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	By Lance Wolgemuth Co-Founder of the former BreakawayBrokers.com PlayYourGame.com prides itself on staying abreast of all new developments within the hockey world. BreakawayBrokers.com is one of those developments, and for this reason, we have brought it to your attention. We do not promote the services of BreakawayBrokers.com nor are we in business with them, but we feel that their message of the importance of self-promotion would be of interest to you. The following letter is written by Lance Wolgemuth, Co-founder of BreakawayBrokers.com and Head Coach of Northern State University in Aberdeen "ACHA Div. I". We encourage you to listen to the point that he is making: self-promotion should be a part of every player's career. I grew up in the small town of Manheim, Pennsylvania known for the Friday night glamour of high school football. To say the least hockey was not one of the most popular sports. Only my close friends know this but I laced up my first pair of skates at age 14 on a Saturday morning at a "Learn to Skate Clinic". Since then I have been blessed with the opportunity to play Jr. "A", Canadian College, Minor Pro, and Pro Roller Hockey. As the current head coach of a University hockey team I strive to convey some important essentials to my players who wish to take their careers to the next level. Hard work and dedication need to be the foundation of a successful player's concentration. Often hard work is not enough. The old saying goes "The cream will rise to the top." Well I don't believe this to be true for all hockey players. In my time I have seen numerous talented blue chip hockey players who have never taken their careers to their potential or the next level. Hockey, like life is plagued with politics, it's not what you know it's who you know; being in the right place at the right time can make or break a players career. Looking back, the one thing I know is players need to have goals and be proactive in their careers. Marketing yourself as a player needs to begin at a young age and follow you throughout your career. This may mean volunteering a summer working hockey schools at a college or camp in order to get to know coaching staff and other important hockey connections. The hockey resume or player profile can be one of the most effective tools in a player's arsenal. Many Jr., college and professional teams have little in the budget to scout and recruit out of small towns like Manheim, where I grew up. Teams and Coaches expect players to take responsibility and promote themselves through resumes, references, and achievement profiles. There seems to be a misconception among parents that because little Johnny scored 35 goals for the Lancaster Firebirds that a Jr. A team from Prince George British Columbia probably knows about him. Online resumes in combination with exposure camps can provide a powerful link between players and teams. Aspiring players should keep stats, references, contacts, accomplishments current and accessible for prospective teams and coaches to track-on. I know from experience opportunities multiply as they are seized. Resume distribution and networking is a simple and effective way to promote you as a player. I truly believe there is a team out there for every player. It may be Jr. B instead of Jr."A" or the ECHL instead of the NHL, but we love the game and I hope that you all take advantage of the tools you posses to advance your game to its full potential. After my first year as a head coach, I found numerous kids that I needed to stay in contact with. My schedule doesn't allow me to scout and travel as much as I like, time becomes a valuable resource that I need to use efficiently. I had very little success in travelling around the country recruiting my first year because most kids are playing while my season is still going on. I spent almost 90% of my spare time travelling to see other players that could potentially help me the following season. On many occasions I had to travel hundreds of miles to keep on top of players and their progress. There were over 150 players that I traveled to watch last year. Of those players I was interested in, only about half could potentially play at the University the following year. The other half of the players I watched were around two or three years out of playing at the University level. As a coach I know my bread and butter lies in the players that are as far out as three years. This creates a problem! If my job security would depend on my ability to recruit and scout players that solidify my team, it doesn't take you long to figure out that the best coaches are the ones who can get in front of enough kids early on in the recruiting process. I decided to find my own way of doing this. In the summer of 1999, former teammates and coaches were united to form BreakawayBrokers.com. Combining knowledge and experience, a team was put in motion that provides opportunities and placement services for young hockey players. The foundation of the BreakawayBrokers.com was built upon friendship, strong moral character, and a desire to give back to a game that has enriched our lives. The goal is to help others on their journey to the next level. We want to see you not only receive the exposure you deserve, but be placed in a situation that is both challenging and fulfilling, while moving you forward in your hockey career. Our staff has designed a system for coaches to be able to track the progress of players that are two or three years out. It is a tool that players, parents and coaches need to know about. There is a full time staff working around the clock to ensure this recruiting website provides exposure to both players and coaches. Using state of the art technology players are able to update their player profile at any time and anywhere in the world. You may also attach photos and streaming video of you playing to your resume. Coaches find the Auto-Notify tool to be most useful. If you are a coach, you can set up the criteria you want to find in a player. When a player enters the system meeting the coaches' criteria, an email notifying the coach that a player has entered the system will be automatically sent to his mailbox. Let me show you an example of how this works: A coach may be looking for only Left handed Junior "A" Defensemen over 200 pounds. The coach sets these criteria up in the Auto-Notify Profile and when any Left handed 200+ pound Junior "A" Defensemen enter the system, the coach is notified via email. Some other advantages you will find as a player will include the ability to send resume to coaches and teams directly from the website. As a coach I know that many of my players found me before I found them. I encourage you to spend your time and efforts promoting your hockey career online and offline. You will understand the importance of networking only after you look back on your playing days. Your playing days will end someday and all you will have left are the memories and friendships you created along the way. Whatever you do, make sure you don't hold back on your dreams because your memories will never end! "For some the dream is to play in the NHL. The real Dream is the journey you travel to get there." I encourage you to go find the puck!
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