Being cut from a team or a camp roster can feel like the end of the world to an aspiring young hockey player. 

According to long-term athlete development experts, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it may be the beginning of a bright future in the game.

Studies have shown that the best players at 8 years old rarely hold that same spot in the hockey hierarchy at 18. USA Hockey has kept tabs on those players who have attended its national player development camps, and the turnover rate from one year to the next is between 40 and 50 percent. That means an invitation to the 15 Camp doesn’t guarantee a return engagement for a 16- or 17-year-old. That turnover equates to opportunity for late bloomers who may not have been selected from previous teams.

Those involved in player development within USA Hockey affiliates in the northeast have taken this principle and turned it into expanded opportunities for more players to improve their skills at the inaugural Eastern Regional Development Camp.

Held in early August at the Nexus Center in Utica, the camp featured 72 players from four USA Hockey districts – New York, New England, Massachusetts and the Atlantic District – who were not selected to attend USA Hockey’s national camp for the 15-year-old level. 

The idea was to expand the developmental pipeline by bringing more players together for four days of intensive training and development designed to give them the confidence and skills they need heading into the new season.

“For the players who attended the regional camp, it is going to give them a kind of shot in the arm and a little bit of extra confidence and extra skills as they not only head into their upcoming season, but also as they look to make a player development camp next year,” said Mark Hogan, New York District co-director of boys player development.

Based on early reports, the camp more than lived up to expectations, with players, parents and organizers excited about expanding opportunities in the future.

“This being the first year of the camp, I think players went in not knowing what to expect but they all left with whatever expectations they had exceeded,” Hogan said.

“The players were extremely happy, and the parents were very complimentary and the different district directors were all very satisfied with the outcome of the event.”

One of those players was Nick Branda, a defenseman with the PAL Junior Islanders. Coming out of one of the most competitive districts in USA Hockey, Branda did not make the New York team despite having a solid camp. Initially disappointed by the decision, Branda was excited to get an opportunity to continue his development journey in Utica.

“It was disappointing [not to make the National Camp],” said Nick’s father Rich Branda. “I told my son that at the end of the day there are going to be camps and teams that you make and don’t make for various reasons, but in the end it will work out. You can’t take one miss or one make and have it define your skillset. He played well, his effort was great but so were a lot of other boys.

“At the end of the day we were thankful that he made the regional camp because it was another opportunity to show what he’s made of.”

The four-day itinerary kicked off with a players and parents meeting where camp organizers mapped out the plan for the weekend. Roger Grillo, a long-time player development manager with USA Hockey, kicked off the meeting by addressing the elephant in the room by acknowledging how some of the players and many of the parents may have felt about not making the national camp before delivering an inspiring message about how they could use this regional camp to power their future.

“They addressed it up front, which is to me the way you handle that,” Branda said. “To come right out and say, ‘Hey, I understand that some of you may be disappointed, and we get it. However, the region is really strong, and we created this camp to put more kids in the program.’ Addressing it upfront like they were all adults is just a way to deal with it.”

The meeting was followed by a pair of joint practices on Friday, two games on Saturday and one on Sunday. 

One of the highlights for the campers was the opportunity to work with Pierre DeBar, the director of Culture and High Performance at HAP Training who has extensive experience working with hockey organizations and teams around the country.

In between on-ice practices and games, DeBar had several opportunities to work with players on things like stretching, breathing and mental preparation. For some of the players it was their first time working on such techniques, which DeBar said help a player focus on what lies ahead rather than what happened in the past.

“We’re trying to develop these kids to give them an edge for the next level. There are small little skills that you can integrate without being on the ice that can make you a better player, make you a better athlete,” DeBar said. 

“I think that’s the piece that was the overarching thing. You just take two to three of these things, you are going to be more prepared, you’re going to feel better. You’re going to probably play the game with more clarity and more confidence just because you’re feeling better.”

Given the positive feedback directors received following the camp, plans are already in the works to expand things next year to add a regional girls’ camp in the near future.

“The facility was tremendous and the weekend was great. I believe the other districts were pleased with how things went,” Hogan said. “I specifically heard from some New York parents and players that they were happy with everything. I haven’t heard back from parents from other districts, but I would imagine that’s the same elsewhere.”

As far as Rich Branda and his son Nick are concerned, the camp was not only a chance to erase the disappointment of the past, but it also created a confidence heading into the new season and beyond.

“It’s a marathon and not a sprint,” Branda said. “I think it helped everybody take it in stride and come away with such a good experience that erased any disappointment