Skipping the training camp: "prima donna" behaviour or having faith in your teammates?

[jRuutu 2,475]

The regular season is steadily approaching. The teams around VHL are making final preparations for the training camps, which means the true off-season for most of the players with holidays and time away from hockey is soon ending as each player is expected to report to the training camp. I am here today to discuss just how important participating in the training camp actually is.

 

Participating in the training camp has clear benefits. If you are a young player who is looking to improve, spending as much time as possible on the ice, at the gym, watching tape, and in general improving your game is a smart move. If you are an older player who is perhaps fighting for a spot in the roster or maybe you want to get into a bigger role for the upcoming season, so you can secure that tasty contract extension, a strong and productive training camp can go a long way in kick-starting the new season in the right way. No matter what the case might be, when you show up to the training camp with a good attitude and you do your best, you can look back years from now and say to yourself: " I did my best, I gave it a fair shot, and this is how far I got".

 

Not participating in the training camp also has clear benefits.  If you are a young player who has already managed to reach a decent level, perhaps it is better to relax at home or somewhere sunny during the training camp, so you minimize the injury risk and on the flip side, you get to play a longer career. It is not a secret that when players push their bodies to the limit injuries tend to happen, and not to mention with the fierce competition for spots on the roster, some of your teammates might try to injure you on purpose.  These are points you should consider as an older player as well. I would like to bring up the mental side into this discussion, when the older players in the roster relax during the training camp or when they skip the whole training camp, it is easy to think the older player is clearly not motivated and does not want what is best for the team, but if you dig deeper, you will discover that this older player is actually putting a tremendous level of trust in their teammates, by not showing up to the training camp they are saying to their teammates: " Hey, I have faith in you, I know you can do it even without me".  The coaches and general manager tend not to like it when you skip the training camp, but that is largely due to the culture of hockey, the coaches and general managers want the public to see them as the leaders of the team when the players start to show real signs of leadership, the coaches and general managers get insecure. I would not let something like that stop you from stepping up and showing your teammates that every player can be a leader.

 

I can not say what might be the best solution for you, but perhaps it is worth it to consider skipping the training camp this year to see what kind of effect it has in you and in your teammates?