From the Junior Hockey News

For a few years now, there has been a few people calling themselves scouts when calling and emailing players inviting them to USHL and NAHL camps.

There is one person in particular who is actually very good at this, but she is so good that parents don’t know that they are eating a bowl of bull**** and she is telling them is chocolate ice cream.

Melissa Feczko is a camp recruiter for the Muskegon Lumberjacks and the Des Moines Buccaneers in the USHL, while also claiming to work for at least one or two NAHL teams.

Lets be absolutely clear on one very important thing. A “scout” or someone actually involved in making hockey decisions for a team can not hold the same position for multiple teams in the same league! It is a direct conflict of interest. It is not done in any league anywhere in the world.

So when this “scout” calls or sends you an email, you need to understand they are nothing more than a telemarketer who is getting paid for bringing as many bodies to a camp as possible. That’s it, nothing more. This is not an invitation based on anything more than your ability to pay to attend a camp.

When a person offers you “opportunity” with a number of team camps, its not opportunity in the sense that parents and players think. It is opportunity to skate and get a jersey before you go home.

When a person claims they are helping you and you don’t know them and you have no prior relationship with them, you better believe they are only helping themselves. This is not a person you should buy anything from.

Why do I write this today?

The easy answer is that players continue to call and ask questions about these offers. Players who have no business even thinking they will actually play in the USHL are believing they actually have a chance.

If you had 5 points last year and were a third line guy do you really think you are making the USHL? No. You are not. But the telemarketer is selling a bag full of magic beans, and you are buying it.

If you are 20 years old, and played Tier 3 or lower level Tier II in Canada do you really think you are making the jump to a USHL team that limits 20 year old players? If you do, I suggest you see a doctor.

In case you missed it, the USHL lost a team this year as well, so that limits the real “opportunity” even further.

Lets not blame the teams though. They have to generate money to survive. Its a business. Lets blame the person selling the magic beans, and then blame the person you see in the mirror for buying them.

Maybe its time for everyone to pull their heads out of their behinds and open their eyes. The camp recruiter is making money off of all you who can not realistically evaluate themselves. They know it, and now you know it. So how many more camps will you register to attend this summer?

But the email said they actually watched my kid and were impressed!

I saw this. I've been contacted a couple of times by this woman, and by Joe K, who wrote this about her. My kid attended one of his combines.

They are both selling the same thing the same way. Basically, they are competitors for the same dollars from the same target audience. Coke and Pepsi. They both overhype their respective services. Both stretch the truth.

I've personally found the information from Melissa to be helpful. I've never seen her hold herself out as a "scout." She says she's a camp organizer. Who cares who is paying her?

If you think either of these people know or care about your kid, you're the idiot, not them.

At least Melissa is friendly about it.

On her Linkedin page, she says she is a "Camp Organizer", and a little over the top about her kid.

It’s been said before but it’s worth repeating. If your kid is undrafted, he has zero shot at making a team. Well maybe not zero as we all know the big D from the south shore who gave it all up to play club hockey in protest made it. But for the rest of you, your kid has no shot.

I don't 1,000% agree with that. Sometimes, you have to make choices that limit your kid's exposure because it's the right thing at the time. Doesn't mean he can't gain notice in the right circumstance.

And you sir are the reason they have these fund raising camps. Parents can’t let go of the dream.

Thanks *******. I'll be sure to let you know when my undrafted kid gets a card from a Junior A team your kid only wishes knew he existed.

Yes just wish my kid go make a team in the saskatoon junior a league like your kid.

This guy - "If your kid is undrafted, he has zero shot at making a team."

Go look at past drafts and go look at current rosters and you will see you are about 80% correct. Not bad for a Mr. Know-it-all actually.

So your kid made it despite you. Great kid I suppose, had two battles and won.

Just looked at two USHL teams. Only one player was not on protected/affiliate lists. Now if your looking at all of the players who played 1-2 games then your a fool. I'm talking about those that are there for the season, not a cup of coffee. Every other kid was drafted or traded for from another USHL team that drafted them.

Thats true, but I can tell you, if your kid is invited to an USHL Main Camp, yes, it's a fund raiser, but it's also a huge exposure camp, many NAHL, other USHL, DI & DIII scouts in attendance. If you can afford it, and your kid is serious about playing college hockey, I would take the chance and go.

They used to be small and relatively exclusive so the exposure part used to be true. Now there are hundreds of kids out there playing wack a puck because the fundraising part has taken over. It's too bad really. But if you want to go, go. No one cares. Just don't spout nonsense that 80% of the rosters are undrafted.

Think about it this way. 80% of 23 man roster is undrafted. So 4-5 players a year are "walk ons". Given that every year about half the roster are returnees, that means almost half of the new players show up out of the blue. Yeah right.

My son played town hockey three years ago, Played E9 for two, plays Prep now on varsity as a freshman, got cut in 40 for USA NTDP camp, keeps moving up the ladder, little by little.

You know...the best thing is that he is learning the value of hard work. Some of these camps are pipe dreams, but he loves the sport...absolutely loves it. We let him go to one away camp per year for the last two years. It's an award for working hard. Sports lead to better education. Education leads to better sports. I am loving the journey of him moving from a boy to a man...

In laboris intentis, profectus