Positives from Being Cut

By Tyler Hinds, proudly cut on more than one occasion (@THinds3)

So your child didn’t make their dream team. They shed a few tears, said they wanted to quit, and locked themselves in their room for the evening. Yes, getting cut as a 13 year-old might seem like the apocalypse. Thankfully the sun will rise tomorrow, perhaps brighter than ever.

Inevitably it is going to happen at one point or another, your child will not make the team they had aspirations of making. Whether it was the super league AAA team or the regional B squad, being told you aren’t good enough still takes a hit at their pride and their confidence. Here are some reasons why your child might actually benefit from this predicament.

Leadership

After being relegated, your child goes from being another player on the higher level team to a leader on his new squad. Instead of being a follower, they are naturally given the chance to build their leadership ability. Now they are flourishing in a new social dynamic rather than just coasting along. Their influence might even be contagious enough to inspire some of their teammates to play a little harder and fine tune their skill.

Opportunity

Maybe the drop in tier now gives your youngster the opportunity to play the position they want as oppose to filling in the final remaining spot. Now they’re being counted on to play in different situations, such as special teams & late game scenarios, to help their team succeed. They are becoming more creative with their play making, notching a few more points, grinning a little wider, and genuinely more excited about going to the rink.

Confidence

There’s a saying out there that goes “the most dangerous weapon a hockey player can have is confidence”. Now all of a sudden your kid is playing better hockey than he ever has and when next season’s tryouts roll around, they’re a no brainer for the team they were formerly cut from. Or maybe they had so much fun last season they want to play at the same level again, it’s up to them!

At the end of the day, there are positives traits that arise from almost any hardship in minor sport. We just need to dig deep to find them. Ask any NHL player, there aren’t too many that weren’t cut from a team at some point!