The Ride to the Rink: Gabe Malinski of Team Genius on Playing Your Best at Tryouts

SPEAKER_02 1:15

This episode is powered by NHL Sense Arena. Hello, hockey skaters and goalies around the world. Welcome back to another edition of The Ride to the Rink. It's Lee and Christy here today. We've got our friend Gabe here from Team Genius. And what he does is he's an eval expert. His group goes around and helps evals and tryouts get better, better for everybody using technology, but also using methodology, kids that's going to allow them to evaluate you better. So this is a tryout expert. That's how I'm bringing Gabe Melinsky in today. And we're going to talk to him a little bit about Christy, kids, how you should approach tryouts. Because we know when you go to a trial, you're feeling something, feeling something, right?

SPEAKER_00 2:05

Gabe, you know the kids are probably feeling a lot of pressure and they're worrying, worrying, worrying about making the team. And what is your advice? What should they be thinking out as they thinking about before they step out on that ice for trials?

SPEAKER_01 2:20

Well, look, kids, I mean, you did the work, right? You you worked hard in the offseason throughout the season, wherever you're at right now. Um, everything that you could have done is done. Now it's time to take a deep breath, to just go out and play hockey. You know what you're doing. Uh, it's not, this is no different than every game you've ever played or every practice you've been a part of. Now there's just people in the stands evaluating you, and they're that's that means nothing to you. Um, so do everything you can. If you're listening to this ahead of time, make sure you're fueled properly, make sure you're hydrated, make sure you're getting a good night's rest the night before the eval. But once you're there, everything you've you've done has prepared you for this moment. It's time to get on the ice, take a deep breath, and do your thing.

SPEAKER_02 3:05

Yeah, I'll I'll say this too. It's great advice, Gabe. And kids, like it's consistent advice, right? Like you're hearing it from another expert telling you what I'm not saying your answer is generic or anything, Gabe. I'm saying, like, kids, like this is the key, right? You're hearing this from everybody. Uh, Gabe, here's a good question. I'm a believer that great questions demand great answers, right? And I do think that kids today we do have a little bit of a communication problem. I think you're you're more often silent than you are vocal. What are some great questions kids can ask of themselves before an eval or even of the coaches at an eval, and then after the eval, great questions they should be asking to help them improve their games?

SPEAKER_01 3:46

I I don't think it's rocket science. I would say the biggest thing they can ask is where can I improve? Whether you make that team or you don't, ask your coach how you can get better. Ask them what the expectation is of them at the tryout, at the during throughout the season, before a game. Asking the coach what they need from you is the best way that you can be not just a good player for that coach, but a good teammate for the team as well.

SPEAKER_00 4:13

They're looking for good teammates as well. Um, let's say they mess up on a drill. Yeah, how do they flush it and do better on the next drill?

SPEAKER_01 4:24

Reset every time. Uh when you start a drill, that's a new opportunity to impress a coach. So just clear your mind, deep breath. Uh, maybe brush your stick off, get any snow off there. Have your uh things that you do that that help you kind of reset and practice those throughout a practice. Don't just wait for the try-out or the game to try to reset. But every time you start a new drill, have your your different tendencies, right? It could be again that stick brush, getting the snow off your stick, it could be taking the snow off your skates, it could be just rolling your shoulders and getting ready for the next thing. But having your routine that helps you to reset during a typical practice is gonna then carry over into those bigger moments, like a tryout or a game.

SPEAKER_02 5:09

Yeah, great advice. I I'll say this too to the kids listening, right? If you blow a tire at an eval, it's a good chance the coach knows you blew a tire, right? Like, I'm I've never I don't think I've ever seen a kid like trip and fall and go, Well, that's skating is not there, kids. You know, it's like I might I might make a mental note of okay, I gotta see them go through the drill again. Um, but I'll tell you this, kids, because I've seen I've seen this happen. Uh someone's skates were screwed up in before the before the trap happens. You just get a bad sharp uh and you're struggling out there. If I see a kid that's having a hard time skating and I kind of know that's not the norm for them, now I'm watching how you respond to this, right? Because if you come off the ice screaming, my skates are not okay, that's not the best look. But if you push through that eval and do the best you can, it's probably gonna be more than one ice session. I notice things like that, right? And I also really notice this one, kids. I noticed the kids are lifting other kids up at evals, and you can still compete and do that, all right. I'm not saying you get a hug everybody after every drill, but I I I'm looking for someone who's competing in a drill, gets done the drill and taps the kid on the gloves, say, Hey, good drill. Good job. Let's let's go harder next time. All right, like those are those are things we also look at for, right? And and in our big episode, kids, this week, and you can listen to it. You know, we talked a lot about what coaches should be looking for evaluators, parents, technology. It's a mix at the end of the day, though, kids, you just have to go out there and have fun, play the game you love. Gabe said it many times like you love playing the game. If you're not out there loving it, we did something wrong, right? Right?

SPEAKER_00 6:39

Yeah, nothing wrong with showing your love for hockey when you're out there, even during tryouts.

SPEAKER_02 6:43

Let it shine through. Gabe, any any final thoughts before we end this?

SPEAKER_01 6:47

For the kids, just remember those evaluators are human too. They woke up, they ate breakfast, they went to the bathroom and drove to the rink just like you. And at one point in time, they were in your shoes, they understand that you're gonna make mistakes at a tryout. That's not who you are as a player, and even that team that you make does not define who you could be down the road. You got to take that, take adversity head on and keep moving.

SPEAKER_02 7:12

That's great advice, my friend. And kids, you heard it from him. That's gonna do it for this edition of The Ride to the Rink. Uh, you know, we always say it every episode, kids. No matter where you're at on your hockey journey, we believe in you. You should too. That second half of that's the key. You gotta believe in you too. It's not just enough for us to believe. But for Gabe, for Christy, I'm leave. We'll see you on the next edition of The Ride to the Rink, kids. Go out there, have fun, skate hard. We'll see you soon.