Prep School Info

[islandhockey]

Anyone knowledgeable about Prep Schools back east?  I never gave it much thought before but I heard from some Midget families that in recent years, some JK kids have moved to some New England Prep schools and are very happy out there.  They said these schools have large endowments and give scholarships.  On the plus size, their children do not miss any school, a lot of area scouts for both college and juniors are at their games, the scouts like that younger kids play against significantly older kids with much higher quality than high school hockey here and the education can't be beat.  On the downside, your kid is far away from home and costs will rival that of Tier I hockey here if not higher, depending on scholarships.  I haven't heard much good about the Tahoe Academy in California, but perhaps someone has heard different.  Any way, I'm hearing the time is now to apply to prep schools so looking for some information from someone who knows.  I can't imagine my son missing so many school days when you move up and sacrificing grades, especially for those not going to the NHL.  Thanks. 

[MO-ICETIME]

The Bears Club has a Prep-School showcase where the Top Prep-Schools come to Cali! it's a great event... Here is the link below for signups and more information about what to expect.


https://cgbhockey.sportngin.com/register/form/333584681?_ga=2.122390155.184579699.1512521968-21598511.1424928989

[lcadad]

I have heard good things about the Bears event.  Peter Torsson has a lot of connections to prep school coaches he has built up over the years.


The camp is in march, but it looks like you would need to put in your application very soon.  If you have any questions about a specific school I could probably get you an opinion, but the reality is that there are a lot of schools.  Your chances for scholarship money for your kid or even interest from a school is highly dependent on the skill level of your kid.  From what understand, they are really only looking for the top 2-3 kids from top 10 AAA clubs.  That's one reason why the Bears showcase is interesting, because Torsson has managed to get coaches and scouts to come and evaluate local Bantam age players.

[justanotherhockeydad]

To be fair, Tahoe Academy is still in it's infancy and to compare it with some of their well-established, East coast counterparts, Tahoe will obviously fall short. But I believe Tahoe has tremendous potential and upside. Every institute at the beginning will have a hard time attracting talent, and Tahoe is no different. But in my opinion, Tahoe has a great staff with head coach Lewis and Fenn. I've spoken to a few of Tahoe's players' parents and they have nothing but good things to say about the school.

My personal experience with Tahoe over the summer was that my kid had a fantastic time there. Ask the kids that went to Tahoe's summer camp (Empire and Saints kids to name a few) and a few of these kids attended multiple summer camps including some in the East Coast and they will tell you that Tahoe Academy is just as if not more challenging and tougher and more demanding than other reputable camps. Both my kid and I personally am looking forward to go back to Tahoe for the summer.

As for the Bears Prep Camp, sounds like a great event and to not have to travel back East to whore your kid out sounds even better. Torsson is obviously doing something right and his connections to prep schools will attract lots of players and parents alike. Perhaps it's true that the prep scouts are looking for the best of the best, but even if your kid is a strong player but not creme of the crop (yet), I believe is still important to get your name out there. This is an opportunity to expose my kid to what it's like to play with and against the best, to provide him with S.M.A.R.T. objectives and give him something to aim for. And if prep school is something he truly wants, I think Bears Prep Camp is a solid first step.

[Ziegler]

Prep is definitely a good route if your child is is into academics.  Few things to note..


1) You will need to consider JV/Varsity. JV won't be as good as your local competition . Varsity will have your child on the ice against older kids.


2)Start looking into the mandatory test dates your child will need to take


3)Depending on the school philosophy, your child may need to do 3 sports (1 per season)


4) As for Tahoe, I don't know too much. I hear it's online education. If that's the case you need to research what online programs they use and if they are accepted by your child's colleges of choice.


5) Don't know the name of it but was told there is a prep showcase in Boston over the summer. Good place to be seen


Good luck!

[islandhockey]

Thanks for the info!  Here is some more info I have gathered.
Last year's local Tier I 16U missed over 30 days of school.  Some kids were struggling to just make Cs, so you can close the door on Academic scholarships.  Add to that the chances of getting an athletic scholarship to one of only 60 DI hockey programs is very, very remote.  They said the 15s will miss over a dozen days at Tier I.  Even some Tier II teams will miss a dozen days of school.  Quite a sacrifice if your kid isn't going to the NHL.  As for the Tahoe Academy, I heard it was a terrible online school with little help for the kids.  But I heard the hockey is great with tons of on and off-ice training.  Since my main concern is education, I will rule that out.  I heard one So. Cal kid who was very good left there after a terrible experience and is now playing back east in Prep.  I like the idea of 2-3 other sports.  I was shocked that So. Cal. hockey seems year around with so much pressure to pay coaches for their clinics to get ice time or make their teams.  I would prefer my son to play a variety of sports.  Anyways, this is great info!  Thank you! 

[CahaMama]

Thank you so much for this great info!

[islandhockey]

Also heard most kids moving to prep school will need to repeat a grade, which might not be bad since they will ultimately playing against older kids, including some that do something called "post grad"  I also heard from a prep school dad, who didn't play hockey, but he said the prep school community is very tight and tend to take care of prep school graduates if they are in a position to hire or run companies.  Very interesting!  That Bear's program sounds great.  Not sure when I will consider it.  The kids I heard that moved recently did so in Midgets.  Also heard the transition is easier for an older kid than a freshman.  Hard to imagine losing my son to what is basically like a college at only 14. 

[islandhockey]

Just checked the Anaheim Ducks High School League....Lake Tahoe hasn't won a game yet against So Cal Varsity HS Teams. 

[glilv]

The Bears event in March is great, but by that time the next season is already spoken for.
The deadline for 95% of the prep schools is January 15th. There is a lot of work to do before the deadline, applications, student essays, parent essays,
school transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc
The Prep schools are looking for a "well rounded individual".  Your kid needs to be a good student and a good athlete.  Interviews are conducted with students
and parents, either in person or via Skype.
There is a website for Prep School reviews that has a lot of information including their acceptance rate.  I'd start from there.

[justanotherhockeydad]

Just checked the Anaheim Ducks High School League....Lake Tahoe hasn't won a game yet against So Cal Varsity HS Teams.

Tahoe has 2 teams, Prep and Varsity, I believe the Prep team is doing well.

[Pulsarhockey]

I just had a long talk with a family whose son opted for Prep School this season.  It was very interesting.  They made their decision at the end of last season.  The prospect of playing Tier I and missing dozens of days of school in their son's junior year just didn't work for them.  Add to that, studying college testing and it was a "no-brainer" for them as they said "95% of all the kids playing hockey will wind up in the adult beer league when all is said and done so why sacrifice education now?"  By allowing their son to go to prep school, he could still play a high level of hockey, not miss a single day of school, and keep most educational opportunities open.  They also met with a lot of scouts from both college and juniors last season.  Many scouts lamented that sadly, "80% of the kids attending these camps cannot qualify to get into our college because they sacrifice their grades" while the Tier III juniors were begging kids to come with promises of great things while being billeted with strange families and being exposed to much older players who indulge in alcohol and drugs.  They key for them was that their son had to want to go to prep school or move down to Tier II AND they had to get financial aid to make the cost comparable to Tier I travel hockey.  It is not cheap; around a $55K price tag.  They spoke to one local family whose son virtually got a "free-ride" to Andover so they knew financial aid was out there.  They said grades were EVERYTHING.  Yes, tapes of their son playing got the coaches attention, along with talking to their kids coaches, but the first question asked was, "What is your son's GPA?"  Although their son did not take the "mandatory" entrance exams, his PACT and his grade point average not only got him into the prep school but he got a scholarship as well so that costs were comparable to Tier I.  Many of these schools have something called "rolling admissions" and they will take kids past the normal deadline if there is room.  This family is well off financially, but if they weren't, the scholarship would have been for more.  They learned prep school is much more affordable than one initially thinks, but the benefits are HUGE.  These schools have huge endowments and want smart athletes to attend.  This family and their son could not be happier.  They are playing true high school hockey (similar to the Tier I teams in the Anaheim Ducks league" with big crowds attending and cheering them on.  Three other kids CA hockey are going to this school (I forget the name...it is in New England somewhere), so their son already knew some kids and they have bumped into other former So. Cal. kids out there in games.  They said their kid has "grown" so much in just a few months of dorm living and he will be so much more prepared for college and the education is rigorous, but very structured, giving their son less time to goof off with video games.  Their son is now involved in a number of school activities; something they could not do here because hockey is all consuming of hours outside of school.  The rink is on campus so no wasted time on our freeways, and most importantly, no cross country trips to interfere with studies.  They scrimmage with a number of the big Tier I Elite teams across the country.  They also love not playing the "coaches games" here...paying these coaches thousands of tax-free cash hoping their son will get playing time and make teams.  The scouts back there said their is actually more development out there playing kids older and that there is a big downside to playing kids your own age all the time which is why they want kids to play a few years of juniors before playing college except for the real superstars.  They have researched the numbers and saw just how many kids play college hockey...competing with kids from Canada and Europe as well and even fewer make the dream of the NHL.  The numbers are not promising except for a very, very select few.  And...even if your son is drafted, few make it passed juniors or the minors.  I'll be looking into sending my son to prep school next season.  I've seen so many families complain about So. Cal. hockey and it is all over these boards.  I sure liked what I heard.  Thanks for posting this thread!!  Good luck with your decision. 

[Hockey sophist]

Thank you Pulsar Hockey for an insightful and informative comment.

[fiveholefiller]

     Prep School Hockey is certainly a great and viable option to consider if the fit and alignment to end goals are right.  In our situation, academic achievement was a priority for our player and it became more challenging to maintain a high gpa with the rigor of a tier 1 travel and practice schedule. Although homework could be done during the lengthy commutes to and from practice and on the airplane, other key activities such as off ice work outs and other skill development could not be.
 
Prep school was in the discussion for the last several years but our player was not emotionally or mentally prepared to leave home and take this step until this season.  When our player decided the time was right and he was ready to head to the east coast, we agreed and supported him.
 
He is having a great experience thus far and playing hockey at a high level against some kids who are technically men at the age of 19/20 who are post grads. The time once spent for commuting is now being spent in the weight room, in study hall, and on the ice for skill development since the rink is at the school.  In addition, playing for your school in front of fans creates an experience that resembles college hockey. Lastly, being able to do laundry on your own is quite the added perk.
 
Below are some things picked up along the way to pass on that may be value added as you plan your journey. Best of luck to you and your player.

• Is your player being recruited by a prep school or are you making contact first?  As with SoCal tier hockey and Corporate America in general, being recruited opens up a lot more options and negotiating power.
• Prep school coaches go to big tournaments across the country and the Bears showcase is a great way to meet coaches especially for younger players.
• Repeating a grade is not necessary.  It depends on the grade being entered and how much they want your player.
• Scholarship money is negotiable. If a school wants your player and they believe others want your player it’s easier to land on a number.
• Applying to schools is a lengthy and time consuming process to get all the documents and supporting documents in especially for financial aid.
• Many schools have a JV team or a varsity B team. It’s important to understand where a coach sees your player and if that will be on the varsity team.  Even if your player is seen in a top role, it’s important to understand from the coach’s perspective as to what development is needed to go to the next level.
• Many varsity teams in the New England Prep School League have healthy scratches and/or players that dress and don’t get a single shift in. The bubble players get less ice time than in SoCal tier hockey.  Some schools will allow the bubble players to get some game time with the JV team.
• There are other options for Prep Hockey, although closer to AA, that are outside of New England and are much closer to California (not counting Tahoe).
• Fit and alignment is key.  Finding the sweet spot between school reputation/academics, hockey program strength/reputation, your player’s role/relationship with the coach, and the program cost is the core work you and your player need to do. Although extremely time consuming and at times stressful, if this part is done well then chances are your player will have a great experience and there will be no regrets.
• Make sure to visit at least 3-4 schools in person before committing.

     










     


 

[09 Dad]

Great info on this topic, thanks guys.  I can certainly see the points regarding education and commute savings.  My continuing question regarding prep school is the length of the season and the hours of training that are actually provided.  I'm sure this varies by school, but is there a general rule about these topics:


(a) NE Prep season is short compared to AAA.  It goes mid-Nov through early March only.  What is going on during Aug-Nov and also in the spring months Mar-May?  Is the team practicing, or are the kids expected to play other sports or take drama/music?  or are they picking up AAA hockey on the side anyway?


(b) assuming the campus ice is available to the kids for individual practice, are there "skills" coaches available to train them?  Or is the free ice time primarily used for pickup games and self-taught drills/skills?


The current trend in AAA is definitely "More is Better" when it comes to training - first you do the team practices and then you also chase around to various sticktime practices, to the maximum extent of your time and cash.  Is prep school the opposite?  Is it really 3.5 months of team practice?  If so, that seems "not enough" based on the current ways of thinking in CA.