Hockey Discussions > Midget Hockey

College Decisions

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islandhockey:
I've been talking with a number of high school seniors parents as they are deciding on college for their sons which is important for me since I have a year to think about how to guide my son. I find this fascinating. Most of the Tier I kids did fair to mediocre in high school academically which quickly eliminated some of the better colleges except for the elite kids who are already committed, but I heard that number is tiny. I also heard Tier I coaches could care less about academics, so no study time is seriously done on any road trip. Most of the kids that are going to the college route are winding up at colleges are outside the top 100 - even the top 200 in the nation because of their high school commitment to hockey which took precedence over academics.  Others are going to have their kids give Juniors a shot hoping to get a pass into a D1 hockey, but even if that were to happen, there are no full ride scholarships AND, you will be competing with kids from around the world...something like a third or higher?  For those that know their kids are not going to the NHL, is playing juniors and sacrificing a top flight education truly worth it? As I look around at so many coaches who followed that same path and struggle to make ends meet and play the political game of promising every little Johnny the world to get that $70 an hour at stick time, I wonder why? Putting your kid's education on hold to play juniors, along with all the drugs and alcohol that many succumb to seems a huge price instead of keeping to the books and getting into a top 100 college that will likely offer a scholarship that will rival any D1 hockey scholarship.  In the end, my son will make that choice, but I will try my best to influence him to place academics above hockey.  Unfortunately, I know my son isn't going to the NHL and has virtually no chance at making one of the only 61 D1 hockey programs.  The junior year is the toughest academically and your son will have to study for the ACT/SAT as well as write essays over the summer before senior year.  Lots to think about.

KickSave:
We are having these same discussions. In the end, it comes down to your kid, your levels of sacrifice, your desired outcomes. If the only reason your kid is in AAA is to get a DI scholarship, you might be disappointed. If your kid thrives on playing at the highest level, and if you and the siblings don't need to sacrifice for it, then great. It's a shame the academics usually suffer, but having an unmotivated kid with no dreams or drive may be just as likely to lead down a path ending in drugs or alcohol as any involvement on Junior hockey. Having the courage to pursue his/her dreams may groom them for success just as much as a 4.0. What makes this tough is the outcome depends on the individual, and none of us has a crystal ball (that works, anyway).

CahaMama:
This is a great discussion. There are many ways to keep education at the forefront. There are so many things to consider for a high schooler...do they want to stay close to home? Do they want to continue playing hockey at a college level or will men's league suffice? D1 and D3 schools mainly pull kids for their teams from USHL and the NAHL. There is nothing wrong with going to a good school and playing club hockey. Lots of local universities offer that. The great thing is that there are many options. It's definitely overwhelming at times because we (the parents) don't want to make a mistake when it comes to our kids' future.

Nowhearthis:
It seems that every parent of a high school athlete is experiencing this dilemma.  Hockey seems to have the worst situation since the system directs you away from college early, where the emphasis is to drop a grade and play juniors with some sort of academic filler or drop a grade and join a prep, ... or just stay in Tier and let that commitment slowly erode the education until age out.  What shows of this is lower grades, lower level class selections,  lackluster SAT's, and off to community college.  I d I don't know of another sport with this clear divergence from a path to true higher education.  A lot of parents have differing views and opinions, and that is fine, they know their children the best and have their own risk/reward glasses on.
Many say it's their kids choice, but I have observed that most of the time the parents make the decisions, maybe appropriately so.


Only about 1.5% of players will be able to make hockey a lucrative career.  Combine that with the intense competition for the desirable college diplomas and the shrinking middle class, there really is a serious situation at hand,  one that most of our parents never imagined.

notTHATdad:
Just one Dad's opinions about education and older players...
 
Tier I...
Jr Hockey in Canada is a horrible throw back to the 50's. Old men in small towns making money off of unpaid 16 year olds. It wouldn't be allowed in any other industry. Kind of amazing. And let's face it, most of the kids are not chasing educational futures - they are chasing dreams of pro careers - it's hard to overstate how delusional some jr parents can be - particularly in Canada. So beware where you are putting your kid. Yes, there are scholarship funds. But your kid still needs to make it into the college, and that is simply secondary. You just have to hope your kid is mature and the billet is willing to make sure they study.


Jr Hockey in the USA is better, just because NCAA is more established and because of the stronger traditions of college athletics down here. BUT (and it's a big but...) it's much smaller. USHL has 17 teams. The CHL has 60 teams, and the number of players in the US is very similar to Canada. Far more kids as a percentage (almost all) go on from USHL to college than CHL. But remember, there are less than 1/3rd the spots in the USHL. Your kid better be good.


Tier II
Canadian Tier II (eg. BCHL) does not mess with your NCAA eligibility in Canada, so you will find more kids playing tier II up there with the intent of playing NCAA, and it does happen. Still a small minority.


US Tier II is also a way to get to the NCAA, I'm guessing more at the DIII level. I don't know what the statistics are though, and have never seen them mentioned. (There is actually a remarkable lack of information or focus on the 30 or so DIII colleges that play hockey.)


Tier III... Anything is possible I guess. But at that point you are paying for your kid to play at a much lower level, instead of paying for school. So be careful and set your expectations accordingly.


Prep schools.
Some of the prep schools have excellent reputations for getting kids in to the NCAA, and frequently combine with really great educational programs. Very little downside here, apart from cost, and the very real challenge of having to send your 16 year old kid off across the country to live by themselves. It's not for everyone. Something to think about though - including travel, it costs us westerners $15-$20k a year to play AAA. That's at least a start on the cost of a prep school (though remember you'll be shipping your kid back and forth from the prep school, so the travel savings may not be what you think).


Academy's.
There are a lot of these. Mostly in Canada, but also in the US now. I put them in the 'chasing dreams' category of logic because even though you may get a high school education, I don't see how anyone can think of that as the primary thing they offer. Education is often either online, or in conjunction with a local small town school. Not sure I'd choose either of those if my ambitions were for college.


AAA Hockey.
Kids DO get to college via AAA, but frankly it's tougher out here on the west coast. College scouts just aren't out here as much. A scout in one of the eastern states can watch those local kids every weekend. The advantage of AAA of course is you are tempering the 'dream' part and have the opportunity to focus on the educational aspect. Probably the safest bet for the vast majority of kids without the resources for prep.

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