this applies to other sports besides hockey, but I am most familiar with it in that sport. When your son or daughter gets old enough, you may begin to receive invites to attend camps put on by different organizations or teams.
I am not trying to paint everything the same and there are some differences, but most of these camps are put on for one thing and that is money. Without exception, the invites to these things are always fraught with enticing tidbits about the exposure you will get or which coaches will be watching and that they just may be interested enough to go after or pick you. Or you will get watched by this coach or this school.
There are a few exceptions to this, but the exceptions are usually invite only, or very particular camps that still don't guarantee anything.
We went to a camp put on by the Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL. It was a nice camp and I am glad we went, but it was really something they put on to help their coffers. I doubt highly that any kids were picked out from this camp. We did know this going in but wanted to experience it. Last year we went to the main invite-only camp put on by the Muskegon Lumberjacks. We went to the camp to get experience for what to expect in these kinds of camps. But even we were part of the number of kids that didn't have a shot at making the team, but were there to help finance the camp.
The main USHL combine camp has some value from what I have heard. For some of these money grab camps, the possibility exists that a coach could see your son or daughter and open up an opportunity, but you better be one of the top kids there and even then it is a bit of a longshot.
I think the same things exist in other sports also. As long as you know what you are getting into, there may be other reasons to go. Your advisor or coaches really need to guide you on this kind of thing.
Just be careful and know what you are getting into.
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