Barrington Broncos Hockey Club

This page will be used as a place for the BBHC Hockey Director to post information and updates to the team players and parents.  Please check here for the Hockey Director letters, notices and team updates.

 When available, the 2011/12 Master Schedule will be posted here.

 To All Prospective Barrington High School Hockey Players:

I wanted to take this opportunity to remind all prospective BHS Hockey players that our Preseason Training and Team Selection camp begins tomorrow. The schedule, times and introductory letters are all available on our website BHSHOCKEY.COM.  For those of you new to the Training Camp,  I wanted to go over with you what to expect and remind those returning players of the same.

The Camp is designed for two purposes. It is intended to get every player who participates into playing shape prior to the start of our regular season. This training has enabled us to “get a leg up” on our competition and we strive to maintain that advantage over our competitors on an ongoing basis. As you all are aware, we select our team from a much smaller pool of players than many of our top ten competitors do. As such, we must maintain ourselves in top physical form from the beginning and throughout the year. Since the introduction of the Camp, our teams at both Varsity and JV have never been ranked outside the Top 10 in the state and often in the Top 5. There is no making up those numbers and as they say “the proof is the results”.

The second purpose of the Camp is to evaluate the players trying out in all settings. The Camp will test both mental and physical toughness as well as provide a platform for players to exhibit their skills and their ability to be part of a team. BHS Hockey has performed as it has over the years because of the coaching staff picking the right team – the right mix of players – the right mix of personalities - that over time develop into a formidable force in Illinois High School hockey. For those of you new to the program – ask around. No team picked since the introduction of the Top Five program at BHS has ever been the team everyone thought it would be. Never. And the part missed by most looking from the outside in is that we are picking a team – not ranking players by skill or talent only.  TEAMS WIN – PLAYERS DON’T.  It is pretty much that simple.

During the Camp players will be switched around as the coaching staff determines. We are looking for how players react to linemates and how they fit into the puzzle. We are looking for chemistry among 18 players so everything is rarely as obvious as one would think. There will be sessions when coaches are on the ice and others where they are in the stands. Scrimmages will be mixed in as needed, and at times the coaching staff wants to see how certain situations would play out. Ultimately, through the redundant process we are able to make certain that the teams we are picking are the teams we want to go into battle with this year.  Trust me when I say there is no one who knows what I am thinking during the process. The Camp is designed to clear up in my mind what the teams should be. And right now I do not have a clue what they will look like so I suggest everyone bring their “A” game to the Camp.  Leave all the stories and excuses behind. Every year there are surprises and I am certain this year there will be many. The best advice is to work hard and at the same time realize you are on the ice with your future teammates. The Camp is designed to see who fits on to the team, which means battling hard and being part of a team.

The practices will be hard. Bring a lunch for in between sessions if you plan to stick around the rink which some boys do. Bring water bottles for yourself to every practice with your name on it. Bring some type of healthy snack for in between. Please stay away from junk food during the sessions as that will not help you get through the day. Eat healthy and plan your meals accordingly. If anyone needs help with that please feel free to contact me.  Please also make sure you are getting your rest at night especially the next seven days before school starts. There is no need and shouldn’t be a need to be up late past midnight. If you are, then all I can tell you is that you didn’t work hard enough at the Camp that day.  

That is it. Make sure you have all your paperwork in order for tomorrow, all  I can tell you for certain is that the coaching staff is excited about what is to come this year for BHS Hockey. We are excited for the Camp and excited to see how the team selections develop. Remember for us as coaches, we are picking who we want to spend the next eight months with every day – in battles and in on ice wars – so we will be weighing everything to make sure we have the teams we want. Work hard and just make sure that at the end of every practice you can say to yourself – “well that was as hard as I could work”.

See everyone tomorrow. 

Coach Rob