The Little Caps organization is proud of its development philosophy and commitment to improving players the right way.  We follow the USA Hockey American Development Model because it produces results – our players simply get better.

In recent years, several unsavory concepts have seen increasing usage by some hockey clubs.  The “weekend model” and the “super team” are being used to lure players away from home.  The weekend model is a matter of convenience aimed at short-term success at the expense of long-term player development.  Under this model, groups of players gather on weekends for intense practice periods, and then travel to play games before dispersing.  During the week, players are left to hire private coaches to practice on their own, or simply get no development at all.  This model makes sense in some parts of the country.  It does not make sense in the Greater Washington area.

This tryout season, as in the past, we have fielded several questions regarding whether the Little Caps will change its development model to adopt these concepts.  We will not.  Neither is consistent with proper player development, team chemistry, or in the spirit of what youth hockey is supposed to be.

The Little Caps model uses time-tested methods based on proper skills progressions, and a focus on optimal windows of trainability for our players.  As with any other education process, daily repetition and steady progress are the keys to success.  This method allows students time to manage small chunks of information, and through repetition master that information.  And they do it in a team setting, building strong bonds while challenging their teammates to get better, which in turn makes all team members better.  Successful schools don’t teach math cramming 6-hours of algebra into a student’s head on a Saturday, and then ignore the student for a week or force him or her to hire a private tutor to improve during the week.  

The weekend model simply does not work- consistent team practices and steady player development does.  We will not sacrifice proper player development for convenience or short-term “success.”

Glenn Hefferan, USA Hockey Atlantic District President, points out that such concepts have nothing to do with building a team, and run contrary to Long Term Athlete Development concepts at the core of the American Development Model.  Glenn has also challenged recruiting efforts used by some clubs, often in connection with the super team concept and the weekend model.  We know that several clubs contact our Little Cap families directly in an effort to lure our players out of the area or away from our Club, often targeting very young players.  They use the weekend model or the super-team concept to tempt players as young as 12 to abandon their development path.

Worse still, some clubs continue the deplorable practice of pressuring players and families into signing contracts immediately at the risk of losing the roster spot being “offered.”  Development begins at the tryout stage because it is often the first interaction between the player and the club.  As an organization, we believe in the product we offer and the development model we've committed to providing for our players.  We do not believe in pressuring children and their families to sign contracts on the first night of tryouts or risk losing their potential roster spot.   We also do not believe it is appropriate to tell a child that if he tries out for another club, he will not have the opportunity to play for the Washington Little Capitals.  Clubs that employ such tactics speak volumes about how they value their players, and their belief in the strength of their own program.

If you, or your child, is contacted by another club trying to attract you using the weekend model or the super club concepts, we urge you to hit the pause button, and consider whether the “tempting” offer of the moment is really in the long-term interest of your son or daughter (or your family as a whole).  Not all motion is progress.

If you or your child have been pressured by a club to sign a contract, we urge you to consider whether that club has the proper values to assist your son or daughter’s development.  Our Little Cap coaches and our Hockey Director are happy to talk to you if you confront this situation. 

Anything worth doing is worth doing well.  Success requires hard work- there simply is no shortcut.  A club offering you a shortcut to success isn’t offering you anything.