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I was wondering how you get a chance to tryout for these teams and when the tryouts are. Thanks

Purehockey wrote:I was wondering how you get a chance to tryout for these teams and when the tryouts are. Thanks

I assume you're talking about the National Development Program teams that are done by birthyear in the USA H regions across the US.

This year Minnkota is having 1992, 1991 & 1989/90 groups I believe. Coaches nominate players and then they are voted on and highest voted players are invited to the Phase 1 tryout.

I know players have been nominated but when do they vote?

hocsocstud wrote:I know players have been nominated but when do they vote?

The ballot is out now.

Do you have any dates for the phase 1 tryout , phase 2 ect.

Purehockey wrote:Do you have any dates for the phase 1 tryout , phase 2 ect.

Phase I is March 23rd, 24th, and 25th. Phase II is April 13th, 14th, and 15th.

ghs wrote:

Coaches nominate players and then they are voted on and highest voted players are invited to the Phase 1 tryout.

I don't want to take up your time ghs, but could you expand on this a little bit, or are you not supposed to discuss it?
What level coaches do the voting? Is it just HS coaches? What if some coaches are unaware of the program and don't nominate their players? How can coaches vote on players who they've never seen play? Do all HS level coaches vote? Or do many of them just blow it off? It seems like this is an odd way to make sure all the talent is found, as opposed to having open tryouts. If there is a talented underclassman from Worthington, what are the chances that player is going to get voted into Phase 1?

ghs wrote:Coaches nominate players and then they are voted on and highest voted players are invited to the Phase 1 tryout.

I don't want to take up your time ghs, but could you expand on this a little bit, or are you not supposed to discuss it?

I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S ANY BIG SECRET, BUT I ALSO PROBABLY DON'T KNOW ALL THE DETAILS...

What level coaches do the voting? Is it just HS coaches

I KNOW HS COACHES VOTE, BUT I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS BEYOND THAT

What if some coaches are unaware of the program and don't nominate their players?

DIRECTOR DOES AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF CONTACTING ALL THE COACHES.

How can coaches vote on players who they've never seen play?

I UNDERSTAND THIS CONCERN, BUT I WOULD ARGUE THAT COACHES FROM SAME AREA VOTE FOR TOP PLAYERS PRIMARILY FROM THEIR AREA SO THAT TAKES CARE OF THE "Never Seen Play."

Do all HS level coaches vote? Or do many of them just blow it off?

I DON"T HAVE THE DATA ON RESPONSE RATE UNFORTUNATELY.

It seems like this is an odd way to make sure all the talent is found, as opposed to having open tryouts. If there is a talented underclassman from Worthington, what are the chances that player is going to get voted into Phase 1?

NO SYSTEM IS PERFECT, BUT THIS IS THE BEST I'VE SEEN SO FAR.

A brochure explaining the USA Hockey Minnkota District Girls' NDP is online @ www.minnesotahockey.org - click on "Programs" and scroll down to "Girls National Development Camp."

Minnesota Hockey (the Minnesota affiliate of USA Hockey) administers the tryout on behalf of USA Hockey.

ALL H.S. Coaches have received a nomination form. Program Staff made contact with every coach at least 4 times, some coaches were contacted 6 times.

The dates given above by ghs are correct.

The players selected through this program are not selected to "teams." They are selected as INDIVIDUALS. This is the process that USA Hockey uses to identify the best female players in the country. The purpose of identifying these players is to determine which players MAY be potential future players on USA Hockey National Teams or Olympic Teams. Players are selected in the following age groups:

1992 players as a single birth year group.
1991 players as a single birth year group.
1990 and 1989 players together as a 2-year group.
(1993 players are NOT ELIGIBLE in Minnesota)

The number of players selected for each age group varies, and those numbers are determined by USA Hockey.

The tryout is by invitation only. Invitations will be sent by mail in February.

Minnesota Hockey also sponsors the Minnesota Hockey Girls' Advanced 15 Camp in Mankato each summer. Only 1992 born players are eligible. This Camp uses the same nomination process as NDP, and invitations will be sent by mail at a later date. Teams at this camp are coached primarily by D1 college coaches. This is intended to be a skill development camp.


The "Minnesota Selects" Girls' Tournament in St. Cloud in April has no affiliation with this program, and is not connected in any way to Minnesota Hockey or USA Hockey.

CODP has no direct affiliation with this program.

Wow--it sounds like a very thorough process. This should eliminate any and all complaints from girls and parents who are left out

Thanks guys.

Bensonmum wrote:ghs wrote:

Coaches nominate players and then they are voted on and highest voted players are invited to the Phase 1 tryout.

I don't want to take up your time ghs, but could you expand on this a little bit, or are you not supposed to discuss it?
What level coaches do the voting? Is it just HS coaches? What if some coaches are unaware of the program and don't nominate their players? How can coaches vote on players who they've never seen play? Do all HS level coaches vote? Or do many of them just blow it off? It seems like this is an odd way to make sure all the talent is found, as opposed to having open tryouts. If there is a talented underclassman from Worthington, what are the chances that player is going to get voted into Phase 1?

I have had a ton of the same questions, so thanks for asking these. I do know that some coaches put almost all their players in that are eligable, and some never put any in at all, even for a vote. This is the troubling part, and makes it not so legit, and some of the best players never get even on the ballet, but the end result is some pretty good hockey, and for the most part a lot of the right kids end up in the final groups. There are also many other factors, as kids may not be able to go, family vacations, injuries, and so on. I do think it is a great thing, and run very well, but I'd question whether all the best tallent actually gets there to even try out?

How much do forums like this play in to the process? Does the name recognition from being mentioned in the posts sway the decision between two equal players? Sometimes it seems that parents use this as a springboard to help their child's reputation. If Suzie Smith's dad keeps promoting his daughter's offense ability, but Nancy Nelson's doesn't and she is just as a strong player or even a little better, will the decision-makers go with Suzie because they've heard of her and not Nancy at the tryouts?

FWIW, I think that the end goal is to get to the very top players from MN identified for the National level camp. Now, one could argue that maybe every kid with equal ability doesn't maybe always get to Phase 1 - but very few are missed I believe. By the time you get to phase 2 I believe that the kids that are there belong there and again only a select few at best aren't possibly due to various reasons (poor P1 tryout, illness/injury, etc.). Usually any kid that's even close to being considered for P2 is at least at a P1 tryout, etc.

You can't expect that any program like this is perfect, but again this is the best that I've seen so far.

pondhockey wrote:How much do forums like this play in to the process? Does the name recognition from being mentioned in the posts sway the decision between two equal players? Sometimes it seems that parents use this as a springboard to help their child's reputation. If Suzie Smith's dad keeps promoting his daughter's offense ability, but Nancy Nelson's doesn't and she is just as a strong player or even a little better, will the decision-makers go with Suzie because they've heard of her and not Nancy at the tryouts?

This forum certainly could be a big factor. But do we really want every kids name in HS hockey posted here? You can get that from Maxpreps, that tends to speak volumes IMHO. While not meaning to show favoritism a coach, or even as far as the folks who rate or put kids in for votes, in the process were to read a name here or Maxpreps, and see the name at the ballet/try out, they may tend to pay attention to that particular kid. All in all, the end result is a pretty great product, and most of the right kids end up there if they deserve it.

I would say that many of the names on the 6 lists by Player Class on here (7th - 12th grade) are a pretty good indicator of SOME of those players that may be NOMINATED for P1.

I will say though that I only post player names on here that impress me as I think they're deserving of recognition. I guess though that I too have my bias, but I think that those are typically well documented.

If I put a kids name up on here, I believe in them enough in what I've seen to call them the real deal and in some respects stake my own credibility in saying so.

ghshockeyfan wrote:FWIW, I think that the end goal is to get to the very top players from MN identified for the National level camp. Now, one could argue that maybe every kid with equal ability doesn't maybe always get to Phase 1 - but very few are missed I believe.

Agree that the end result is good, but agree to disagree that more than a very few are missed that could/should be Phase I and beyond.

ghshockeyfan wrote:You can't expect that any program like this is perfect, but again this is the best that I've seen so far.

This is very true, and this program in IMHO is an extremly good process!

hockeyrube7 wrote:

ghshockeyfan wrote:FWIW, I think that the end goal is to get to the very top players from MN identified for the National level camp. Now, one could argue that maybe every kid with equal ability doesn't maybe always get to Phase 1 - but very few are missed I believe.

Agree that the end result is good, but agree to disagree that more than a very few are missed that could/should be Phase I and beyond.

ghshockeyfan wrote:You can't expect that any program like this is perfect, but again this is the best that I've seen so far.

This is very true, and this program in IMHO is an extremly good process!

Maybe what I should say is that I don't believe that many get missed from P2 that weren't even nominated. Meaning, most P2 level kids are at least nominated.

Similarly, I doubt any kid that deserved to go to the Nat'l Phase didn't at least get to P1 level to get a look at all for P2, etc.

All players must be nominated to participate. The only ones that get a bye to Phase 1 are last year's National Camp attendees. The rationale is that if they made National Camp last year they would be nominated again this year. All players that participate in Phase 2 must participate in Phase 1.

ghshockeyfan wrote:Maybe what I should say is that I don't believe that many get missed from P2 that weren't even nominated. Meaning, most P2 level kids are at least nominated.

Similarly, I doubt any kid that deserved to go to the Nat'l Phase didn't at least get to P1 level to get a look at all for P2, etc.

Very well stated!

If your daughter does have a great tryout and does get a chance to make the national camp what are the costs involved?

Purehockey wrote:If your daughter does have a great tryout and does get a chance to make the national camp what are the costs involved?

Last year the cost was $690. $600 to Minnesota Hockey which included airfare, camp fee, meals and lodging, and $90 to USA Hockey.

How many girls get selected for Phase 2? And then how many from Minnkota go to the National Camp?

Bensonmum wrote:How many girls get selected for Phase 2? And then how many from Minnkota go to the National Camp?

Last year, there were 15 skaters and 2 goalies selected from each team (four teams - east, central, north and southwest) for phase 2 - or 60 skaters and 8 goalies. There were 25 players selected from that group that went on to Lake Placid.

When are the invite letters sent out?

HOCKEYFREAK wrote:When are the invite letters sent out?

Last year, they were sent out at the end of February.