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Tough time ofyear for aspirng hockey 1~ With ail the spring hockey tryouts eiîher (1(11e or iishin" ouptiheri- irc li o i , lits dillicuit whcn somebody tells you that you're not good enough 10 play on a particular team. Even more difficuit when you think that you are. Most of the ime, kids know where they stand at a tryout, even if their parents don't. The oniy objective person in the rink is the coach, even thougb il's sale tb say that they frequenîly make mistakes. 1 was only eut from a team once, but il was an odd situation. i failed to make the minor midget teain iin my homne area, but thought 1 hadn'î received a fair shot, paolly because 1 had missed one of' the tryout nights. So, 1 went out for the older midgeî team and made il, the only underage play- er on the tearu. There are ail kinds of stories about big- name players being cul and still making good. The înost famous example is Michael Jordan geîîing cul lrom bis hîgh schooi basketball team. Kelly Hrudey. who had an excelletl NHL career, and ois ow a broadcasîei wîlh Hockey Night is Canada, was cul every single year he tried out, ail tise way up 10 midget. He was ready 10 hang up the pads until a last place team called him and asked hlm 10 play, mosîiy because they didn't have any- body cise. That team ended up winning the provin- cial championship and he was piaying major junior hockey the nexî year. One phone eaul was the difference between an NHL career and no more hockey. Funny how things can work ouI, or not work out. My (sort of) stepson, a goalie over six foot tlu, was recruited by a AAA ieam and received a lew exploratory calis ÀA liIl, !oIli lown, but lise AAA coach was quite pcr- sistent, and the young fella had AAA expe- rience just the year before, so he decided he would go out f'or that team. The coach made severai calis, taiked bo hi ni oulside the dressing rîsorn aller games, and wenî 10 a number ol playot'f ccntests. The situation iooked good. so he decided not 10 iry out wiîh the other AAA teams. But, ihen he was cul. The coach had obvi- ously found somcebody cisc he liked beiler, but by ihen il was loo laie tb go oui tor another teans. AAA coachses are rarely surpnised aI lry- isuls, il'lhey're good coaches, so he knew ahead ofime thai he was going to eut him. One more phone call-mighî have earned hîru a place on a diflereni AAA team. For tisaI malter, one phone call by me mighi have done thc trick, as weIl. But, that's the way il goes, aînd tihe coach showed a loi of'class by calling himi aller- ward and explaining lise situations and ihanking un lor comîng ou(. Sointehing he didn'i îseed tb do. Al that was lise and good untllbh weîsl back b bhis AA leami, which was armed wiîh a new coach and goalie evaluators foîr the tryouts. Not to worry, lie had only lost a couple of' games the season before, most of those in the OMHA semi-linals when he had piayed A the games and bis team couldn'î score. His number one status was secure. Or so he figured. The evaluators determined tbrough their drills - mosî ol'thein ridiculous, îbings thai neyer happen in a game, such as slspping 40) pucks in two minutes with shoîs lrom ZZ Out in lt fi eld each side - that he wasn't good enough 10 be one of the iwo goalies, 10 the shock of most everyone. Worsc, the new coach couidn't even tell ihm himselt, sending a [rainer to do the dirty work. Within a week, hc went lromu possibiy getting on the lisIt lor the OHL drali to hav- iisg his goaltcnding days ended. H-e wasn't about Io go down t0 A, so h's putting away the pads and is going b play oui in houseleague unlcss something eisc contes Up. Evcryhody has their uîwn story. Is a lot of' cases, heing, cul has ended up heiping thie. On tisai sainie rnidget tcaîn i played on, the followi IlLes tof ii gamne. I neyer as that guy. By the end c the ime, wiîli the top score league, and auc piaying profes There arenit cd that ihey di where they arc If' you gel Cu your advantag 10 prove the te lbey were wru vation 10 provf better. Yîsu can al shake, the sanf The bsitom aI il, is il* you dont give up. The Canadian Champion, Frîday, May 18, 2001- 27 pdayers Fax ail your ing year, one player was cul tearn îîîîebitdy couldîi t îiiake .a repocrts saw anybody work as hard and of the year, he was piaying ail sports àin two years he was one of rs in the Provincial Jr. A stoty couple years aller that he was ie st sionaiiy in Europe. ié st that many players so tlent- Steve idn't have 10 work hard 10 gel etn ut, the hesi ihing is 10 use i 10 ge. You have the motivation at 878- cam that didn't pick you that 4943, or onand you have the moti- /eto yoursel tihat you can gel drop iways count on getting a lair thern off -i anything we do inlufe at 191 line, no malter how you look want something bad enough, Mainl St. Soccer camp on again Milton youngsters are once agaîn fuli day instructions, $70 for momîng invted to take part in the Kick-It Soccer lessons and $60 for altermoon lessons. Camp Ibis summner at Lions Sport Park. Each camper receives a t-shirt and soc- The camp runs froisi Juiy 16 10 20. cer bail. To register, or for more isior- Open to boys and girls aged 6 tcs 13 isation, cail 1(905)335-5679 oîr e-nsail years, Kick-lt Sîsecer Camp features ail- camp îîrganizers at day clinics and cosîs $95 per child f'or lsoîpcamp Cbuoine.coin. «The business that considers itslf immuune to the necessity for advertising sooner or later finds itself immunet to business." Derby Brown Monday, May 21 Turn Back the Clock Pin #1s Wedneaday, May 23 Fron the Snow to the Show Thursday, May 24 A Summer Trad ion S nce 1977 Pin #i3 Momday, Wednesday and Thursday we take on the White Sox. Monday, to celebrate Victoria Day and t.hejays vs White Sox 1977 Opening Day, both teams wiil be wearing vintage uiniforms. Each night, the first i5,000) fans through the gates will receive a different BlueJays 25th Anniversary Season commemorative pin card depictmng a great moment in BlueJays history. Collect 'em ail. VICTORIA DAYMONDAI, MA021- 4:05 WEDNESUAY, MAI 23- 7:95 THUIISBAY, MAY 24 -70 The jays and White Sox The first The fîrst 15,000 fans collect the wîiI be wearing their vintage 15,000 fans coliect third commemorative pin card. uniforms. The first 15,000 the second 70's music and enîerîainment fans collect the first commemorative continues! On Panasonic Power commemorative pin card. 70's pin card. Enjoy Thursday, elsere's $95,000 in music and entertainment, and 70's music and products to be won! a post-game fireworks show! entertainmenî1Pisuo Cail, purchase online, or visit theJays Gate 9 Box Office! Purchase online: UEaJAYLCOH Rp.AT&.Wi.sPh-. OROGERS 'Rogea omncsa,, c.ts,, 1,,sledie, L,,e,, SATAn (wp. Lied aile, Lae. Start your collection Monday. Finish itTrhursday. G AM B LIN G PROBLEM? If you or someone you know needs help with a gambling problem, please cail the Ontario Problem Gambling Hepline at 1-888-230-3505, or in your community: Simcoe Outreach Services Barrie 705-726-7062 bul Free 1-800-263-5060 GA LI LN