
constructive criticism, of our coaches and families. Please feel free to share your praises and your ideas for improvement anytime. Our
email is admin@buffalohockey.org or you can call 839-2777 between 9a and 7p.
Now that the hard part is over, we can't wait to get the skill development machine cranked up the first weekend of April. In the meantime,
we'd encourage you to stay focused on making your child a better player on his or her current team. We look forward to seeing you
around the rinks, and best of luck to the 95s, 93s, and 91s in the playdowns at the Pepsi Center this weekend. See you then, if not
sooner.
John
2/13/2006
Upcoming Evaluations
Please bear with us as we try to deal with the surge in interest we are experiencing. At the next evaluation, for most birth years, we will
settle in on our 27 players and be done. There are several birth years where we may have enough qualified players to form two groups
with 23-27 players each. These will literally be on the spot decisions that day by the Prospects coaches and advisory board. This has
been done successfully in the past. If this is the case, we will need deposits as a sign of commitment from all selected players. That
way we can go and get more ice.
We will also attempt to finalize the ice schedule right after the second evaluations (Tuesday). Generally speaking, the oldest groups will
be going the latest (probably U16s, 90/91s, 92s, and 93s in the 8:40 slots) and the youngest groups will be going the earliest (probably
the 98s, 97s, 96s, and U12s in the 6:00 slots) and the remainder (94s, 95s, 96s, U14 in the 7:20 slots). As for the day of the week, this
is still being decided (note that the three girls groups will probably all go the same day).
Finally, please remember that the selection process is not an exact science. The coaches pick the teams with little interference from
others (myself included). Players who are the 27th pick can move up to 18 or 17 by the end of the summer with the skill development
and coaching they get (and visa versa). Even if you are selected as a development player (22-27), we would strongly encourage you to
be part of the program - there is not a better system for development for your child.
Record Turnouts and our Best Program Ever
Wow!
Thank you to all who attended yesterday's evaluations. We had a record turnout and we are absolutely humbled by this. Thanks to
many dedicated Prospects staffers and you - the parents committed to providing your child with an opportunity for skill and character
development - the Prospects program has never been stronger.
We have the best facility, the best coaches, the best players, and the best program ever.
Our commitment to excellence must, and will, continue. In fact, we feel a renewed and heightened responsibility to provide your child
with an enjoyable, productive experience this Spring. One that will make them a better player and person.
The program emphasizes discipline, respect, and hard work. You'll be amazed how the kids buy in - and how this can help us get so
much accomplished.
Our coaches send along their appreciation, too. They were faced with many difficult decisions. They did their best to be fair, and at the
same time assemble the most competitive teams at each level.
As a side note, talking with one 1996 family, I found out that they felt that not making the 96 team last year turned out to be the best thing
that could have happened. They paid attention to the coach's advice and committed to development over the last 12 months. Now, their
son has climbed way up the ladder. In that he is a respectful and personable boy from a classy family, this is a great story.
Within the next 1-2 days we will post the times for each group. The general ice slots run from 3:20 to 10:00 on Sat and Sun, and from
6:00 to 10:00 during the week. 98-96 and u12 will generally go first, 95-93 and u14 in the middle, and 92-91 and u16 last. We are
making adjustments because we had to unexpectedly add second groups at the 97 and 98 levels. Now we have to go get more ice
than we originally booked. (We may even have to add another team at a different birth year, too). Please bear with us.
Once again, thank you for being part of the Prospects family. The program has evolved and improved with the help, and even the
constructive criticism, of our coaches and families. Please feel free to share your praises and your ideas for improvement anytime. Our
email is admin@buffalohockey.org or you can call 839-2777 between 9a and 7p.
Now that the hard part is over, we can't wait to get the skill development machine cranked up the first weekend of April. In the meantime,
we'd encourage you to stay focused on making your child a better player on his or her current team. We look forward to seeing you
around the rinks, and best of luck to the 95s, 93s, and 91s in the playdowns at the Pepsi Center this weekend. See you then, if not
sooner.
John
2/13/2006
Upcoming Evaluations
Please bear with us as we try to deal with the surge in interest we are experiencing. At the next evaluation, for most birth years, we will
settle in on our 27 players and be done. There are several birth years where we may have enough qualified players to form two groups
with 23-27 players each. These will literally be on the spot decisions that day by the Prospects coaches and advisory board. This has
been done successfully in the past. If this is the case, we will need deposits as a sign of commitment from all selected players. That
way we can go and get more ice.
We will also attempt to finalize the ice schedule right after the second evaluations (Tuesday). Generally speaking, the oldest groups will
be going the latest (probably U16s, 90/91s, 92s, and 93s in the 8:40 slots) and the youngest groups will be going the earliest (probably
the 98s, 97s, 96s, and U12s in the 6:00 slots) and the remainder (94s, 95s, 96s, U14 in the 7:20 slots). As for the day of the week, this
is still being decided (note that the three girls groups will probably all go the same day).
Finally, please remember that the selection process is not an exact science. The coaches pick the teams with little interference from
others (myself included). Players who are the 27th pick can move up to 18 or 17 by the end of the summer with the skill development
and coaching they get (and visa versa). Even if you are selected as a development player (22-27), we would strongly encourage you to
be part of the program - there is not a better system for development for your child.