sevenSteen said:
Thanks discostu and Resolute. That's a great idea .. any suggestions as to what I can volunteer to do for one of the Junior A clubs near my city? I had an opportunity to tag along with a Junior A team's chief scout on a few occasions several years ago, but what can be done to be closer to the management side of junior hockey?
When in doubt, start at the top. See if you can get a meeting with the president of the club. Explain your situation, saying that you want to be involved in junior hockey, and are looking to volunteer. Ask for his advice on ways you can break in, and listen to any suggestions he may have. You can probably learn more from his experiences on the subject than you can from a message board.
You may have some difficulty in trying to get that meeting, but, it should be possible. Most successful people I know enjoy the opportunity to help youngsters out in this regard. It gives them a chance to give back, and, at the same time, strokes their ego a little. You just need to make sure you present yourself well over the phone if you do talk to him.
As for volunteering, it becomes tough proposition sometimes, even if you're willing to work for free. Your task would be to convince him that you're willing to do any job that is required, not just the glamorous ones, and, that you're willing to stick around a while, and dedicate the time. Training someone, even they are not getting paid, is an expensive endeavor, with all the time it requires, and, people want to make sure they'll see a return on their investment. In my job, I've turned down people looking to do the same thing with our company, since, they couldn't dedicate the time required to really learn the job.