Advisor Horror Stories – Part 4
More feedback this week…Thank you to everyone who reached out. It is sad, but these stories are becoming the norm not the exception.
Once again, over the last several years I’ve experienced a dramatic increase in the number of advisors and the usage of advisors in the Youth and Junior Hockey landscape, and my goal with these articles is to recount some of the experiences I have had with advisors, because in my nearly 15 years coaching or managing teams at the Junior Hockey Level I have never:
- Had an Advisor secure a player on our teams an NCAA commitment.
- Had an Advisor assist us with Housing, Transportation, Workouts, Practice Planning, Game Planning, Equipment ordering, Community Service… truly any of the nuts and bolts of our Junior Hockey operation, and the Junior Hockey experience.
As I’ve stated in previous posts… the advisory “business” is an unregulated, non- certified business in which individuals have to adhere to Zero background checks or oversight. The Advisor gains when the client knows nothing, so I have had Advisors communicate to players (and these are 100% real):
- Trying a different tape job for a players stick.
- Sending a screen shot to a player of an NCAA roster that the player should reach out to the NCAA coach about. Team had multiple graduating seniors… but not the players desired College Major.
- Communication about how steep the steps were at his players billet families house.
- Attempting to trade a player to another organization in our league on a 3- Way call with the players parents and telling the player he’s going to a team where he’d be a top 6 player for their playoff run. Then me texting the coach of that team and him telling me the advisor is forcing the player on him and that he was interested in him for the following season. That he really wouldn’t be in his plans for this season.
CASE #5- Mommy Dearest
Recruiting following the 2020-21 season was extremely difficult. Coaches had to gather information from a variety of sources and data from previous seasons, in an attempt to properly evaluate the talent, that they were adding to their roster. Leagues and states had shut down, so many kids really didn’t have adequate stats or video for the previous season. So, we as a coaching staff had to take chances on many players based on advice from advisors or close sources.
Prep School, a level that our league heavily recruits at, was an obvious example. Many Prep Schools didn’t play at all, or only a limited schedule versus in-state only opponents. This created a watering down effect and oftentimes inflated stats or none at all.
We recruited a player from Vermont Academy, a state that shutdown and didn’t allow hockey in 2020-21, but who had a very good junior- year season in 2019-20. Compared to other players at the same level in that same high school year, we anticipated him having a stellar season with us. However, given he really didn’t play games in 2020-21, we took a flyer on this player with the hopes that he continued to develop, got stronger, and was hungry to return to game action.
Once he showed up for Training Camp the calls started coming from his female advisor relatively quickly…
” You said he could be a top 6 forward”- We hoped he would, but never guarantee ice time. Says it right in the player contract.
” His equipment doesn’t fit properly” – We have extra equipment; you can just swap it out at any time.
” Running is not skating… it’s about his play on the ice” – We have testing to start our training camp and feel players should come into camp in very good shape, so they we can begin play and be ready for immediate success.
“His billet family made him pay for his own dinner when he went out to eat”- It isn’t the responsibility of the billet family to pay for a player’s meals outside of the home.
Everything culminated about 8-9 days into training camp. After multiple calls with the Advisor, now his mother called me. What came out of her mouth was very shocking. “How would you feel if your son or daughter was on the fourth line to start the season?” she said. To which I replied, “I would tell my son to stop making excuses and work harder. That a 45 game season isnt determined on the first few days of Training Camp. That it is his responsibility to come into camp in shape and make a good impression for his coaches and teammates… and take immediate action to improve areas of weakness, rather than point the finger at other people.”
We released the player the next day, where he immediately joined a team in our league that was closer to his home. He would go on to score 1 goal that season, be a healthy scratch for the EHL playoffs and commit to an ACHA DII school.
Parents and Players please ask yourself what kind of advice you want to receive from your advisor, and what kind of human do you want to raise. Is it not our responsibility as coaches to attempt to develop sturdy, goal-oriented and well-adjusted humans that can contribute positively to society and their future workplace? Or do you want a sugar-coated life… where everyone fails equally.
Once again… not all advisors are bad. Established, trustworthy agents and advisors can provide immense help to some people. However, this business is unregulated and exists outside of any governing body. Most of the international advisors I have worked with have provided tremendous benefits for their clients and players. Visa paperwork, language and translation issues and much more are needed for these players to arrive, thrive and play hockey in the US. However, no background checks are required to become a player Advisor. Advisors are not approved or sanctioned. There simply is no oversight… so choose wisely who you are getting your advice from.
Enjoy the rest of your week. Part 5 comes next week.
