Every year coaching hockey we have a draft.  Each team is allowed to protect 5 kids from year-to-year, as they enter the division at 14 and leave at 17.  It is always a big challenge dealing with the kids that go back into the draft, particularly when we are not able to get them back on my team.  Last year, the last kid picked in the draft absolutely loved playing for us and was sincerely upset at the possibility of not getting back on our team (he did improve significantly).

The job we do in developing our weaker kids each year is something I take incredible pride in, not to mention receiving many complements from parents, coaches and other people throughout the league.  It does have its repercussions though, such as the disappointment from those couple of kids every year that we are not able to get back.

The night before the draft, the mother of this kid I mentioned previously, called me saying her son was having an anxiety attack and didn't know if she could get him to play if he wasn't on our team.  Last night we held the draft and I couldn't get him back.  I know one would think that we should just let the kid back on our team, but the boys are young adults and I don't believe that it is a good lesson (or positive behavioral conditioning) to allow the kid to get his way by becoming "ill."  In my opinion, kids need to learn to deal with disappointment and new challenges.

Still, it hurts.  He has sent me several texts tonight and I don't want to communicate anything to him until his new coach has had a chance to call him.  I wil speak with him, but it will be difficult.