How much does the lake placid camp matter?

[hockey3435]

how much does it matter to get those calls on july 1st

[goalie8pucks]

The calls don't all come on July 1. A lot of the coaches take a whole summer to make calls. Some kids will get a lot of calls on July 1 however there are a lot more spots than there are kids that will get called on July 1.

[Hux]

I think it is pretty important step towards "getting the call". Obviously not every kid who goes to camp is going to end up on the National or Olympic team, but it sure seems to be the best way to get the door opened to having a shot at that. And the status of being a part of the Select camps certainly helps garner the attention of the college recruiters which is ultimately the more important goal for these kids.

[kwhrs]

A few thoughts to consider. If your daughter would be likely to get a call from a specific college on July 1st, and is going to be at the Lake Placid Camp, that college's recruiter knows that she will be in Lake Placid. If the Recruiter doesn't know that already they pretty well aren't doing thier job or will figure it out when they see your daughter when they are at the camp. If you are home and a call still comes you are certainly free to inform the caller about the situation. IMO sitting by the phone is absolutely foolish and unneccessary. Second, don't be discouraged (more importantly don't let your daughter be) if "the" call doesn't come at all. "The" school may not be aware of your daughter (heaven forbide) or may for whatever reason (some of them very unscientific) believe your daughter doesnot have an interest in their school. The single most important call in the whole process maybe the one your daughter may need to make to "the" school expressing her interest. Trust me on this one.

[brookyone]

The single most important call in the whole process maybe the one your daughter may need to make to "the" school expressing her interest. Trust me on this one.
This is a very good point. One I carelessly neglected to mention when previously asked by Hckysk8tr8 for thoughts on best practices for catching the attention of a particular program outside of one's region of residence. I hope Hckysk8tr8, or any player with similar hopes reads this and takes it to heart.

[OhiohockeyDad]

I'm confused- the Lake Placid camps are the last two weeks of June, and traditionally, the older group is first, which would mean you would be home by July 1st. Also, remember the NAHA Showcase is the same as the first week and middle weekend, so every college is either in Lake Placid, or Burlington, or running back and forth between the two, so if the July 1st date does correspond with the seniors being at Lake Placid- chances are, they won't call your house :D

[Hckysk8tr8]

I'm confused- the Lake Placid camps are the last two weeks of June, and traditionally, the older group is first, which would mean you would be home by July 1st. Also, remember the NAHA Showcase is the same as the first week and middle weekend, so every college is either in Lake Placid, or Burlington, or running back and forth between the two, so if the July 1st date does correspond with the seniors being at Lake Placid- chances are, they won't call your house :D

You are right about the weeks, but the 17/18 camp is second and ends on July 1. NAHA Showcase is during part of that time frame. Also NAHA is hosting an invitation only elite camp July 3 to July 17th, I would expect some coaches to be there to see the talent at that camp also. Lots of hockey for NAHA players who made the USA Hockey camps and are participating in both NAHA events. :eek: As a parent I'm not sure how important Lake Placid is but I do know it has been a tremendous experience for my daughter to play with the girls there who are so talented and to make friends with other girls who love hockey as much as she does. Isn't that what all of this is really about?

[Hux]

As a parent I'm not sure how important Lake Placid is but I do know it has been a tremendous experience for my daughter to play with the girls there who are so talented and to make friends with other girls who love hockey as much as she does. Isn't that what all of this is really about?

Ostensibly, but given the investment of money, time, and emotion over the years, when you reach elite levels it becomes about the opportunities available as a result of playing. Let's face it, we are involved in a competitive endeavor where ultimate success involves college, and the hopefully national team play.

Is a player any less successful if she stops after high school, or plays club? No, of course not. But for elite level athletes taking that next step is what competition is about. (In addition to the fun of course!)

[mastercoach]

Not much.

One of our players(a d1 school) and our goalie, both freshman, won gold medals at the 18/19 Select USA Hockey Festival at Lake Placid, and pretty much led the team. The goalie in particular was 1st in gaa and save percentage, as well as 3 shutouts, including the gold medal game.

The head coach said it "meant nothing" and was in no respect a "measure of talent." The assistants all said that this was a unanimous assessment by the staff.

[SAMMEE]

As someone just posted not much. If you check all the recruit postings you see many of these girls are from Canada and never go to Lake Placid. If you have not written or e-mailed the coach that you are seriously interested in a particular school(s); they are not walking around at Lake Placid or NAHA offering scholarships to players on the ice. Since the allocations to Lake Placid are by district and NAHA is really a matter of who can afford time and travel you do not always get the best players. With the older group many of the 18's are already committed to a school; so I don't think too many coaches are there looking to pick up players especially if they are not working at Lake Placid or NAHA. If you are in the younger group, you have the chance to make contacts and be "seen" but you have to do some networking. I do not know how each district picks their players for Lake Placid but in ours it was a one weekend tryout - some girls shined - some did not but that is why you have a tryout. Several girls who have been listed on the D1/D3 recruits lists here were not picked for LP but they got the message when college tryouts come around they better be awake.
Not exactly sure how NAHA picks their players - maybe someone else can post that info - but it looks like you pay; you play.
Have a nice summer.

[scores]

Okay, I would like to say congrads to all the young ladies that made it. Now there was a time in college Basketball where the NIT was considered the best tournamet. What they did was take all the first place teams in the country and some of the stiffer competion was left out and now nobody calls the NIT march madness. I was woundering if this could be an issue with lake placid?? You see where I am going, some places in the country just are just week when it comes to hockey. Therefore most of the New England, Minnnesota, Michigan talent is left home. Now anyone can correct me if I am wrong because I just do not see the kids from the Southern States being as strong. Also if I left out any regions that are also strong please forgive me.

Maybe I am wrong at how this talent is picked per region.

[Hckysk8tr8]

You see where I am going, some places in the country just are just week when it comes to hockey. Therefore most of the New England, Minnnesota, Michigan talent is left home. Now anyone can correct me if I am wrong because I just do not see the kids from the Southern States being as strong. Also if I left out any regions that are also strong please forgive me.
Maybe I am wrong at how this talent is picked per region.

"Most of the New England, Minnesota, Michigan talent is left home" There are six slots for the Southeastern District at the 17/18 camp and you honestly believe this number "leaves most of the talent home from New England, Minnesota and Michigan?" In addition the players attending Lake Placid camps from the Southeast have attended in prior years and performed in the top of the group. Barley-Maloney, Bronson, Sanders, Berman, Weisz, Blankenship and Griffin have played at nationals or in other high level tournaments and again performed in the top. Parks, a goalie who played ice only one year before attending Placid last year, had the best goalie stats in her division (roller hockey goalie). Bronson will be attending Dartmouth next year and playing for the "Big Green." It seems to me your comment about the Southern kids is an uninformed opinion and is not born out by their level of play or their level of commitment to excellence in their sport of choice. Obviously the Southern states do not have the numbers of female players that are found in the other areas mentioned but talent doesn't seem to be left out in the South. Also it is my guess that many players faced with the geographic challenges and huge travel time/ money commitment placed on these Southern girls would find a new respect for what they have achieved.
Girls who have previously attended Lake Placid from the Southeast District seem to be doing very well in college hockey. Guadiel at Princeton and Munhofen at Cornell come to mind. Sorry to be so wordy but a bit tired of hearing "the Southeast is so weak."

[ARM]

I think we've seen with some of the young ladies from California that a great player can come from anywhere. They just have to search harder for ice and an opponent.

[hockeyyfan]

There are six slots for the Southeastern District at the 17/18 camp " It used to be three up until two years ago...Missy Barz was a captain at BC (Greensboro), the Little Caps (now Pride) perenially send one or two to D1 and the balance to D3 because Kushis a fine developer of talent.....Molly Garret is at Uconn as is Josette Severyn, a goalie, Lisa Rasmussen was a team leader at Princeton. I think in last years 15/16 camp 3 of the top 5 scorers were from the SE and at this years nationals the two SE girls playing for Assabet were in the top two.....there are good players everywhere and proportionally just as many excellent SE players have been left out of lake placid as anywhere else. Ask the Assabet B team how they did against a team from the SE in the 2003 Polar Bear tournament U19 A division.....? These same kids won the Brampton Canadettes Open Womens Division this year.

The national camps need to be in perspective, they're really a great experience for a fixed number of kids. If you let not going to camp keep you from playing hockey then hockey really isn't that important to you, which is OK too.

[brookyone]

.....there are good players everywhere and proportionally just as many excellent SE players have been left out of lake placid as anywhere else.
I agree with your "good players everywhere" comment. Regarding your excellent players being left out / proportionally remark, I've been reading a fair number of related comments in different forums with claims that the USA Hockey "allocation" process for available slots among the various districts is flawed (some seem to think seriously flawed). I don't know much about the process or the formulas used to determine those allocations. Any thoughts out there on this subject ?

[Hux]

I agree with your "good players everywhere" comment. Regarding your excellent players being left out / proportionally remark, I've been reading a fair number of related comments in different forums with claims that the USA Hockey "allocation" process for available slots among the various districts is flawed (some seem to think seriously flawed). I don't know much about the process or the formulas used to determine those allocations. Any thoughts out there on this subject ?

Another factor could be any charges that are associated with tryouts and attending. There is a big flap right now as Massachusetts charges, while the New England district does not.

[hockeyyfan]

I agree with your "good players everywhere" comment. Regarding your excellent players being left out / proportionally remark, I've been reading a fair number of related comments in different forums with claims that the USA Hockey "allocation" process for available slots among the various districts is flawed (some seem to think seriously flawed). I don't know much about the process or the formulas used to determine those allocations. Any thoughts out there on this subject ?

Brooky, I really don't know about the overall process, I know the Southeast pretty well and over the past 10 years there isn't a knock on anyone who's gone to camp at the U19 level, but there were also 3-5 others each year that could have gone and done well. In the past the Pride had a lock on the 3 slots, with some notable exceptions like Missy Barsz who I was lucky to coach one year before she went to BC who was one of the most amazing athletes I've ever met, simply because Kush had the best prepared kids.

What made it worse is three years ago the SE tryouts were moved back into February from their historically early March dates, so there were several kids from the Southeast who by then were playing D1 preps in new England that had to choose between the Placid tryouts or playing their last games of the year with their prep teams because they were now on the same dates. We always heard it was allocated by overall number of registered girls in that district versus overall national registrants....what have you heard?

[scores]

To: Hckysk8tr8

Great point I meant no disrespect for all the young ladies that made it to this wonderfull festival.

Maybe it could be changed where each region brings it's own team three full line and just plays..a round robin tournament.

[SAMMEE]

Let's be honest - no matter what they do you will not make everyone happy.
Reviewing some of the complaints I have seen posted.

a- no weekend is perfect. There is always something going on somewhere so you just go for best time for tryouts.

b- Charging or not charging. Our district has done both. One of the complaints when ice was "donated" was that a certain organization always had their people getting involved with selection committee members. So ice was purchased and nobody felt obligated to put up with those kind of people.

c- District allocations - districts with large numbers will always get more slots. I think they increased the total numbers this year so everyone got a few more. With the larger districts there is not that much difference between player number 8 and player number 20 so some people lose out. Smaller districts the drop off in talent is easier to see.

d- they are looking for what they think are the best - they are not picking a team. A defensive center has no chance of being picked for the camp nor does the stay at home defense but they still has an excellent chance of playing college.

They changed some things this year; they will change next year and you cannot make everyone happy. Tryouts are subjective in hockey. Track is easy - you finish first; second or third - you are on the team.

[moxie]

Obviously not every kid who goes to camp is going to end up on the National or Olympic team, but it sure seems to be the best way to get the door opened to having a shot at that. And the status of being a part of the Select camps certainly helps garner the attention of the college recruiters which is ultimately the more important goal for these kids.I don't think you will find a single Olympic or National team player who was not first selected for the development camps since their inception. For players with such aspirations, Lake Placid is paramount. Even the more recent National Festivals appear to include only players who had previously participated in the age group development camps. If there are any exceptions, they are few.

For college purposes, Lake Placid is significantly less important. Here is a breakdown of the 2004 17/18 camp participants:

27 players graduated in 2004. 24 went DI; 2 went DIII; and 1 unknown.

52 players graduate in 2005. According to this forum, 45 of them are going DI; 1 is going DIII; 1 is a DI walk-on; and 5 are unreported.

9 players graduate in 2006.

Eliminating the 2004 17/18 camp participants from Gano's recruiting list leaves 66 American players, who were not selected for the camp, still heading to DI schools in 2006 - nearly 60%.