Competitive Tryout Process

It is strongly recommended that parents read through this page to help best understand the Tryout Process.

If your child will be competing for a position as an under age athlete, please ensure you have reviewed and are compliant with the underage athlete policy available here.

Warmup session FAQ
Prior to evaluations a warmup session is offered.  Warmup does not count towards player evaluations; rather it serves the following purpose:

• It gets players who may not have played for several weeks due to end of regular season being early  March an opportunity to get back on the ice before tryouts;
• It helps the association determine how they will want to format the evaluation sessions and
• It gives an opportunity for the association to validate tryout registration as much as possible in advance of the start of tryouts.  Note:  All players MUST be registered with the region (ERRA) before attending any GCRA tryouts.  

Tryouts
In order to evaluate the players properly, all players must attend a minimum of 2 of the scheduled tryout sessions. In cases where special circumstances arise preventing a player from attending the required number of sessions these circumstances must be presented to the Executive for Board approval. The tryout fee provides for a minimum of 2 hours at each competitive level (includes AA and A).  Any players who wish to participate in GCRA’s tryouts who do not reside within GCRA's boundaries should refer to the GCRA Policy for Out of Area Players (click for link); these out of association players must have the appropriate releases from their home association prior to participating in the GCRA tryout process.
 
What to expect:
All players will be given numbered jerseys.   On ice, they will be grouped by jersey color and they will be asked to order themselves by number.
 
Tryout Process 
Players vying for a position on a GCRA competitive team are provided opportunities to demonstrate their skills and abilities to both evaluators and coaches.
Tryouts consist of 4-5 hours of evaluation. Players are eligible for release after having participated in 2 sessions.
 
During each session, evaluators will observe each player’s performance and assign an overall score ranging from 0-5. Session scores are then converted into a percentage score and weighted based on the nature of the session. For example, an exhibition game versus another association will be weighted higher than an internal skills session.
 
Hour #1 is a skills evaluation comprised of various drills and possibly some scrimmage time. Players are assigned randomly to teams based on position and time of arrival.
Hour #2 is also comprised of both skill drills and game play. Teams are balanced based on players scores from hour #1.
 
Hours #3, #4 and #5 are intended to observe a player’s skills and abilities through game play. These sessions are either inter-squad or exhibition games versus other associations.
Following all sessions after hour #2, players will be released in consultation with the coach to reach a number of remaining players to ensure the remaining sessions are competitive. All player notifications are made via e-mail.
 
Upon completion of the final session, player scores from the evaluators are tabulated and the association selects the top 8 to 10 skaters and 1 goalie. The coach will then recommend remaining players along with a supporting rationale to complete the roster. The VP Competitive approves the final roster and proceeds with player notification.
 
You may wish to review this Sample Evaluation Form and Player Selection Overview  which will provide some clarity on the skillsets which are observed and considered during the evaluation process.    
 
Once teams are formed, parents should familiarize themselves with the following 2 documents:
 
Competitive Team Overview
Player Position Policy