Looking for hockey try-outs

Question
hi Rob, I'm just recovering for two major shoulder operations... I've been getting back in shape & going though rehab over the pass 8 year & i was looking for some kind of tryout.. I'm 28 years old & my body is in good hockey condition! i know I'm probably to old, but i can't go the rest of my life without knowing i try to make it!!!!

Answer
Well, 28 is a little late to be trying this.  However, I am not the one who's going to take away your dream.  So, ok, how do we make this work?  Well, there are a couple of ways you can go.  One, I recommend that you check out the CHL and find out which teams are in the gutter.  Then, I would recommend reading some blogs associated with those team and get a picture on what's going on with those team...ei: bad defense, no special teams, no offensive punch...

Then find out who the coach is.  Once you have done a little homework, then you contact the coach and say..."Here's what I do and I think I can help you in these areas. to help improve the teams record!"  The you call him as much as you can until he answers the phone.  You leave messages, you send him emails, you write him on face book, and you join his LinkedIn Network (key).

The second way is to say...
I'm too old, to try-out, so how do I make a deference for me and the people around me?  This is why coach.  I feel that I have become a student of the game.  I am always looking for new things and new ways to learn the game, then teach it.

Now, if you have a B.S. Degree from college, you are 95% on your way to coach an NHL team.  with a college degree, you will be able to coach college.  I would recommend applying for teams that need help.  Then you teach them the way you want the game played and go kick some...

Then after 4 or 5 years, you move up.  Now, coaching teams is like running a business.  If you know how to listen and communicate what you want, you are going to be a successful coach.  Playing at a high level is nice.  But just because you have played in the NHL, doesn't make you a good communicator.  This is how you win cups, by having he ability to tell you players exactly what you want then to do.  

The key to success is getting them to follow you.  If you don't give them some type of positive feed back, they will destroy you as a coach.  Don't take it for granted that your payer know the game...they don't.  Everyone has an idea of how the game should be played.  If everyone started doing the things they wanted to do, it would be ciaos.

Example, have you ever gone to your local Symphony concert and all of the players are warming up?  You are sitting there and it completely sounds like crap and the only thing you are thinking about is...please Lord, when is it going to stop.  But once the conductor comes out and taps his little stick on the podium, the crap stops, he raises his arms, and on a down beat, the music is like....wow! Same why when you coach hockey.

Can you get to the next level?  Yes, but to do that, you will have to be better, not as good as, but better then what the coach has now.  In order for this to happen, you have to be so good, that people will be asking...."who's that guy!"  If you can do that, you will not need to look for a team to help, they will be looking for you to help.

The reason why I coach, is because like you, I hurt myself while making a split save and tore my hamstring...I was done.  But, I wanted to give back.  I wanted to help kids get to the next level.  I wanted to give players the chance to get their dreams fulfilled, even though I could make it do to injury, I wanted to do whatever I could do to help other.

I hope this has help in some way.  It's probably not what you were looking for but if you feel you can...you can.  If you feel you can't...you can't!

Rob Lopez - CEO
Pass the Puck, Inc.
www.passthepuck.net
skype: pass.the.puck