Joining an established team, building for the future
Oh boy. It's decision day, and you're on the verge of signing a contract with an established team where you'll get to play with some of the best players in the league and see your career take off. All that stands in your way are some minor issues and ambiguities, most of them pretty unimportant when put next to joining a great team. But still- you have to make sure that everything is just right before you sign on the dotted line!
This blog post is going to give you some pointers about what questions to ask, which clauses it might be worth negotiating, how hiring back end staff can help build for the future, and more! By reading through this post, following these tips... and then checking out the rest of my blog, you should be well prepared to put yourself in the best possible position to succeed.
Questions to Ask Before Signing a Team Contract
What are your plans for the future? If things are going great and the team is winning, they may not have any idea what they're doing next year! But if they've won once, or had one bad season (or if winning isn't a thing in your league) they should have some sort of idea whether they're planning on staying together next season or rebuilding. This isn't the time to make this kind of decision – the team will be expecting an answer, likely from you. You need to be able to give it.
If you're in a situation where the future is still up in the air, or if there's no clear vision for next year, now is a great time to ask about their plans for roster moves for next year. Does their goalie intend to stick around? Are they planning on trading away a player who can't possibly fit into their plans for next season? Ask about trades that have been made recently and what role that player has on the team. Running these questions by the team's GM or a coach before making the jump will let you learn a lot about how they plan to go about their business next season.
What is your compensation strategy? The negotiation process is a two-way street where both parties are trying to make themselves better off (or at least as much better off as possible). Think about how to make yourself more money, and be sure all of your options are covered. You wouldn't want to sign with a team where you weren't getting paid enough, especially considering that entry-level contracts don't really break the bank. On the other side, you don't want to leave money on the table. It's important to negotiate effectively and get these details sorted out before it's too late.
What are your expectations for playing time? This is an incredibly important question to ask, and one that many players forget. If you are set on playing a ton of minutes, getting a lot of special teams time or even being guaranteed a spot in the line-up (even if it means sitting out your first few games) this information can be critical for you to know. It's not always possible to get as much ice time as you might want, but if the team has an established player who is better than you... well, that can be a real problem.
What's your staff like? This is a question you have to ask when you're trying to join an established team as well. The GM or a coach should have an idea of what kind of people will be working with them. If a strong group of personalities failed in previous years, that can be a problem for you. If an amazing working relationship exists between two (or more) people, this is something that should be considered as well.
You don't need to know every single detail about their staff, but spending some time in the interview setting can give you a lot of insight into what kind of atmosphere they'll bring to the job. This will also let you know what kind of communication and play style they prefer to have in the locker room and on the ice – if both sides are uneasy around each other it could be a very difficult situation to deal with.
Where do you see yourself in 3 years? Since you're signing a rookie contract, this will have to be considered. Are they planning on playing you in hopes that you'll start to carry them towards the future? Do they expect you'll be holding down a spot on the team going forward? Asking about whether or not this is a possibility or not can help keep your head in the game and make sure your expectations are realistic for where you're heading.
How do I fit into the community around here? Seeing how people from all walks of life interact with each other is important when joining an established team. You can't really know what kind of a community exists unless this question gets asked and answered. Is this a team full of players who are barely on speaking terms? Do they have fun together and enjoy spending time together? Are they very serious about their job and nothing else?
If you're looking to join a fantastic community, there's no better place than joining an established team.
Think you know the answers to these questions? Hire some staff!
One great way to help build for the future is by hiring back end staff for your team. Team owners can hire (and fire) coaches, managers, and any other kind of help wanted or needed in order to make their team as strong as possible.
Whether you need a new coach because the old one wasn't working out, or you want to bring in another manager to help with day-to-day operations, it's easy to find great new staff members. Your team's staff will have a big effect on your team's success in the long run, so hiring back end staff can be very helpful if things aren't going as well as planned.
When hiring back end staff, keep in mind that there are tons of different people who are looking for jobs. You will have to perform an interview first, which can be difficult depending on the nature of your team.
For example, if you're just starting out as a rookie coach and are looking for help in helping you learn how to manage a line-up on your own, it might not be the right time to hire another manager. That's why it can be so important to understand exactly what kind of team you need help with.
Think about how you want your staff to work alongside you in order to make sure that the right people are hired.
Conclusion
As a rookie professional hockey player, you're going to have your work cut out for you on the ice. You're going to need the right equipment, the right attitude and the right skills in order to get yourself a shot of playing professional hockey.
Once you're ready for that first game, you want to make sure that everything on your checklist is set in order for you. Confidence is just as important as skill, after all! The paths to becoming a professional hockey player are only limited by how much effort you put in and how much confidence you have when getting yourself ready for your first game.