Scholarship Project

TOTAL FEMALE HOCKEY SCHOLARSHIP PROJECT

HOW TO GET NOTICED, GET RECRUITED & PLAY HOCKEY AT THE SCHOOL OF YOUR DREAMS

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

START HERE: Quick Start Guide 3 “WHY” Worksheet 4 College Hockey BASICS 5

RESEARCH PHASE: Frequently Asked Questions 13 5 College Coach Interviews - click on the link below to access the MP3s: http://totalfemalehockey.com/scholarship_project_8411/ College Hockey DETAILS 28 - College/University Quick Fact Sheet 28 - Critical Details - Rules, Regulations & Requirements 29 - NCAA/CIS Comparison Chart 35 - NCAA Division I Information 36 - CIS Information 40 Creating Your Top 20 List 43

RECRUITING PHASE: Recruiting Step-By-Step Plan 44 Year-By-Year Guidelines 46 How To Write Your Introductory Letter 47 How To Create Your Introductory 49 Communicating With Coaches 51 - Tracking Your Communication Chart 51 - Questions You Must Ask Coaches 52 - How To Update Coaches Properly 55

DECISION PHASE: Final Decision Score Sheet 56

BONUS SECTION: Interviews with Current & Former College/University Hockey Players 57

QUICK START GUIDE Congratulations of taking the ﬁrst step towards taking control of your dream to play hockey at the college/university level.

FIRST STEP: Complete the “WHY” Worksheet and then read through the “College Hockey BASICS” section. Do NOT look at, watch or listen to ANY other part of The Scholarship Project without completing these steps ﬁrst. RESEARCH PHASE: • Read the FAQ section. • Listen to the College Coach Secret Interview Sessions - http:// totalfemalehockey.com/scholarship_project_8411/ • Read the “College Hockey DETAILS” section. • CIS, NCAA Division 1 and Division 3 Critical Details • CIS, NCAA Division 1 and Division 3 Quick Fact Sheet • CIS, NCAA Division 1 and Division 3 Comparison Chart • Make your “Top 20 List” (NOTE: this is just a starting point). • Read the 8 Interviews with College Hockey Players

RECRUITING PHASE: • Read the “Recruiting: Step-By-Step Plan”. • Review the “Year-By-Year Guidelines” to make sure you are on the right track based on what year you are currently in at school. • Write your “Introductory Letter” (use sample provided as a guideline). • Create your “Introductory Video” • Start communicating with coaches (use “Questions For Coaches” sheet). • Send updates to coaches (use “Update Sample” to guide you). • Use Your “Tracking Communications Chart” to keep track of all your communications with coaches. DECISION PHASE: • Go on unofficial and official visits to get a first-hand feel for the schools & teams. • Create & fill in your “Decision Score Sheet” to help you make your final decision. • Make your choice. • Follow-up with the coaches of the programs that you did not choose. • Tell anyone & everyone you can about where you are going - Congratulations! REMEMBER... Nothing worth having ever comes easily. Do the work and stay in control of realizing your dream.

YOUR “WHY” WORKSHEET

Question #1: Why do you want to play college/university hockey? Write all your reasons down.

Question #2: Why do you think coaches would want you to be a part of their program? What do you bring to the table that is unique and/or valuable?

Question #3: Why do you think that you are better suited to have this opportunity than someone else? What separates you from them - in terms of athletics, academics and attitude? Why do you deserve this opportunity?

These are hard questions to answer. There should be a lot of emotion behind every answer you write. This is a huge decision and a hard journey - and it is going to be your passion that drives you forward when the going gets rough. You shouldn’t take answering these questions lightly - just like you shouldn’t take this process lightly. It won’t be easy - but it will be worth it.

COLLEGE HOCKEY BASICS

The point of this overview is to give you a general idea of the academic and athletic opportunities that are out there for you across North America if you want to play hockey at the varsity level. Please keep in mind as you read this document, and as you work your way through the entire Scholarship Project, that there are hundreds (and maybe even thousands) of players who “say” that they want to play hockey at the next level. That may seem a little overwhelming - especially since there are only a few hundred spots each year available to incoming players. But remember that there is a very big difference between “saying” you want something and actually taking the action necessary to “do” it. You are already separating yourself from the competition by working your way through the “Scholarship Project” and taking speciﬁc and consistent actions towards your dreams. So if and when you get overwhelmed, keep in mind that all you need to do is do the work on and off the ice and follow the plan, and you’ll be much further along in this process than your competition.

A WHOLE NEW WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY As of the fall of 2017, there are 120+ universities offering varsity women’s hockey in North America. When I went through this process back in 1998, there were probably only half that many options available. This is a tremendous period of growth in women’s hockey - not only in the college/university ranks, but even more so at the minor hockey level. So even though there are more “spots” available to play college hockey, there are also a lot more players going after those spots. As I said above, most players who “say” they want to get there aren’t willing, or don’t have the information necessary, to “do” what it takes to achieve their goals. So you’ve got a leg-up on the competition already.

Before we get into more details about the opportunities that lay ahead for you, please do me a favor and keep this one thing in mind. Academics must always come ﬁrst - whether we are talking about high school or university. At this point, there are no million dollar contracts waiting for female hockey players to play the sport we all love. This may change in years to come, but at this point, you need to rely on your education to help you make a living down the line, not your ability to play hockey. My goal for every single young female hockey player I work with - and this now includes you - is for you to:

Leverage your athletic ability to get a better academic opportunity.

Think of your ability to play hockey as something that can help you to get the education and degree that you want (and need) to succeed when your playing days are through. If you keep this in mind the entire way through the process, you will keep yourself on the right track.

The 3As: What Coaches & Scouts Are Really Looking For

The truth is that even though there are over 100 colleges and universities in North America that offer varsity women’s hockey programs, the competition to get the chance to play at that level is ﬁerce. Coaches & scouts are looking for a “triple threat”:

Great Athletics * Great Academics * Great Attitude

If you have the complete package, it is much easier to stand out, get noticed and be recruited. You don’t need to be the best player in the country or be a straight A+ student, but being as strong as possible in all 3 of these areas will help you out dramatically as you go through this process.

Let’s look at each “A” in more detail:

ATHLETICS

Basic Skill First and foremost, you must have the basic level of skill needed to play at the next level. Notice that I didn’t say “elite” level skill. Being an elite player will never hurt you, but in the beginning of the process, coaches & scouts just want to see that you can execute all the basic skills on the ice at a level that would allow you to compete at the next level. This means that it is not necessary for you to have the greatest slapshot in the world to get noticed. But you have to be able to skate, pass, shoot and stickhandle at a pretty high level. Having any big holes in your game - for example, skating that is well-below average - will count against you at this point in the process.

Game Sense Once they have established that you have the basic skills, they are looking at your game sense. Do you know where to be when you don’t have the puck? How do you create time and space for yourself and your teammates? Do you make good decisions under pressure? Game sense is much harder to teach than the basic skill, but it is absolutely critical if you want to get to, and excel at, the next level. If your game sense is terriﬁc, you may even be able to make up for any basic skills that are lacking in the beginning of this process.

Competitiveness Every player wants to win. But how do you compete on a shift-to-shift and a game-to- game basis? You will do anything to win a race to the puck or a battle along the boards. You work as hard in the 3rd period as you do in the ﬁrst. You’ll block shots, make the effort to make the 2nd and 3rd save, and back-check at full speed even when it looks like there is no way you will catch up to the play.

Consistency Coaches want to see you work as hard in the 3rd period as you do in the ﬁrst. They need to know that you are as effective in the 3rd game of a tournament as you are in the ﬁrst game. If the coach gets the chance to watch you play more than once, do they see the same type of player every time or are you unpredictable? You aren’t going to play a perfect game every time you hit the ice, but coaches want to know that you can be relied on the deliver the same level of effort and focus game in and game out for an entire season. This is after all exactly what they need you to do when you get to the college/university level. This is easier said than done, but it is very important.

Potential No one expects you to be a perfect player right now. You are a work in progress and coaches understand that. They know that after playing varsity hockey for a few years that you should be a dramatically better player. They want to be able to have a sense of just how much better you can be with more time on the ice, more high level coaching, and more training. Some players will thrive at the next level and some will level off. Coaches would always prefer to work with players who have the potential to improve dramatically. How can they gauge your potential? If they watch you a couple of times over the course of the season, they want to see that you’ve improved. If they see you over the course of a few seasons, they want to see that you are more of an impact player. They will talk to your coach and ask about your work ethic and coachability. If you work extremely hard and are very coachable, the sky should be the limit in terms of your potential.

Off The Ice Ten years ago, it might have been enough to be a great player on the ice to get recruited. Coaches and scouts may notice you from your on-ice play, but they will deﬁnitely want to know that you are as committed to becoming a great athlete off the ice as you are on the ice. After all, the best athletes are the best players. Making sure that you are doing your off-ice training to get stronger, faster and ﬁtter. Taking care of your nutrition and mental preparation are absolutely critical. Your commitment to excellence off the ice translates directly to your performance on the ice. Coaches and scouts know this and they are looking for players who already have this foundation in place before they get to the next level.

ACADEMICS

The reality is that the better student you are, the more opportunities you will have to play at the next level. A student-athlete with better grades and better test scores is always more attractive to a coach than a player with a similar talent level who doesn’t do as well in the classroom. That being said, you don’t need to be the best student at your school in order to get the opportunity to study and play at the school of your dreams.

Grades Your grades from every year of high school are important. Just starting to work hard once you get to grade 11 and 12 won’t cut it. You may not have the best grades all the way through high school, but consistent improvement and performance counts for a lot in this area. Keep in mind that for the Canadian colleges and universities, there are no standardized tests (SATs, ACTs) for admission - so your grades carry a tremendous amount of weight in the admissions process. For the NCAA Division 1 colleges and universities, it is critical that you take the 16 core courses required for eligibility - listed below.

DIVISION I Core Courses (16): • 4 years of English • 3 years of mathematics (algebra 1 or higher) • 2 years of natural/physical science (1 year of lab if offered by high school) • 1 year of additional English, mathematics or natural/physical science • 2 years of social science • 4 years of additional courses (from any area above, foreign language or nondoctrinal religion/philosophy)

Your guidance counsellor at school can help you stay on track to make sure that you meet these requirements before graduation.

Standardized Tests - SATs and ACT If you want to attend college/university in the United States, you will be required to take the SATs and/or ACTs. Although these scores are not the only thing an admissions office is looking at when deciding whether or not to accept you, the higher the grade you can get the better. If you do not feel confident going into these tests, or have a history of not being the best test taker, you may want to look into taking a test prep course. If you are not from the United States, you probably haven’t been as exposed to this test so you may require more time and practice to gain confidence before taking the test. You will also want to plan when you take the tests carefully - make sure that you give yourself more than one chance to take the test just in case you don’t do as well as you need to the first time around. Every school will have a different standard that they’d like

© Total Female Hockey 2018 8 TOTAL FEMALE HOCKEY SCHOLARSHIP PROJECT you to meet in order to make the admissions process as successful as possible. Some schools may also require that you take the SAT IIs which are speciﬁc subject tests. This is something that coaches will let you know as you go through the recruiting process.

Consistency Much in the same way coaches want to see consistent performance in your on-ice game, schools like to see consistency in academic performance throughout high school. Even if you aren’t the strongest student, consistent improvement counts for a lot. Ask yourself whether you are someone who puts a consistent level of effort into your studies. When you are struggling in a particular subject, do you put more time and effort into improving? This is critical because your willingness to commit to putting forth a consistent high level effort to improve translates directly from the classroom to the ice.

ATTITUDE

This can make or break the entire recruiting process for a player. You can have all the skill in the world and have great grades, but if you have a bad attitude, the coaches will choose another player. The truth is that there are enough players with strong academics and athletics out there that they don’t need to put up with a player with a bad attitude. A bad attitude is like a ﬂat tire - you can’t go anywhere until you change it.

It is relatively easy to tell which players have a bad attitude on the ice. They are the ones talking back to the referees, slamming their sticks on the ice when things don’t go their way, getting down on themselves or their teammates when they are having a tough game. Coaches want team players who are going to be leaders on and off the ice. Remember that your attitude off the ice counts for a lot too. How are you with your teachers and teammates? How are you in the dressing room? How do you speak to your own coaches and the coaches who are recruiting you? Are you a complainer or do you work as hard as you can no matter what? Are you a positive person? Make no mistake - this counts for A LOT. College coaches will do their homework and speak to your club/school team coaches to make sure that they get the truth about your attitude on and off the ice. They want their future players to ﬁt in and be great citizens of the team and school both on and off the ice. They won’t risk the harmony and success of the team as a whole to take a player with a bad attitude or poor character.

The 3Ss: What You Need To Consider Along The Way

There are three critical areas that you need to consider as you work your way through this process. The chart below provides an overview of the critical points to consider when it comes to the school, sports and social aspects of your decision.

SCHOOL SPORTS SOCIAL Do they have the major you When you are doing your Size: Big (20,000+), Medium are looking for? If you’re not research: (8,000-20,000), Small (under sure, do they have a lot of How many players are they 8000), Tiny (under 4000) different options so that you looking for in your graduating can change your mind and year and for which positions Location: close to home, far find something else that you (critical for goalies)? away, within driving distance, are interested in? does your family want to see If you want to play more than you play more often? Will you be able to handle the one varsity sport, is that academic workload in addition feasible? Cost: how much will it cost you to playing hockey? to attend the school? Will you What is the coach’s have loans to pay off Do they have any other philosophy on player afterwards? Are you eligible players on the current team development and team for scholarships/financial aid? who are studying what you are development? studying? Can you see yourself When you are making your spending 4 years there? This Do they have team study hall? decision: is why visiting the school is so Tutors available? Do you get along well with the critical - looking at it on the coach? website and talking to Does the team travel on days coaches will only tell you so when team members have Do you get along well with the much. class? How do the students girls on the team? keep up? What other activities are you Where does the coach see looking to get involved in What kind of reputation does you fitting in on the depth when there? Do they have the school have? What is a chart? Will you be fighting for those options? degree from that school playing time or will you come “worth” to you? in and play right away? When you aren’t in-season (spring), will you be happy If you are looking to get Do you want to be one of the there? another degree after (ie. strongest players right away or medical school, graduate do you want to fight your way What would happen if you degree, teacher), will that up the ladder? broke your leg - would you still school prepare you to pursue be happy there? that degree? How much time per day does “hockey” take up? How is this different in-season compared to the off-season?

The 2Ps: Your Two Biggest Keys To Success

There are two keys to making sure you have a successful recruiting process and end up at the school of your dreams:

BEING PREPARED & BEING PROACTIVE

BEING PREPARED

The truth is that you might only get one chance to impress a scout or coach. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Preparation breeds self-confidence and success. Doing the “little” things like taking care of your nutrition, hydration, stretching, sleep, pre-game warm-up and post-game cool-down on a day-to-day basis adds up over time. It is this attention to detail that puts you in a position to stand out and get noticed - especially at tournaments, where most players don’t do a very good of managing their energy and effort very well. Doing the hard work off the ice during the summer may not be something the scouts see directly, but they will definitely see the results of all your dedication to excellence when you hit the ice. Setting goals for yourself and holding yourself accountable to reaching them isn’t something you do publicly - but getting your mental performance on track and consistently pushing yourself to reach your full potential is definitely something that will show up in your on- ice performance.

Preparation off the ice extends even further than nutrition, mental performance and off- ice training. The preparation that you do in order to succeed in the classroom and on standardized tests has a huge effect on your performance in those areas.

In order to have lasting change and make significant steps forward in your performance, you need to have a plan and put in consistent effort. It’s like cramming for a test in school - sure, you might do OK on the exam, but how much of that information do you actually retain? You can’t just prepare well in terms of your nutrition and mental game right before a tournament and expect to see dramatic results. You can’t just start training off the ice two weeks before the season starts and expect to get significantly stronger or faster. Significant change takes a significant amount of time and effort. There is simply no way around this. To set yourself up for success, you have to do the work. And just like with big tests at school, the earlier you start preparing, the greater your chances of succeeding.

Ask Yourself... • Are you taking care of all the “little” things - nutrition, hydration, goal setting? • Are you putting in the time and effort required to succeed in the classroom? • Are you committed to becoming the best athlete possible with off-ice training? • Will you be prepared to stand out and get noticed when the scouts show up?

BEING PROACTIVE

In order to succeed in ﬁnding the perfect school for you, you need to take consistent action throughout the entire process. There are a small number of players who will get scouted early on, have every school ringing the phone off the hook and have their choice at any top-end program in the country. This is the exception and not the rule.

The majority of players who end up playing college & university hockey have initiated the recruiting process themselves.

Some schools have tremendous resources in place for recruiting players, while others simply cannot because of the costs and time commitment involved. You need to be proactive throughout this entire process - and that all starts with you reaching out to the coaches who are at the schools you are interested in. You need to create your own reality. It’s not going to be easy. Some schools may say “Thanks, but no thanks”. You may not get high enough test scores or marks to get into the program you want. But there are more than enough options out there, and you will need to do your homework to make sure that you are reaching out to the schools that will be the best ﬁt for you.

I will go into exactly all the steps you should cover in being proactive as you work your way through this guide, but here is a quick overview:

1. Introduce Yourself - send an email expressing your interest in the school 2. Ask For Information - ask if they can send you any other information about their program or the school 3. Schedule An Unofficial Visit (a visit that you take on your own and is fully funded by you) - you should go on as many of these as you can to see what the schools are really like. Everything looks great on a website - you need to visit! 4. Show Your Level of Interest - be honest with coaches. If their school is your first choice, let them know that. They will be honest with you too. If they don’t think you are a great fit for their program, they will let you know. It is always hard to hear “no” but you’ll never know unless you ask.

The last thing you want to happen is to look back in this process and wonder: “What might have happened if I had contacted them?”

As you work your way through the entire “Scholarship Project”, you will learn exactly which steps to take in your proactivity to make sure you make the best decision for you. It may sound daunting and may seem overwhelming at times - but when you take the time to prepare and take action, your chances of success are very very high.

FAQs: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

This is strictly meant as a general information document. Keep in mind that these are answers taken from a small selection of coaches - they do not necessarily reﬂect the opinions of all coaches at that level. As you go through this process on your own, feel free to ask any of these questions of the coaches you are dealing with to ensure you are getting the most accurate answers for that particular school.

GETTING NOTICED

1. What are the top 3 things you are looking for on the ice when scouting players?

NCAA Division 1 (D1) Coach: Every program looks for different things. We look for good skating ability and stick skills (passing, shooting, handling), hockey sense, competitiveness, and good character.

NCAA Division 3 (D3) Coach: The first thing that I notice is skating. It depends on the venue where I am scouting but if I am at a tournament or showcase where there are lots of players and not looking at a specific player(s), the first thing that will get my attention is skating (speed, agility, edges). The second thing (and not necessarily less important either) is poise with the puck. Can the player skate with the puck with her head up and make a good decision? Those are the two most important things to me – we can teach many of the other things. Once I’ve identified someone I like I will try to get a sense of how they play their position, how they play without the puck but the other two things are more important and lead to the further scrutiny.

CIS Coach: I think the top things that I look at when I'm skating a game or doing any type of recruiting is, is the player an impact player? By that, it means are they making a difference in the game? That doesn't mean are they scoring lots of goals, necessarily, or do they get a shutout if they're a goaltender. It's having a positive inﬂuence on the game every time they step on the ice, so the consistency of their performance from start to ﬁnish is important for me. The fact that you notice them by the end of the game, pretty much who's watching the game will have said, "That number, whatever, really had a good game." I think the other things from a coaching perspective that I look at, the quality of skater, because you need to be a certain level of skater to be able to play at the university level. Puck skills I look at, so in general, can they handle the puck, do they make good passes, and can they shoot the puck? What's the complexity of that skill, of those skills, and there is a comprehensive list of skills within that area. Then the last thing would be their hockey sense, or their hockey I.Q., so their positional play. Where I look at this is more away from the puck than with the puck.

2. What are the top 3 things that completely turn you off when scouting a player?

D1 Coach: Bad body language if they make a mistake on the ice. A bad recommendation from coach or school counselor. The inability to be a good teammate. Laziness or non-competitiveness. Always being the perimeter player

D3 Coach: I rarely like someone who isn’t a good skater or doesn’t have poise with the puck. That said, there are kids who are smart players who aren’t good skaters so that doesn’t automatically get someone crossed off the list. I think a quick ﬁrst read is how they look when they skate and how they carry themselves. Do they skate hard all the time - even on the back-check? Players who take excessively long shifts are also a turn-off.

CIS Coach: Work ethic is a big thing, obviously if you see a player who's lazy or when I talked earlier about the impact player, you shouldn't have a player that is great for five minutes, sets the world on fire and then disappears completely for the rest of the time. I think the other thing I really dislike is when players take selfish penalties. And the other thing is when players take penalties and they argue with the referee. That really turns me off because getting penalties sometimes is part of the game, and you should just go to the penalty box. That can be a window into attitude and other areas.

3. How much does what a player does (or doesn’t do) off the ice factor into your decision to recruit them? (Attitude, academics, community involvement etc?

D1 Coach: This is VERY important. Our program does a lot of background work with calls to coaches, counsellors, teachers…etc. If there are red ﬂags it may prevent us from pursuing the athlete. We want good hockey players with great character. I’d rather have a good player with great character than a great player with bad character.

D3 Coach: It’s a complicated equation and all of those things are important. As our program has evolved and gotten better we really try to recruit both talent and character. If I have to choose one or the other, it would be character. We only want kids who are good people, who have a great attitude and will ﬁt into our ‘team-ﬁrst’ culture. In the end we want both talent and character and rarely settle.

4. Do players need to be ﬂashy goal scorers or rushing defensemen in order to get noticed? How much does their team play and game sense factor in?

D1 Coach: It depends on what type of player we may be looking for in a given year. Ideally we want players that are good in every zone but that isn’t always possible. A lot of times an athlete will get noticed because of the little things they do, not the ﬂash.

Their team play has a lot to do with our recruitment. What’s ﬂashy at one level may be disastrous at the next. They are going to be playing with a lot of people of their caliber

© Total Female Hockey 2018 14 TOTAL FEMALE HOCKEY SCHOLARSHIP PROJECT or better at our level and they need to be able to play with those people. That’s one of the reasons we look at the decisions they make on the ice and try to ﬁgure out how that will translate to our level.

D3 Coach: This is a great question and a tough one to answer. As a D3 coach, I might not get to see kids play a lot of games like D1 coaches do so it depends a lot on the venue that I get to see them play. This is one big reason why I probably recruit more kids from camps that I work than anywhere else. That way I am getting to see them play a lot, probably practice a few times and get a better sense of their strengths and weaknesses and things like their coachability. I think it’s dangerous to make a decision based on watching a single game or even two when a player might be having the best game of their life (or worst) and then you ﬁnd out that their normal range of play is much different. Especially as a D3 coach, we often can’t recruit the ﬂashiest players because they end up in D1, so we have to really look beyond the obvious for fundamental skill and poise and try to coach them to be better when they get to college. In the end, I would say that team play and game sense are very important, but they are also the hardest thing to assess.

CIS Coach: If there's a certain player that is gifted in that area, they're going to get noticed, but so much of the game is played without the puck. I think the stats are that an extremely skilled player will have the puck on their stick for about 45 seconds of a 60 minute game. When you think about that, that's pretty staggering, so it's a lot more important how you play without the puck, and so your ability to skate the game and forecheck and back-check, to play in the defensive zone, and to be more of a complete player.

5. When do coaches really start looking at players?

D1 Coach: We might identify a player as early as grade 8-9, but will not really focus on them until their grade 10 or grade 11 year.

D3 Coach: As early as grade 9, but a lot can change in the next couple of years and as I said above, as a D3 coach the best young kids can end up too good for D3.

CIS Coach: In our program, we really start to focus in grade 10-11, and looking at the quality of player compared to their peer group. But, that's not to say that at certain showcase tournaments that our younger ages, that we don't notice of the best players. But, often times a player who really stands out when their 15, they may not be as much of a standout when their 18, in their graduating year.

6. When do coaches start contacting players?

D1 Coach: If we feel they have potential in grade 9 or 10, we can contact them informally by sending them an informational questionnaire or by contacting them

© Total Female Hockey 2018 15 TOTAL FEMALE HOCKEY SCHOLARSHIP PROJECT through their club/school team school. In grade 11, we can email and send a packet which may include a media guide and much more information about the university and the hockey program.

D3 Coach: Probably during grade 10 but more likely to be the summer before grade 11.

CIS: We don't have the same recruiting guidelines that the NCAA does, so we're not restricted as much - we can talk to players at anytime about our schools. And we can talk to them at anytime during a tournament, and we can contact them at anytime. I think that there are some rules in terms of recruiting, and we're not going to be on the phone everyday hounding players or harassing players. Physically, we don't tend to talk to players in the middle of a tournament. Either we'll wait until the end, especially provincial championships, where their focus should remain on the ice. So, we don't have the same limitations that our NCAA brethren do, but at the same time we're not going to harass student athletes. We want to attract them to our program, so we want to just highlight what's great about Canadian schools and Canadian University.

7. When do coaches make offers to players?

D1 Coach: Great athletes are now getting offers in grade 9. If they are a “difference maker” for your program we might offer on an unofﬁcial visit instead of waiting for the ofﬁcial visit.

D3 Coach: We don’t really make ‘offers’, but players make decisions in grade 12.

CIS Coach: Usually grade 11 or 12, but sometimes in grade 9 or 10 if we think they’d be a great ﬁt academically and athletically.

8. When should players start contacting coaches?

D1 Coach: In grade 9-10, so we can put them on our radar.

D3 Coach: I would say that grade 9-10 is probably the time that most people are now starting because a lot of actual recruiting happens during the grade 10-11 year now.

CIS Coach: Well, I think that for any student athlete, they should start to express interest as soon as they know that they are interested. The same would go for players who are interested in NCAA schools, sending off an email or a letter saying, "Listen, I'm interested in your program and I'm interested in your school and these are the reasons why." That's often a really good thing. In Canada, we don't have as many full time coaches. We don't have assistant coaches often or full time. So, a lot of the recruiting gets done by head coaches who are full time and they have good volunteer staff that helps them out so we're not missing games, our weekend games, to go and recruit. So, I think we do a pretty good job with those resources of ﬁnding the players that we need

© Total Female Hockey 2018 16 TOTAL FEMALE HOCKEY SCHOLARSHIP PROJECT to but, it's always good to have someone contact you and say, "I'm really interested in your program and I'm really interested in you school and can you come watch me play." So, I think that that's a good thing and as soon as players know that they are interested, I think that they should start to make contact.

9. How should players start contacting coaches? All coaches: Via email.

10. What exactly should they send the coaches?

D1 Coach: Hockey schedule, transcript, contact information. ALWAYS include your year of high school graduation if it is an initial letter to a school

D3 Coach: Just a note saying they are interested and saying what grade they are in and asking for information. This will trigger us to send a questionnaire.

CIS Coach: Just a basic expression of interest and general information about them as a student and as an athlete.

11. Are there really “special” teams that coaches look at more than others? If you don’t play for one of the top teams, are you decreasing your chances of getting recruited?

D1 Coach: We tend to watch Junior and Midget teams the most. But we are also starting to monitor players at the Bantam level as well. I don’t think you necessarily need to play for a “top” team but a team that will get you exposure to college coaches.

D3 Coach: From my perspective as an eastern D3 coach, it’s more that you have to know where we go to recruit than what team you play on. I would say that we do like kids from successful programs but that isn’t an absolute. But if you are going to the Connecticut Polar Bear tournament and playing in the B division, I might not be able to see you. So if you want to be recruited by a certain school, you should ask what tournaments/showcases/camps they scout and make sure that if you are not on a team that goes to one of them that you get to a showcase or camp that you can sign up for as an individual.

CIS Coach: I don't think there are any special teams. Good players are going to get noticed. Outside the province it's a little bit more of a challenge for us and so we would focus in on some of the larger programs around the country but, we try to have a foot print and our ﬁngers into lots of different places.

12. If you don’t play for a high-level team, how do you get on the coaches’ radar?

D1 Coach: Send your schedule to the schools you are interested in. Also, let a school know if you will be playing in their area.

D3 Coach: Probably more often than not, the kids contact us ﬁrst and get on our radar that way. We have a very limited recruiting budget so we don’t just go to a lot of places and look for kids from scratch. But do the work and contact the coaches of the programs that interest you.

13. Is “getting noticed” any different for goalies than for players?

D1 Coach: If we need a goalie we will watch them more closely. If not, we would not focus on that position. We are always looking for forwards and defense so we watch every skater.

D3 Coach: I find it difficult to evaluate goalies at big events when I am trying to watch a lot of players. So other than the great save or weak goal I end up trying to watch a lot of action unless I am there to specifically watch a goalie. With goalies, I actually request video and will want to do as much research about the player as possible (like to talk to goalie coach, etc.).

14. Are there particular tournaments or events that college coaches go to more than others? Should players/teams be trying to get into those tournaments/ events?

D1 Coach: There are so many tournaments out there we could be at one every weekend. Many of them are now becoming “watered down”. Attend the tournaments that will be most competitive for your team. When you contact us, you can also ask which tournaments we plan on attending throughout the year.

15. Do players need to attend spring tournaments and prospects tournaments in order to get noticed?

D1 Coach: NO. It won’t necessarily hurt your chances but it’s not critical to being noticed.

D3 Coach: This is a good question because I do think spring/summer hockey is where a good deal of the evaluation is taking place now. I would say we rarely recruit a player who we have not seen play before the summer of her grade 12 year. A player doesn’t need to do all of the showcases or summer tournaments (sometimes that is not good as

© Total Female Hockey 2018 18 TOTAL FEMALE HOCKEY SCHOLARSHIP PROJECT they get overexposed) but I would say it has become more important over the past few years to play in an event in the summer. CIS Coach: Scouts will go to those, and we go to those. We may notice a player, but I don't think we notice any player that we wouldn't notice in the regular season. Are they a necessity? I don't think so. I think that any time a player wants to go to a spring tournament or a showcase tournament like that, it should be because it's going to enhance their enjoyment of the sport, and not necessarily because it's going to enhance their ability to be recruited.

16. Do girls have to play girls hockey to get noticed? Does playing boys hockey help them or hurt them?

D1 Coach: Normally yes, it’s more practical for our programs to attend girls tournaments. Playing boys hockey might be your best or only option depending on where you are from. It takes time to learn how to play the female game and most girls will transition to the female game by grade 11 at the latest.

D3 Coach: Once again, my answer might be different than a D1 coach. We are likely not going to go to a boys hockey game to watch a girl player unless she is very local. This is a great question for the development of players but as a general rule I would like to see girls play with girls for at least a few years before college because their roles are often different on a girls team and they need to adjust to the girls game.

17. Does going through a college recruiting company help players get noticed?

D1 Coach: No. normally this is a sign that they are not a very good hockey player. To be honest, I delete most of those emails. That company has the costumers’ interest as their priority – not mine.

D3 Coach: It makes no difference to us, but I can’t think of a single kid I have recruited over the past six years who was introduced to us by a recruiting service. With the internet, it’s easy for kids to do the work themselves to contact coaches (an email introduction is ﬁne). We like kids who show initiative so unless they are from an area where they know nothing about U.S. college hockey and have coaches who don’t know as well. I always prefer that the kids just do the work themselves.

GETTING RECRUITED

1. What is the ﬁrst step a player should take who wants to play at the college level?

D1: If you haven’t heard from schools by the start of your grade 10 year, initiate on your own.

D3: Do some research on the kind of school you want to attend and contact the coaches of those schools. There are a number of steps that will follow, but being realistic about your level of play and that of the schools that interest you is important. Talk to people who know about college hockey and what level of a player you are

2. What are the 5 most important things players need to do to get a scholarship/ play college hockey?

D1: 1. Basic Skills, 2. Game Sense, 3. Attitude, 4. Competitiveness, 5. Coachability

D3: First I would say, do well in school in school because about a quarter of the colleges that have women’s hockey in the U.S. are top academic schools and if you don’t qualify for admission then those schools aren’t even options. Second, work on skills. Most college coaches I know don’t care much about what systems you play before you get here but want kids with skills who we can then teach. Third, work hard and be coachable. Fourth, play where you will be seen. And ﬁfth be honest with yourself and the coaches who recruit you.

3. What can parents do to make your job easier?

D1: Let the athlete take responsibility but if something needs to be sent (ie. a transcript), get it out in a timely manner. Help your child do the research early. Be a part in helping them make an informed decision. This is a decision that will directly impact the next four years of their lives and have a profound impact on the next forty years of their life. It has to be about more than just the hockey.

D3: For the most part, stay out of it. Be supportive of your daughter, help her with the college research, facilitate visits, but let her do the work of being recruited. If you have legitimate questions about the process, ﬁnancial aid/scholarships etc, then feel free to ask coaches once the recruiting process has started (ie. You know the coach is legitimately interested). Otherwise, don’t be her agent.

4. What can players do to make your job easier?

D1: Respond to emails, and if asked to ﬁll something out, ﬁll it out and return it.

D3: Respond promptly to emails, phone calls etc. Realize that how you act in the recruiting process will be an important way for the coach to get to know you and assess how you will ﬁt into the program. Be honest.

CIS: I think the biggest thing, from my perspective, is that students are taking an active role in contacting schools that they're interested in going. I think the priority is academics. What's the academic program that you want to study when you get to school? That should inﬂuence and shape some of your decisions on the schools that you're considering.

5. What can club/rep coaches do to make your job easier?

D1: Be honest with college coaches about a player’s ability and intangibles

D3: Be honest and realistic in assessing your player’s talent and attitude. Don’t oversell your players because it will hurt your credibility.

6. How is the recruiting process different for Div 1, Div 3, or Canadian schools?

D1: D1 is more aggressive and the process will start earlier.

D3: In my conference (NESCAC), recruiting is a little different in that we can’t talk to players at tournaments. So while other colleges might approach you after a tournament to tell you they like you and want to recruit you, we can’t do that. We can only talk to kids on the phone or on our campus. In D3 we can talk to kids before their grade 12 year, but that mostly consists of returning phone calls (but that is NOT illegal). Also, in NESCAC, admission is one of the toughest pieces of recruiting so we have a very limited pool of kids we can recruit.

CIS: think that there are a lot of similarities between the recruiting process and Canada and the U.S. schools. Our time line would be a little bit different. In December and January, we may still contacting interested student athletes. I think there are a lot of programs in the NCAA now that are leaning toward having all their recruiting done by the fall, and maybe looking at a couple of players in the second half of the year. Obviously, there are some schools in the NCAA that would fall into that, looking at doing it later on, as well. But I think that's probably one of the biggest differences.

7. Do players have shot of making the team as a walk-on?

D1: Yes, but they shouldn’t be coming to us out of the blue. Walk-on players are still usually ones that we’ve been in contact with during the recruiting process. Even more important that they have good character and know their potential role on the team.

D3: Yes, if they are good enough. It’s that simple.

CIS: Yes - it depends on the quality of your program and where you're at in your stage of development. There are opportunities for walk-ons in every program. I think that the teams who are winning national championships probably have fewer opportunities for walk-on, because they typically have a lot of depth in their program.

8. When would a coach tell a player that they are NOT interested?

D1: Usually by their grade 11/12 year. This depends on the coach and how honest he or she wants to be, as well as who else they are recruiting. It also depends on the player. Let’s say we have a scale of 1 to 4 for all players. 1’s are impact players, 2’s are players we know will play Div. 1 hockey somewhere, 3’s are the bubble players (they may play D1 or might not quite make the cut in the end) and 4’s are kids who we feel can not play at this level. We will tell the 4’s right away. The 2’s and 3’s we try to hang on to in order to see how the recruiting goes each year. Academics certainly play a role in this as well – similar to the above scale here also.

D3: I suppose this varies from coach to coach. I try to be as honest as possible throughout the process. If I know for sure that the academics aren’t going to make the player a viable candidate I will tell them right away. Otherwise the process can take a lot of twists and turns and a lot depends on how highly recruited the player is. If I know for sure that the player can’t play in our program from a hockey standpoint, I will tell them early in the process.

CIS: It's a delicate thing. The one thing that I try to emphasize a lot is that it's about finding the best fit, and the right fit, and that has to be in a number of different areas. I don't know if I ever really tell a player, "Listen, you can't play." What I think may be different from what another school thinks. What I try to do is say, "If you were to decide to come to our school, I see you fitting in as an everyday player; or, I see you fitting in, and you'd have to earn your ice time so you may have to spend some time or miss some games; or, you'd have to come in and earn a spot on our team, because right now you're not quite at the level; and, here are the areas that I see you'd have to work on to give yourself an opportunity at that.

9. What should players/parents do after they receive that 1st recruiting letter?

D1: Respond quickly whether or nor they are interested. Return anything the school is asking for. If the letter is unsolicited by the family, it probably contains a questionnaire – return it immediately. This means the coach is interested in you. However, a lot of players feel they are being recruited because they got a letter from a coach which is in response to a letter they sent. That is not necessarily correct. If I receive a letter from someone we almost always return a form type letter to ﬁnd out more information. Most letters are asking for more info. Respond to their requests. If you are not interested in the school – let the coach know. If you are, let them know that as well.

D3: First of all, realize that the same letter probably gets sent to a lot of players. Be happy that the school is interested and then be realistic. Then respond to it and see my answer above about being a good correspondent.

10. Does playing more than one sport help or hurt a prospective player?

D1: It doesn’t hurt in the recruiting process but it is VERY difﬁcult to play more than one sport at the D1 level. Normally they would have to make a decision on which sport they’d like to play.

D3: It doesn’t matter to us but it might to some other coaches. We do have players who play more than one sport for the school.

11. Should players/parents tell coaches that other teams are looking at them if they are asked?

D1: It can only raise their value. I don’t see any reason why you would want to keep this a secret. The recruiting process is a lot about trust. I need to trust that person just as they need to trust me – if you can’t do that, you should not be working with one another.

D3: Yes. Complete honesty is the best policy in my opinion. CIS: Yes. Deﬁnitely be honest.

12. What is the Clearinghouse and do players need to join it to be recruited?

D1: The Clearinghouse (now called the Eligibility Center) is a service devised by the NCAA to declare that a student-athlete is academically eligible to play college sports. There is also a new part that certifies if a player is truly an amateur. You need to do both of these things to be recruited down the road when you get into your senior year with official visits. You may not go on an official visit without being registered with the Clearinghouse.

D3: Clearinghouse/Eligibility Center doesn’t apply to D3. CIS: The Clearinghouse is for NCAA sports only, not CIS.

13. If 2 players are equal in terms of on-ice skill, what is the next thing on the list that helps you to pick between the two as a coach? Grades? Attitude? Money?

D1: How they ﬁt with the team, coachability, how they might help us. D3: Grades and attitude would be the things for us. We have fully funded ﬁnancial aid packages for those who qualify based on the family’s need. But whether they can get into our school and what their attitude is like are key components of our decisions.

CIS: Attitude & character is always at the top of our list.

PICKING A SCHOOL

1. When should players start looking at schools? Where should they look and what should they look for?

D1: I suggest starting to do the research in 9th grade. Look for a school that ﬁts athletically, academically and socially. Where will you feel like you are in the right place for the next four years? Where do you feel you can thrive? Where can you feel challenged? Look at retention rates, graduation rates, transfers, etc.

D3: The research process should probably start by grade 9-10 with more serious narrowing down during grade 11. They should look at curriculum, location, cost, and hockey.

2. Should players wait to have an ofﬁcial visit before they choose their school?

D1: A lot will still do this. The “elite” level players are deciding earlier based on unofﬁcial visits. (NOTE: Ofﬁcial visits are not allowed until your grade 12 year).

D3: We don’t have official visits in the same way as D1 (we don’t pay for kids to travel here) but I would say that a substantial visit during the school year when you get to meet the team, possibly attend classes and see what life is really like is very important. This can happen during the grade 11 year in an unofficial visit and I would say this is becoming much more prevalent for top recruits (unofficial visits during grade 11).

3. What if the visit conﬂicts with their own games/practices?

D1: Communicate with their coach and see if it is OK. Many athlete have to miss something because they practically have hockey 365 days a year. But don’t assume it’s OK to miss a team event for a recruiting opportunity - ask your coach ﬁrst.

D3: This is a personal decision for the player. There are only so many hours in a day and so many dates to visit so hopefully everyone understands and can work together.

4. Is there any beneﬁt to going early decision (committing to the school early)?

D1: Less stress during senior year. You can focus on just playing and not trying to “earn” that scholarship or even get noticed.

D3: Sure. As a coach, many of our top recruits apply early decision and that way we know who we are getting. For the players, they may feel like they have less stress for the second half of their senior year. CIS: Yes. It takes a weight off the player’s and family’s shoulders.

5. How will players know what school to pick? How do they narrow the choices down?

D1: It is most important to visit the campus. I feel a lot of kids just “know” and “feel” when they are at the right place.

D3: This is a complicated question that is different for everyone. Figure out what’s important to you (curriculum, location, cost, hockey, etc.) and what is realistic. This is likely the biggest decision that a player will make up to this point in her life and she will realize that she might not get the perfect situation. Be honest with yourself and listen to the coaches who are recruiting you. Then make the best decision you can. That’s what the rest of your life will be like. There are no guarantees.

CIS: I think you really need to know a program you want to study and then you need to look at the schools that offer that program and whether or not they have a woman's ice hockey program. That's, for me, the ﬁrst ﬁt is looking at the tie between academics and athletics. Once you have that, then that will help you narrow down the choices.

6. How can players/parents determine whether they should go Div 1, Div 3 or Canadian? What are the major differences between these options?

D1: What is their focus? How much do they want hockey to be their priority. To be quite honest, it is almost like a “job” at D1.

D3: The best thing I can say here is that if you are not of a D1 caliber, you don’t have that option. The D1 coaches make the decision if you are a D1 player. So that’s the ﬁrst part. For some D1 caliber players, they might choose D3 if they want to play two sports or want a shorter season or a little more ﬂexibility in the off-season. So it’s a combination of both parties making that decision (player and college coaches).I guess I touched a little bit on this with my last answer. My own feeling is that once the season starts, there are many more similarities in the way D1 and D3 programs are run, than differences. D3 programs are limited to 25 games in the regular season (our conference limits us to 24) but we practice and/or play six days a week, watch video, do off-ice strength training, etc. which is pretty much the same as D1 programs. D1 usually has an earlier start date but both divisions have their championships on the same weekend in March so the D1 season is longer but it’s at the beginning rather than the end. I think at this point, most D3 programs take their hockey very seriously and while the skill level isn’t quite at the D1 level, it’s still very, very good.

CIS: The biggest difference is that players at the CIS level can play 5 years of college hockey, where at the NCAA level, you can only play 4. As I mentioned before, it's really about finding the best fit. For me, finding the best fit looks at academics as the top priority, athletics as the second priority, and the social element of university or college as the third. You have to look at the blend of all three areas. I think for parents and student- athletes that are on the fence between the U.S. and Canada, for Canadian student- athletes, I think they need to look at the quality of education. If they plan to come back to Canada, is the degree and the school that they're looking at in the U.S.... Would that degree be recognized here? For example, for teachers, there are some teacher's college programs in the U.S. which are recognized by the Ontario College of Teachers, but there are a lot in the U.S. that are not recognized here in Canada, and in Ontario in particular.

ACADEMICS

1. How much weight is given to academics in the recruiting/admissions process?

D1: Depends on the institution. You must pass the eligibility center to play. D3: At schools in the NESCAC conference, a great deal of weight is given. The ﬁrst thing we do when recruiting a player is ask for a copy of their high school transcript. As I mentioned before, about 25% of the colleges in the U.S. that have women’s hockey are among the most difﬁcult to get into and many others have high standards as well. CIS: A lot. There is only so much we can do to get you in if you don’t have the grades.

2. What tests do players need to take to apply? D1: SAT and/or ACT. TOEFL if English is not their ﬁrst language D3: For our school the SAT or ACT is required. CIS: No standardized testing needed. Admission based on marks.

3. When should they start taking those tests? D1: Deﬁnitely in their Grade 11 year. Maybe even grade 10 depending on the student. D3: Because so much recruiting is going on before the grade 12 year, I now recommend that students take the test(s) at least twice during their grade 11 year so that coaches know if they are viable candidates for admission during the summer or early fall of the their grade 12 year.

4. How should players proceed if the hockey opportunity does not ﬁt well with the academic offerings even though the hockey is the best level?

D1: Prioritize what is truly important to you. D3: This is a personal decision but I think any college choice needs to pass the “Blown- out knee” test. That is, if you were injured and couldn’t play hockey any more, would you still want to attend the school?

MONEY MATTERS

1. What determines whether a player receives $ and how much they receive? D1: At a school that can award athletic scholarships, their hockey ability and what they are worth to that program. D3: There are no athletic scholarships at D3. CIS: CIS schools can now offer full athletic scholarships for athletes but they are limited in number. It is up to the coach & athletic director on how the money is distributed.

2. What do scholarships cover? D1: They can cover tuition, room, board and books. But not all players will get everything (or anything) covered. D3: Financial aid is based on the family’s income. Some schools will meet 100% of your need, while others may not. There are some academic and/or leadership scholarships available at some colleges, but not all. CIS: Players can receive an athletic scholarship that can cover up to the cost of their tuition plus compulsory fees & room and board.

3. What kinds of scholarships are available? D1: Depends on the school. Some offer full rides, some are partial, some are based on academic ability and/or ﬁnancial need. CIS: Players can now receive full rides for their athletic ability. They can also receive scholarships based on academic ability or on ﬁnancial need.

4. What are your top 3 pieces of advice for players and parents ﬁnancially? D1: Not every athlete can get a full ride. Allow your kid to go where they will be most happy if this is feasible. Don’t make your kid go somewhere just because that is where the offer is higher…unless this is necessary. D3: Do some research and understand the value of education. Most private colleges in the U.S. are expensive, but many times they have the best faculty and small classes.

What is your #1 piece of advice for players who want to play for you? D1: Do the right things in every aspect of your life…not just at the ice rink. D3: Really the only thing I can say is that players should decide what is important to them for their entire college experience. It is a great four years and you only get one shot at it. No situation is right for everyone and be honest with yourself about what you are looking for out of your experience because for virtually every female, your post- college experience is going to involve work in a ﬁeld other than playing hockey. So do the research, make yourself the best candidate you can be and roll with the changes. CIS: I think the number one piece of advice would be that student-athletes should be making their choices on where they want to go to school, and not have schools making the choice of whether they want them or not. By that, I mean it's about really doing your best to enhance your opportunities. I think one of the areas that sometimes goes overlooked is academics. Getting good marks, the best marks that you can possibly get in high school, opens up a wide range of opportunities for where you can go to school for your post-secondary education.

COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY HOCKEY QUICK FACT SHEET

NCAA DIVISION 1 NCAA DIVISION 3 CIS/USPORTS WOMEN’S HOCKEY WOMEN’S HOCKEY WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Main Website: Main Website: Main Website: www.uscho.com/team/ www.uscho.com/team/ en.usports.ca/sports/ #d1women #d3women wice/index

Location: United States Location: United States Location: Canada

Total number of schools: Total number of schools: Total number of schools: 36 76 33

Conferences: 5 different Conferences: 8 different Conferences: 4 different conferences conferences conferences - WCHA: 8 teams, located - ECAC East: 12 teams, - OUA: 13 teams, located in in Minnesota, Ohio, located in Rhode Island, Ontario Wisconsin and North Massachusetts, New - RESQ: 5 teams, located in Dakota Hampshire, Vermont, Quebec and Eastern - Hockey East: 9 teams, Maine, New York Ontario located in Rhode Island, - ECAC West: 10 teams, - Canada West: 8 teams, Massachusetts, New located in New York, located in British Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania Columbia, Alberta, Maine - MIAC: 10 teams, located Saskatchewan, Manitoba - ECAC: 12 teams, located in Minnesota - Atlantic: 7 teams, located in Rhode Island, - NCHA: 7 teams, located in in Nova Scotia, New Massachusetts, New Michigan, Wisconsin, Brunswick, Prince Edward Hampshire, New Jersey, Minnesota, Illinois Island New York, Connecticut - NESCAC: 9 teams, - CHA: 6 teams, located in located in Massachusetts, Plus 2 college New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Vermont, conferences: Michigan New York, Maine - ACAC: 5 teams, located in - Independent: 1 team, - Colonial: 7 teams Alberta located in Connecticut - Independent: 3 teams - CEGEP: 9 teams, located - NEHC: 14 teams in Quebec - WIAC: 4 teams

CRITICAL DETAILS FOR U.S. COLLEGE HOCKEY

NCAA: The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is an organization that administers 23 sports and championships for those sports and enforces NCAA rules. The main role of the NCAA is to make competition fair, safe and sportsmanlike. To learn more about the NCAA, visit www.ncaa.org. They have manuals for each of the 3 Divisions (explained in detail below) as well as critical information on academic standards and recruiting procedures.

NCAA Divisions: There are 3 divisions in the NCAA - Division I, Division II and Division III. Each school decides what division they belong to and adhere to the rules of that particular division.

The differences between divisions depend on: the number of sports the school has overall, how many sports are available to both men and women, how many athletes or teams the school has in each sport, and the number of games it plays against schools in the same division.

Division I: - Must offer at least 7 sports for men and 7 sports for women - or 6 for men and 8 for women. - Offer 2 team sports for each gender. - Have both male and female teams or participants for each sport’s playing season. - Offer a certain number of ﬁnancial “awards” to student-athletes, without going over the maximum amount allowed.

All Division I women’s hockey teams are listed on the NCAA website: www.uscho.com/team/#d1women

Division II/III: - Must offer at least 5 sports for men and 5 for women - or 4 for men and 6 for women. - Offer 2 team sports for each gender. - Have both male and female teams or participants for each sport’s playing season - Have at least the minimum number of contests and participants for each sport.

All Division II/III women’s hockey teams are listed on the NCAA website: www.uscho.com/team/#d3women

NCAA Eligibility Center: http://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/future/eligibility-center This is the website to look at to ﬁnd out the eligibility requirements for student-athletes who want to play sports at the Division I or Division II level. You will need to register with the Eligibility Center - the instructions for doing this are right on the home page.

NCAA Core Courses: If you want to be eligible to be a student-athlete at a Division I or Division II school, you must take the 16 core courses listed below. This does NOT apply for Division III schools. DIVISION I DIVISION II 16 Core-Course Rule 14 Core-Course Rule 16 Core Courses: 14 Core Courses: 4 years of English 3 years of English 3 years of mathematics (algebra 1 or higher) 2 years of mathematics (algebra 1 or higher) 2 years of natural/physical science (1 year of 2 years of natural/physical science (1 year of lab if offered by high school) lab if offered by high school) 1 year of additional English, mathematics or 2 years of additional English, mathematics or natural/physical science natural/physical science 2 years of social science 2 years of social science 4 years of additional courses (from any area 3 years of additional courses (from any area above, foreign language or nondoctrinal above, foreign language or nondoctrinal religion/philosophy) religion/philosophy) NCAA Student: http://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/future This is a great website that provides a user-friendly guide to the NCAA which will help you prepare for life as a student-athlete while at university and for the rest of your life.

Standardized Testing: There are a variety of different standardized tests that are used for admissions to US colleges and universities. SAT Tests - www.collegeboard.org - PSAT: This is the preliminary SAT that gives you firsthand practice for the SAT. This is usually taken in grades 9-11. - SAT: This is the most widely used college admission test. Most students take the SAT during their grade 11-12 year and almost all colleges and universities use the SAT to make admissions decisions. - SAT II: These are specific subject tests that are required by some US college/ universities for admission. Subject tests are hour-long tests that allow you to showcase achievement in specific subject areas where you excel. There are the only national admission tests where you choose the tests that best showcase your achievements and interested. Coaches will let you know if these are required for their school and whether there are specific tests that you must take.

You can learn more about the SAT and SAT II tests at: www.collegeboard.org

ACT Test: www.act.org The ACT is a national college admission examination that consists of subject area tests in English, Math, Reading and Science. There is also an optional reading portion - that you may be required to take depending on whether they are required by the schools you are applying to. ACT results are accepted by all 4-year college and universities in the U.S. You can learn more about the ACT from the test format to the dates the test is offered and how to register at the website above.

SAT vs ACT - Major Similarities/Differences: - Both the SAT and ACT are 3 hours long. - Both have no penalty for guessing. - Every 4 year college/university accepts both the SAT and the ACT. - Both tests are offered 7 times per year. - Both have optional essays. - The SAT has 3 components: Reading, Math and Writing/Language. The ACT has up to 4 sections: English, Math, Reading and Science. - The ACT includes a science reasoning test; the SAT does not. - The SAT is not entirely multiple choice. - The ACT tests English grammar; the SAT does not. - The SAT tests vocabulary more than the ACT. - With the SAT, students can earn a maximum of 800 points on each of the 2 sections. - With the ACT, students can earn a maximum of 36 points on each section, which the ACT then averages for a composite score.

Some students will take both tests to see which one they do better on. There are also many different books, websites and courses you can use to practice and see which might be a better ﬁt for you.

Unofﬁcial vs Ofﬁcial Visits: There are 2 types of visits to a school’s campus a prospective student-athlete can take.

Unofficial - This is a visit where the prospect and the prospect’s family pay for the expenses associated with visiting the institution. The prospect can contact the coach to arrange a tour of facilities and campus. You can “unofficially” visit as many schools, as many times as you want. If you decide to make an unofficial visit, you cannot meet with the coaches or receive a private/sport-specific tour of the campus or facilities until September 1st of your junior/grade 11 year. You can still visit the school on your own whenever you want, but you can have no contact with coaches, current players or athletic staff members while visiting until that deadline. Also, if you attend a hockey camp or clinic at the school, you can’t have any recruiting conversations with coaches before September 1st of your junior/grade 11 year either.

Ofﬁcial - This is the visit where lodging, meals and limited entertainment are provided to the prospect. The round trip travel expenses can also be covered for the direct travel to and from the campus. You can only make one ofﬁcial visit to any single school and

© Total Female Hockey 2018 31 TOTAL FEMALE HOCKEY SCHOLARSHIP PROJECT are limited to a maximum of 5 official visits to Division I or II institutions. Division III schools do not have official visits - all visits are unofficial.

Official visits can now begin on September 1st of a prospect’s junior/grade 11 year in high school, instead of on the first day on classes of their senior/grade 12 year. The same rules still apply to the official visit - players must submit their transcript and test scores (ACT/SAT) to the NCAA before being granted an official visit (which is paid for by the school).

NCAA Recruiting Rules: http://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/future/recruiting

This website details all the recruiting rules for each of the 3 NCAA Divisions.

Recruiting Calendars - There are certain times of the year when US college coaches can contact you as a prospective student-athlete and some when they can’t. The way they can contact you and the frequency with which they can contact you changes based on what year you are in high school and whether you are from the United States, Canada or another international country.

Go to: http://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/resources/recruiting-calendars/2018-19- division-i-and-ii-recruiting-calendars

And click on “Other Sports Recruiting Guide” and “Other Sports Recruiting Calendar” to find the recruiting calendar for Division I Women’s Hockey. This is a terrific resource that not only outlines when and how the coaches can contact you, but also contains critical definitions for what constitutes a coach “contacting” you or “evaluating” you.

The college coaches get tested on these rules regularly and are expected to follow them to the letter. That being said, you should educate yourself on the rules and regulations, and be aware of the critical periods that govern the recruiting process for women’s hockey.

Use the “Year-By-Year Division 1 Planning Timeline” in this guide to help you navigate these key periods and details.

Critical Dates & Periods In the NCAA Division 1 Recruiting Process:

Freshman & Sophomore Year (Grade 9 & 10): - Coaches can send non-recruiting materials - questionnaires and brochures. - Coaches cannot send you any written recruiting information. - Coaches CANNOT call you - except that they can call an international prospect (Canadian or other) during the month of July after their sophomore/Grade 11 year. - You can call and email coaches at any time. They can accept a call from you but they can’t call you back if you leave a message. - They can evaluate you off-campus at this time at games but they can’t initiate contact off-campus with you. - If you attend a hockey camp or clinic at the school, you can’t have any recruiting conversations with coaches before September 1st of your junior/grade 11 year either. - Unofﬁcial visits are allowed but without any contact with coaches, current players or athletic staff members.

Junior Year (Grade 11): - Coaches can send you recruiting materials after September 1st. - Coaches can call you once per week (this does not include voicemails) after July 1st. - You can call and email coaches at any time. - Coaches can evaluate you off-campus at any time and can make contact with you in- person off-campus after July 1st. - Coaches can answer your emails and send you emails after September 1st. - Unofﬁcial visits are allowed & you can have direct contact with coaches - Ofﬁcial visits are allowed after September 1st.

Senior Year (Grade 12): - Coaches can send you recruiting materials at any time. - You can call and email coaches at any time. - Coached can email you at any time. - Coaches can evaluate and make contact with you off-campus at any time. - Unofficial & Official visits are allowed anytime. You can have an official visit at a max of 5 schools and can only visit each school once officially. - Before a school can invite you on an official visit, you will have to provide the college with a copy of your high-school transcript and SAT, ACT, PSAT or PACT score.

DIVISION II & III Schools: Division II and III schools are governed by their own recruiting rules which can be different based on which conference the team plays in. It is best to ask the coaches directly what the critical and rules are for their school. National Letter of Intent (NLI): http://www.nationalletter.org/aboutTheNli/index.html By signing a National Letter of Intent, a prospective student-athlete agrees to attend the designated college or university for one academic year and can receive an athletic scholarship for one full academic year. Once a National Letter of Intent is signed, prospective student-athletes are no longer subject to further recruiting contacts and calls.

FOR CANADIAN UNIVERSITY HOCKEY

Recruiting: - Resources can be limited for CIS schools when it comes to recruiting. While most head coaches are full-time, many of the assistant coaches are not, which means that the time available to recruit is greatly reduced, especially in the heart of the season. Many schools are very selective about which games or tournaments they attend. - Due to this lack of resources, it is especially critical that you email the coaches of programs that you are interested in. They may not watch as many games as some of the US coaches, so you are helping yourself, and the coaches, out quite a bit by reaching out and initiating contact with them. - CIS coaches do have rules to follow when they are recruiting, but a fundamental difference is that communication with a prospective student-athlete can take place at any time.

Are there any restrictions to who I can contact? Unless you have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI), or you are already a CIS student- athlete, there are no restrictions to who you can contact. If you have signed an LOI, you are not permitted to initiate or respond to contact with another school for the purpose of competing for that other school.

Are there any restrictions to who can contact me from a CIS institution? Unless you have signed a LOI, or you are already a CIS student-athlete, there are no restrictions to who can contact you. If you have signed an LOI, you are required to inform another CIS institution’s representative that you have done so; upon any subsequent contact by the same CIS institution for the same purpose, you should notify the Athletic Director (or designate) of your LOI Institution within 48 hours.

Can I practice with my prospective CIS team? For women’s ice hockey, you cannot practice with a CIS team during the competitive season only if it is a skills based session; you may practice with the team outside the CIS competitive season.

What about recruiting trips, travel, and enticements? You are limited to one funded visit within an academic year, in whole or in part, to a CIS campus, although you are not limited to the number of unfunded visits to a campus or to the total number of schools you visit.

COMPARISON CHART: NCAA D1, NCAA D3, CIS

Categories NCAA Division 1 NCAA Division 3 CIS

Location United States United States Canada

Scholarships Athletic scholarships available Academic and financial-need Athletic scholarships - not necessarily for all based scholarships. No available. athletes and not always a “full athletic scholarships. Academic & financial- ride” (sometimes partial). need based scholarships. Academic and financial-need based scholarships too.

Academics All different types of programs offered at all schools - you must research the reputation of the programs based on your interests. For the CIS schools, you are typically applying to a speciﬁc program (ie. business or math), whereas for many of the NCAA schools, you are simply applying to gain admission into the school itself. Differs by school.

Tests for Entry SAT, ACT, some require SAT SAT, ACT None - based on your IIs grades

Recruiting Timing: Starts in Grade 8-9, Timing: Starts in Grade 10, Timing: Starts in Grade most intense in Grade 11 most intense in Grade 11 & 9-10, mostly in Grade 11 Rules: Most strict rules (see fall of Grade 12 & Grade 12 “Rules & Regulations” chart) Rules: Differs by Rules: Can talk to players Resources: Have the most conference. Some cannot talk at any time about schools available in terms of time. Able to players at tournaments. Resources: Not as many to travel more and be at more Resources: Not as many - - you should contact them games/tournaments. you should contact them if if you are interested in you are interested in their their program. program.

Letter of Yes Yes These are optional - but if Commitment one is signed, it is binding

Early Signing Yes Yes No Period

Go through NCAA Yes No No Clearinghouse

Ofﬁcial Visits Yes No Yes

Commitment All have similar commitment levels in-season. The big difference tends to be in the off- Level season - athletes at the NCAA Division 1 & CIS level tend to have a bigger time commitment to their sport in the off-season.

DIVISION 1 - WCHA

School Location School Head Coach Email Phone Team Website Website Coach Number

Bemidji Bemidji, http:// Jim jscanlan@bemidji 218-755-2958 www.bsubeavers.com/ State Minnesota www.bemidji Scanlan state.edu whockey/ University state.edu/

University Minneapolis http://twin- Brad Frost [email protected] 612-625-0188 http://www.gophersports.com/sports/w-hockey/minn-w-hockey-body.html of , Minnesota cities.umn.e Minnesota du/

University Duluth, http:// Maura [email protected]. 218-726-8168 http://umdbulldogs.com/index.aspx?path=whockey of Minnesota www.d.umn. Crowell edu Minnesota- edu/ Duluth

Minnesota Mankato, www.mnsu.e John john.harrington@ 507.389.3217 http://msumavericks.com/index.aspx?path=whockey State Minnesota du/ Harrington mnsu.edu University

Ohio State Columbus, www.osu.ed Nadine muzerall. 614-292-7073 http:// University Ohio u/ Muzerall [email protected] www.ohiostatebuckeyes. com/SportSelect.dbml? DB_OEM_ID=17300&K EY=&SPID=10407

St. Cloud St. Cloud, http:// Eric Rud errud@stcloudsta 320-308-4806 http://www.scsuhuskies.com/index.aspx?path=whockey State Minnesota www.stcloud te.edu University state.edu/

University Madison, http:// Mark [email protected] 608-262-0101 http:// of Wisconsin www.wisc.e Johnson c.edu www.uwbadgers.com/ Wisconsin du/ sports/w-hockey/wis-w- hockey-body.html

DIVISION 1 - CHA

School Location School Head Coach Phone Team Website Website Coach Email Number

Mercyhurst Erie, www.mercyh Michael msisti@ 814-824- hurstathletics.com/index.aspx? University Pennsylv urst.edu Sisti mercyhu 2142 tab=hockey2&path=whockey ania rst.edu

Rochester Rocheste https:// Scott [email protected]://www.ritathletics.com/index.aspx?tab=hockey2&path=whock Institute of r, NY www.rit.edu/ Mcdonal Technology d

Robert Moon www.rmu.ed Paul colontin 412-397- http://www.rmucolonials.com/index.aspx?path=whockey Morris Town, u Colontin o@rmu. 4478 University Pennsylv o edu ania

Syracuse Syracuse www.syracu Paul pjﬂan01 315-443- http://cuse.com/index.aspx?path=wice University , New se.edu Flanaga @syr.ed 2885 York n u

Lindenwood St. http:// Scott sspence 636-949- http://www.lindenwoodlions.com/index.aspx?tab=icehockey-w&path=whockey University Charles, lindenwood. Spencer r@linde 4147 Missouri edu/ nwood.e du

Penn State University http:// Jeff jeff.kam 814-865- http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/w-hockey/psu-w-hockey-body.html University Park, www.psu.ed Kamper persal@ 4240 Pennsylv u/ sal psu.edu ania

DIVISION 1 - INDEPENDENT

School Location School Head Coach Phone Team Website Website Coach Email Number

Sacred Heart Fairﬁeld www.sacre Thomas omalleyt 203-878- http:// University CT dheart.edu/ O'Malley @sacre 8602 www.sacredheartpioneers.com/ dheart.e sports/w-hockey/index du

School Location School Head Coach Phone Team Website Website Coach Email Number

Brown Providen www.brown.e Carisa carisa_w 401-863-1000http://www.brownbears.com/sports/w-hockey/index University ce, du/ Wahlig ahlig@br Rhode own.edu Island

Clarkson Potsdam www.clarkson Matt mdesrosi 315-268-4481http://clarksonathletics.com/index.aspx?tab=hockey2&path=whock University , New .edu/ Desrosier @clarkso York s n.edu

Colgate Hamilton www.colgate. Greg gfargo@c 315-228-7839http://www.gocolgateraiders.com/index.aspx?path=whock University , New edu/home Fargo olgate.ed York u

Cornell Ithaca, www.cornell.e Doug dld43@c 607-255-6675http://www.cornellbigred.com/index.aspx?tab=icehockey2&path=whockey University New du/ Derraugh ornell.edu York

Dartmouth Hanover, www.dartmou Laura laura.l.sc 603-646-0919www.dartmouthsports.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=11600&SPID=4726&SPSID College New th.edu/ Schuler huler@da Hampshi rtmouth.e re du

Harvard Cambrid www.harvard. Katey whockey 617-495-2281http://www.gocrimson.com/sports/wice/index University ge, edu/ Stone @fas.har Massach vard.edu usetts

Princeton Princeto www.princeto Cara cmorey@ 609-258-1557http://www.goprincetontigers.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10600&KEY=&SPID=4275&SPSID=46915 University n, New n.edu/main/ Morey princeton. Jersey edu

Quinnipiac Hamden www.quinnipi Cassie cassandr (203) 582-5382http://www.quinnipiacbobcats.com/sports/wice/index University Connecti ac.edu/ Turner a.turner cut @quinnip iac.edu

Rensselaer Troy, www.rpi.edu/ Bryan vinesb@r 518-276-6118http://www.rpiathletics.com/index.aspx?tab=icehockey&path=whock Polytechnic New Vines pi.edu Institute York

St. Lawrence Canton, http:// Chris cwells@s 315-229-5740http://www.saintsathletics.com/index.aspx?tab=icehockey2&path=whockey University New web.stlawu.e Wells tlawu.edu York du/

Union College Schenect www.union.e Josh scibaj@u 518-388-6771http://www.unionathletics.com/index.aspx?tab=icehockey2&path=whockey ady, New du/ Sciba nion.edu York

Yale University New www.yale.edu Joakim joakim.ﬂy 203-432-4785http://www.yalebulldogs.com/sports/w-hockey/index Haven, / Flygh gh@yale. Connecti edu cut

DIVISION 1 - HOCKEY EAST

School Location School Head Coach Coach Email Phone Team Website Website Number

Boston College Chesnut www.bc.edu Katie Crowley [email protected] 617-552-310 http:// Hill, MA 4 www.bceagles.com/ sports/w-hockey/bc- w-hockey-body.html

Boston Boston, MA www.bu.edu Brian [email protected] 617-358-388 http:// University Durocher du 1 www.goterriers.com /sports/w-hockey/ bost-w-hockey- body.html

Connecticut Storrs, CT www.uconn.ed Chris chris.mackenzi 860- http:// u MacKenzie [email protected] 486-0612 www.uconnhuskies. com/sports/w- hockey/conn-w- hockey-body.html

Maine Orono, www.umaine.e Richard richard.d.reiche 207-581-173 http:// Maine du Reichenbach nbach@maine. 2 www.goblackbears. edu com/sports/w- hockey/index

New Durham, www.unh.edu Hilary Witt Hilary.Witt@un 603-862-116 http:// Hampshire NH h.edu 1 www.unhwildcats.co m/sports/wice/index

Northeastern Boston, MA https:// Dave Flint womenshockey (617) http:// www.northeast @neu.edu 373-2631 www.gonu.com/ ern.edu/ index.aspx? path=whockey

Providence Providence http:// Matt Kelly mkelly42@prov (401) http:// RI www.providen idence.edu 865-2291 www.friars.com/ ce.edu/Pages/ sports/w-hockey/ default.aspx prov-w-hockey- body.html

Vermont Burlington, www.uvm.edu Jim Plumer james.plumer@ 802-656-204 http:// VT uvm.edu 4 uvmathletics.com/ index.aspx? path=whockey

School Location School Website Head Coach Email Phone Team Website Coach Number

Brock St www.brocku.ca Margot mpage2@brock not yet http://gobadgers.ca/index.aspx? Catherin Page u.ca available path=whockey es, ON

Guelph Guelph, www.uoguelph.ca Rachel rachelf@uoguel 519-824-4 http://gryphons.ca/index.aspx? ON Flanagan ph.ca 120 path=whockey x53335

Laurentian Sudbury, www.laurentian.ca Stacey scolarossi@laur 705.675.1 http://www.laurentian.ca/ ON Colarossi entian.ca 151 ext voyageurs/hockey-0 1024

Laurier Waterloo, www.wlu.ca Kelly [email protected] (519) http://www.laurierathletics.com/ ON Paton 884-0710 varsityathletics/createteam.php? ext. 2182 sport=WHOCK

Nipissing North www.nipissingu.ca Darren darrentu@nipiss (705) http://athletics.nipissingu.ca/ Bay, ON Turcotte ingu.ca 474-3461 varsity/whockey/Pages/ Ext 4682 default.aspx

Queens Kingston, www.queensu.ca Matt holmberg@que 613-533-6 http://www.gogaelsgo.com/ ON Holmberg ensu.ca 000 ext. index.aspx? 75145 path=whockey&tab=hockey%28 w%29

Ryerson Toronto, www.ryerson.ca Lisa Haley lisa.haley@ryer 416-979-5 http://www.ryersonrams.ca/ ON son.ca 000 ext. SportSelect.dbml? 4651 DB_OEM_ID=22300&SPID=744 96&KEY=

Toronto Toronto, www.utoronto.ca Vicky vicky.sunohara 416-978-2 http://www.varsityblues.ca/ ON Sunohara @utoronto.ca 224 index.aspx?path=whockey&

UOIT Oshawa, www.uoit.ca Justin justin.caruana@ not yet http://www.uoitridgebacks.com/ ON Caruana uoit.ca available index.aspx?path=whockey

Waterloo Waterloo, https:// Shaun sreagan@uwate 519-888-4 http:// ON uwaterloo.ca Reagan rloo.ca 567 www.athletics.uwaterloo.ca/ x35526 index.aspx?path=whockey

Western London, www.uwo.ca TBD TBD TBD http://www.westernmustangs.ca/ ON index.aspx?path=whockey

Windsor Windsor, www.uwindsor.ca Deanna deanna.iwanick 780-690-8 http://golancers.ca/index.aspx? ON Iwanicka [email protected] 904 tab=womenshockey&path=whoc key

York Toronto, www.yorku.ca Dan dchurch@yorku. 416-736-2 http://yorkulions.ca/index.aspx? ON Church ca 100 path=whockey&tab=hockey%28 x20107 w%29

CIS - RSEQ

School Location School Head Coach Email Phone Team Website Website Coach Number

McGill Montreal, www.mcgill.c Peter peter.smith@mcgill 514-398-70 http:// University QC a Smith .ca 05 www.mcgillathletics.ca/ index.aspx? path=whockey

University Montreal, www.umontr Isabelle isabelle.leclaire@u 514-343-61 http:// of Montreal QC eal.ca Leclaire montreal.ca 11 x4794 www.carabins.umontreal. ca/pages/Sports/hockey- feminin.aspx

Carleton Ottawa, www.carleto Pierre Alain Pierre.Alain@carlet 613-520-26 http://goravens.ca/teams/ University ON n.ca on.ca 00 x4220 womens-hockey/

University Ottawa, www.uottaw Yanick [email protected] NA https://www.geegees.ca/ of Ottawa ON a.ca Evola a en/sports/teams/hockeyw

Concordia Montreal, www.concor Julie Chu julie.chu@concordi 514-848-24 http://stingers.ca/ University QC dia.ca a.ca 24 x3866 whockey/

CIS - AUS (Atlantic Provinces)

School Location School Head Coach Email Phone Team Website Website Coach Number

St FX Antigonish http:// David [email protected] 902-867-54 http://www.goxgo.ca/ , NS www.stfx.ca/ Synishi 09 sports/wice/index

Moncton Moncton, http:// Marc Andre NA NA http://www.umoncton.ca/ NB www.umonct Cote umcm-sports/node/128 on.ca/

St Thomas Fredericto http:// Peter [email protected] NA http://w3.stu.ca/stu/ n, NB w3.stu.ca/ Murphy athletics/teams/ stu/ womens_hockey/ default.aspx default.aspx

Saint Halifax, www.smu.ca Chris christopher.larade NA http:// Mary’s NS Larade @smu.ca www.smuhuskies.ca/ sports/wice/index

University Fredericto http:// Sarah [email protected] 506 http:// of New n, NB www.unb.ca/ Hilworth 453-5157 www.varsityreds.ca/ Brunswick sports/wice/index

Dalhousie Halifax, http:// Sean [email protected] 902 http://www.daltigers.ca/ NS www.dal.ca/ Fraser a 494-1684 sports/wice/index

UPEI Charlotteto http:// Bruce [email protected] (902) http:// wn, PEI home.upei.c Donaldson 393-0662 www.gopanthersgo.ca/ © Total Female Hockey 2018 41 a/ womens-hockey

Mount Sackville, www.mta.ca Terry terrymta2017@gm (506) http://mountiepride.ca/ Allison NB Rhindress ail.com 381-6484 sports/wice/index TOTAL FEMALE HOCKEY SCHOLARSHIP PROJECT

CIS - Canada West

School Location School Head Coach Coach Email Phone Number Team Website Website

Alberta Edmonton, www.ualberta Howie howie.draper@ 780-492-7234 http://athletics.ualberta.ca/ AB .ca Draper ualberta.ca teams/hockey-w

UBC Vancouver, http:// Graham graham.thoma 604-822-2309 http:// BC www.ubc.ca/ Thomas [email protected] www.gothunderbirds.ca/ index.aspx? tab=icehockey%28w%29& path=icew

Manitoba Winnipeg, http:// Jon Rempel jon.rempel@u 204-474-7274 http://www.gobisons.ca/ MB umanitoba.ca manitoba.ca roster.aspx?path=whockey /

Calgary Calgary, AB http:// Danielle danielle.goyett (403) 220-8807 http://www.godinos.com/ ucalgary.ca/ Goyette [email protected] index.aspx?path=whockey

Saskatche Saskatoon, http:// Steve Kook steve.kook@us 306-966-1045 http://huskies.usask.ca/ wan SK www.usask.c ask.ca sports/womens- a/ hockey.php

Regina Regina, SK http:// Sarah sarah.hodges (306) 585-5629 http:// www.uregina. Hodges @uregina.ca www.reginacougars.com/ ca/ index.aspx? path=whockey&

Mount Calgary, AB http:// Scott Rivett srivett@mtroya 403.440.6259 http:// Royal mtroyal.ca/ l.ca www.mrucougars.com/ index.aspx? path=whockey&

Lethbridge Lethbridge, http:// Michelle michelle.janus NA http://www.gohorns.ca/ AB www.uleth.ca/ Janus @uleth.ca index.aspx? path=whockey&

TOP 20 LIST

School Name School Size (# Program(s) of Head Coach Head Coach Head Coach Location student Interest Name Email Phone s) (ie. biology) Number

RECRUITING: STEP-BY-STEP PLAN

STEP 1: SELECT SCHOOLS TO CONTACT • Start narrowing down your choices (using the “3 Ss Worksheet”). Critical things to consider are: academics offered, location, costs, size, sports, division. • Research the academic & athletic programs (using the “Navigating the Web” video) • You should have a list of 15-25 schools. Obviously you’ll have some that you are more interested in than others, but in the beginning, you want to keep your options very open. • Gather coaches’ contact information (using the “College Hockey DETAILS”)

STEP 2: WRITE YOUR INTRODUCTORY LETTER (to send via email) • Include all the critical information coaches need. • If their team/school has a recruiting questionnaire, fill that out before sending the letter - and include that you’ve filled out their questionnaire in the email you send them. Note: Most of the recruiting questionnaires ask for very similar information. Make the process easier on yourself and save your answers in a separate document so that you can refer back to it when you have to fill out the next questionnaire.

STEP 3: CREATE YOUR INTRODUCTORY VIDEO • Create your video (using the “How To Create The Perfect Video” worksheet) • Keys: Keep it short and simple. Show practice and game footage. Don’t send a highlight reel. Note: Send the video if and when the coaches ask for it. If they are able to see an upcoming game of yours in-person, they may not ask for video. If you are play very far away from their location or aren’t playing in the tournaments you normally recruit at, they may ask you to send them an introductory video.

STEP 4: TRADE COMMUNICATIONS • You can email or call a coach at any time to speak with them about opportunities at their school. NCAA Division 1, Division 3 and CIS schools all have different rules about timing, type and frequency of communication that you need to be aware of (see the “Recruiting Rules & Regulations” sheet). • If and when a coach contacts you, get back to them as soon as possible. Also make sure that you have questions prepared for them (see “Sample Coach Questions”). • Track ALL your communications with coaches (using your “Communication Chart”).

STEP 5: SEND UPDATES • Make sure that you are sending updates to coaches at regular intervals (using the “Quick Update” sample). Earlier in the process, this should be twice a season. As you move into your Grade 11 and 12 year, the frequency will increase. Make sure they are

aware if you change teams or your team adds a tournament that they are likely to be recruiting at.

STEP 6: CREATE YOUR “DECISION SCORE SHEET” • When you start getting to the point where you are deciding between a few schools, create a “Decision Score Sheet”. This will allow you to keep critical things in perspective as you make your ﬁnal choice.

STEP 7: MAKE YOUR CHOICE • Hopefully, if you’ve done all the work, this should be easy at this point. Depending on which division and country you want to play in, you may need to sign a Letter of Intent. Coaches will let you know these details at this point. Look at the “College Hockey DETAILS” section to double-check.

STEP 8: FOLLOW-UP WITH THOSE IN THE “RACE” • Make sure you send a ﬁnal communication to the schools you didn’t choose that you were very involved in the recruiting process with so that they don’t hear about your choice from someone else. This is never an easy call to make (call them if you can instead of email) but it is a common courtesy. They know you are making a choice - and they aren’t going to be mad at you if you don’t happen to choose their school.

YEAR-BY-YEAR PLANNING TIMELINE - NCAA Division 1

Grade 9/Freshman Year Grade 10/Sophomore Year Grade 11/Junior Year Grade 12/Senior Year This is when the scouts Take unofficial visits at any July: This is when coaches Scouts and coaches are really start looking at schools that you are can initiate contact with you now starting to look at players, especially at the interested in to get a better via phone. Players who are players at this point. If you Division 1 level. idea of what the school is all being recruited will be called are among the best in your about. You can do this in by the end of this month. age group in the country, Begin to really research the summer or anytime Scholarships can be offered you may get noticed, but your college and university during the year. at this point - but not receiving they are spending almost all options and create a list of an offer doesn’t mean that their time looking at older schools that interest you. Email any schools you are you aren’t being looked at. players. interested in with your Fill out and submit the on- team’s schedule and all August: Work as hard as possible to line recruiting questionnaire your contact information. * Begin planning “official” get the best grades you for any schools that you This is especially critical as visits. If a school is interested can. know you are interested in. you have likely changed in you, they will invite you on teams. an official visit. Remember Take classes that match Send an email to the that you can only take a total your school’s NCAA list of schools you are interested September of your junior of official visits (unofficial approved courses. You can in and include your team’s year: This is when Division visits are unlimited). receive this list at game and tournament 1 coaches can first start * Register for SAT/ACT as schedule for the season. contacting you via email (if needed. you are not from the US, You can contact the they can contact you once September: coaches by phone and after July 1st of your grade * Begin taking official visits to email, but they cannot 10/sophomore year). compare schools. contact you first. When you call them, make sure to Send a short video of you October: include your full name, playing in game (and * Retake SATs/ACTs if you graduation year, email practice footage) to any need to improve your and mailing address and schools you’re interested in. scores. the current team you play for. Take your SATs and/or November: YEAR-BY- ACTs in the winter and/or You can sign a National Letter Contact any schools that spring. When taking your of Intent (NLI) early this you are interested in SATs, make sure to add the month. If you have been YEAR visiting “unofficially” to set NCAA Clearinghouse offered scholarship money, up a time to meet the number (9999) as a place to and have chosen your school, DIVISION 1 coach. send your scores. you will get your application in early this month and receive Fax a copy of your Send an updated copy of NLI papers from that school. PLANNING unofficial high school your high school transcript transcript (both grade 9 (grade 9, 10 & 11) after your December: Most Division 1 TIMELINE and 10) after your final final grades have been schools will have selected grades have been added added to any schools and accepted 75% of their to any schools you’ve you’ve been in contact with. incoming class at this point. been in contact with. Register for the NCAA January: If you have not Schools can send you Clearinghouse at the end of chosen your school yet, most letters during this time. your Junior year. schools applications are due this month.

SAMPLE LETTER TO SEND TO COACHES

Subject Line: Player Interested in (enter name of university here) Women’s Hockey Program

Dear Coach (coach’s last name here),

My name is (your full name here) and I have an interest in playing hockey for (name of school here) in (year you want to start university/college).

I am currently in ___Grade at (enter the full name of your high school here) in (city), (state/province) and am looking to attend university in the fall of (enter the year here). I have looked closely at the websites for your school and hockey team. I am interested in studying (whatever programs you are interested in), and I think your school would be a good ﬁt for me. My current average is __% (if your school does GPAs, put this in there too).

[NOTE: If you are interested in the NCAA and have registered with the clearing house, put the number here. Also if you have written your SATs, put your scores here. If you plan on taking the SATs or ACTs sometime this fall, write down when you will be taking them.]

This season I am playing (enter your position here) for the (enter full name of team and level here). The head coach of the team is (head coach’s name). My team will be playing in a number of tournaments this year including the (names of tournaments you are in throughout the season).

[NOTE: If you have a tournament coming up and have your schedule, include that information as well. For example: Our ﬁrst tournament of the year is the Stoney Creek Tournament on September 10th-12th in Hamilton, Ontario.]

This past season I played for the (enter full name of team and the level A/AA) and in the _____ games we played, I scored _____ goals and _____ assists.

[NOTE: If you are a goalie, put down total number of games played, number of wins/ shutouts , GAA, save percentage.]

Below is my athletic proﬁle, which includes contact information for my coaches. If you wish to know more about me, feel free to call or email them. I have spoken to them about including their information in this letter, and they will be happy to talk to you about me.

[NOTE: Go on the team’s website and see if they have a recruiting questionnaire - if they do, fill it out BEFORE sending the coach this email and say in your email that you filled out the recruiting questionnaire on their website. I have also filled out the recruiting questionnaire on the ______Hockey Team Website.]

Please let me know if there is any more information I can provide you. Also, there is any information you wish send me about your school, hockey program or campus that would be greatly appreciated. My home address is: [put your full mailing address here as well as your email address and your phone number]

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Sincerely,

Your Full Name Your Complete Mailing address Your Email address Your phone number

(put your full name here)

Athletic Proﬁle: Sports: Hockey, and any other sports you play at a high level Position: Forward, Centre, Defense, Goalie - include which way you shoot or catch DOB: 27/05/1995 (dd/mm/yyyy) Height: ie. 5’6” Weight: ie. 150 lbs

High School: [full name of high school here] Graduation date: ie. June 2012 GPA/Average: ie. 88% or 3.5 SAT: [include scores if you’ve taken them or the date you’re taking them] I want to study: [put down any of the academic programs you are interested in] Team Coach: include full name, email and phone number

HOW TO CREATE THE PERFECT VIDEO I asked a number of different NCAA and CIS coaches this simple question: “Exactly what do you want to see in a “highlight” video from a player?”

Here’s what they had to say: WHAT TO DO 1. Send them a combination of game footage and practice footage. With the game footage, they get to see what kind of decisions you make on the ice. For this reason, make sure that the entire play in being ﬁlmed - do not just have the camera following you around exclusively. With practice footage, they get to see your skill level in particular drills. For example, if you are a defenseman, they will want to see how you play a 2-on-1. But in the game footage you shoot, there may not be any 2-on-1s. Hopefully your coach is open to the idea of helping you to “engineer” certain situations - like 2-on-1s, 1-on-1s and corner battles, so that you can send the scouts the most completely video possible.

If you are a FORWARD - Coaches want to see what you are capable of: - in the offensive zone: on the attack - 1v1s, 2v1s, and 2v2s. - in the defensive zone: positioning and ability to read & react to the play

If you are a DEFENSEMAN: - in the defensive zone: how do you play against a 1v1 and 2v1, how do you handle pressure when you’ve got the puck, do you make quick decisions & a smart ﬁrst pass - in the offensive zone: shooting and decisions are important - but the defensive side of the game is more valuable for them in the initial scouting phase.

If you are a GOALIE: - They want to see how you play shots under pressure - not just the easy ones. Don’t just give them your highlight reel saves - show how you move in the net & play the puck.

2. Keep it short and sweet. Show 5 to 8 minutes tops of your game footage. Make sure to show full shifts and not just highlights. They need to see as many aspects of your game as possible. For practice footage, keep it under 10 minutes.

3. Show yourself playing against the stronger teams you play against. While there is nothing wrong with showing yourself dominate against a weaker opponent, there is a lot more value for the scouts in seeing you play against the strongest competition. Show yourself playing in as many different situations as possible - offensively, defensively, on the power-play, on the penalty kill. Add a few highlights too - if you have a spectacular goal, save or shot, add it in there. It’s NOT a Top 10 video.

It doesn’t matter to them whether the video you send is in a DVD or YouTube format. They just want to see you play.

IMPORTANT NOTES: Make sure that you clearly indicate which player you are in the video. Every coach mentioned that they’ve received videos where they can’t tell who the player they are supposed to be looking at is - this is not good. You can do this by indicating what color jersey and number you are right at the beginning of the video. An even better way of indicating which player you are is to have a small arrow on the screen that follows you around or by putting a light spotlight around you. Again, this isn’t critical (if you can’t ﬁgure out how to do it, don’t stress out about it) but it does make it much easier for the coach to watch you play. So if you can add that in, it will make a difference.

WHAT TO AVOID 1. A “Hollywood” Production: There is no need for all sorts of fancy special effects. The video must be high quality so that they can clearly see your skills and abilities as a player. Your ability to use special effects won’t change whether you are a good enough prospect to pursue. They also do not want any footage of you in the beginning where you are giving a monologue or sharing your personal resume. The game footage is more than enough at this point.

2. Poor Quality: While they don’t want to see a Hollywood production, they deﬁnitely won’t watch grainy footage where they can’t ﬁgure out which player you are out on the ice. The video quality is critical.

REMEMBER... The purpose of this video is to give the coaches’ a short introduction to your skills and abilities as a player. This is especially valuable if you play in a smaller centre or your team isn’t playing in any of the tournaments that the scouts tend to recruit at. Coaches NEVER make a ﬁnal decision on a player based on video alone. If they like what they see, they will make and take the time to come and see you play in person.

PERFECT VIDEO RECAP: - Clearly indicate which player you are - at the very least, tell them which number, team and color jersey you have on. - Shoot 5-8 minutes of game footage - all your shifts strung together. - Shoot 10 minutes of practice footage - keeping in mind the position-speciﬁc details above. - Show your performance against a stronger team. - AVOID giving them a Hollywood production or a poor quality video. - Keep it simple.

TRACKING COMMUNICATION WITH COACHES

Set up this chart for yourself in Word or Excel to track your communication effectively.

School Coach My Sent Complet Sent Updates All NOTES Name, Interest Letter & ed Video Sent Contact Phone, Level Proﬁle Question (enter (enter Dates Email (high, (enter naire date) date & medium, date) (enter what you low) date) sent)

QUESTIONS YOU “MUST ASK” COACHES

As you go through this process, you’re going to be talking to many coaches - and each and every one of them is going to do their best to make their program as attractive as possible for you. To make sure that you learn all that you need to know about their hockey program and school - and can therefore make the best choice possible for you - here are some important questions to ask about the academic and athletic opportunities at their school. Some of the answers to these questions may be more critical for you than others - make sure that you get all the information you need before making your decision.

Don’t feel bad about asking questions! This is a HUGE decision and it is part of the coach’s job to help you.

ACADEMICS

How do you prioritize academics with your players? Each coach will have a different philosophy regarding the importance of academics relative to athletics. There is no right or wrong answer here - it is just important that you ﬁnd out whether the coach’s philosophy on academics is similar to yours.

Have you had other players successfully complete the same degree as I’m interested in? This is an important question because it tells you whether other student-athletes have been able to succeed in a similar program. Some majors are more time consuming that others. Some require labs or ﬁeldwork in addition to regular class hours. This is especially important to know if you anticipate missing class hours for away games as it can be very challenging to make up these non-class hours, as well as group assignments. The coach may not be able to give you an exact breakdown of the hours that will be required of you academically, but if you know that other players have been successful pursuing a similar program, you know that it is possible to do even with the athletic demands of the team.

How strong is my degree program? The reality is that some majors are considered “easier” than others at some schools. This is especially important to know if you are looking to pursue another degree after you complete your undergraduate degree. Being in a stronger program during undergrad will help you in the application process for graduate school. There are also schools that specialize in speciﬁc degree programs - some are more science, math and engineering focused, while others have more to offer in the humanities.

ATHLETICS

Can you describe your coaching style? Every coach has a different coaching style - and every player responds to different coaching styles in different ways. Some need an “in your face” type coach and some prefer a more laid-back approach. Again - there are no right or wrong answers here, but it is critical that you ﬁnd a coach who uses a type of motivation and discipline that is a good ﬁt for your learning style.

What are your expectations for the upcoming year? Every coach wants their team and players to succeed, but not everyone can win the national championship. By asking this question, you’ll learn what goals the coach has set for the team - but more importantly, you’ll understand what they believe deﬁnes a “successful” season for them.

What role do you think I might play on your team? This is one of the harder questions to ask - because you may not get the answer you want and the coach may not be able to give you the clearest answer. With the amount of players the coach may be recruiting, the role of each player on the list may not be completely deﬁned. That being said, if you are being actively pursued by the school, the coach likely already has an idea of how they might use you on the team.

Can you describe the scholarship program at your school? Some programs can’t offer athletic scholarships at all. Some can offer some full scholarships - but not for every player on the team. Some teams may have 10 players on a “full ride”, another 6 players who are on partial scholarships (either athletic or academic - or both) and maybe even another 4 who are receiving no ﬁnancial assistance at all. Some scholarships cover all four years of tuition, as well as room and board, while some are given out year-by-year. Every coach and school handles this differently - so it is critical that you ask this question!

What are the time and physical demands of being a part of this program? How many hours per day will you be training with the team? What other time is required - study hall, team meetings, out-of-town travel? You need to get a ballpark idea of how much time you will spend with your sport so that you can ﬁgure out how to manage the demands of your academic program as well. Every player at the varsity level has to train on and off the ice - that’s a given. But some programs are more physically demanding than others both in-season and out of season.

COLLEGE LIFE

What does a typical day for a student-athlete look like? This will give you a good idea of all the things you’ll need to balance and juggle as a student athlete. All teams have different practice times, class schedules are different at every school and then you need to consider meals, study hall, down time and everything else that goes into being a student-athlete.

What is the average class size? This can vary drastically from school to school and from program to program within each school. Class sizes can vary from single digits all the way up to the hundreds! It is unlikely that you’ve experienced either one of those extremes as a high school student, but both ends of the spectrum have their advantages and disadvantages. It is also important to know whether the classes are being taught by professors or teaching assistants. Coaches won’t know exact classes sizes but their answers will be able to give you a fairly good idea of what type of attention you will be receiving as a student.

Do most of the players live on campus or off-campus? Some schools require that students live on-campus in their ﬁrst year. Some do not require it at all. Some coaches try to get their athletes living together and some are completely “hands-off” when it comes to living arrangements.

FINANCIAL AID

Describe the different financial aid packages. Some schools offer athletic scholarships and some don’t. Some cover full tuition, room and board and some cover a fraction of your overall costs. It is important to know what your financial aid package entails. You will also want to know whether you might be able to eligible to receive any of the other financial aid packages that the school offers. It goes without saying that your parents will need to be involved in the conversation at this point.

If I get seriously injured and I am unable to participate, what will happen to my scholarship? It is important to know what the institution’s commitment to injured athletes is. This may not be the same for every school or for every athlete. It’s not the most uplifting question to ask - but it is a very important one.

What type of jobs do student-athletes typically have on campus? First, you’ll want to ﬁnd out if you can be employed while in season, or out of season. It may be something that is required with the ﬁnancial package the school gives you.

HOW TO UPDATE COACHES

WHY SEND UPDATES?

You should send an update to coaches twice each season - once in the fall and once at the closer to the end of the season. This allows you to send any updates to your schedule, provides highlights of the season, share updates your stats, and shows the coaches that you are still interested. You can also include your upcoming schedule if you are moving on to a club team during the off-season. This is just another opportunity to highlight any of your recent successes, and updates the coach current on your athletic and academic achievements.

By this point in the communications process, you have probably already established a relationship with the coach. So all you need to do is send this quick update in the body of an email. Nothing fancy or elaborate required.

WHAT SHOULD THE UPDATE LOOK LIKE?

I can’t give you an exact format to follow for your updates. You need to write it on your own, in your own “voice”, but you want to include these key details below :

• Your full name • Highlights for your team, and you as an individual, from the season • Your current GPA or grade percentage • Any academic and/or athletic honors you have received • Stats from your latest season • Other vital info on your achievements or competitiveness • Immediate future plans - an example might be if you send this email after the season is complete, include which team you are playing for next season (if you know already) • Full mailing address, email, and phone number at the bottom

This email update doesn’t need to be long at all - in fact, the shorter it is, the better. Just make sure to include this critical information and keep the lines of communication open.

FINAL DECISION SCORE SHEET

• You absolutely must work your way through this Score Sheet before making your ﬁnal decision. If you’ve done your homework, this should be fairly easy to work your way through.

• At this point in the process, it is very unlikely you will be looking at more than 5 schools. If you are, you may need to tighten up your selection criteria - or just make this score sheet a little larger!

• On this rating scale, 1 is the highest and 5 is the lowest. Keep in mind that this is relative - all of these schools are among your top choices after all. You can give multiple schools a “1” ranking in the same area. A “5” doesn’t necessarily mean that it is a horrible match - it might just be the lowest in that area out of your top 5.

• And if all else fails, go with your gut! It is a huge decision, but if one school & program just keeps jumping out at you time and time again, odds are that it is the right choice for you! There are no right or wrong answers here - just what is most right for you!

Their Potential Net Cost Potential School Academic Academic Athletic Coaching Level of To Be An After Overall To Name Quality Match Quality Staff Interest In Impact Financial Impression Improve You Player Aid

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

INTERVIEWS WITH COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY HOCKEY PLAYERS

It’s been over 9 years since I created Total Female Hockey and we’ve helped hundreds of young female hockey players reach their goal of playing college/university hockey in both the US and Canada. They’ve been through the ups and downs of the recruiting process and I ﬁgured there is no one better to learn from than the players themselves. I’ve asked 8 of the players I worked most closely with in minor hockey to answer the same four questions about their recruiting process.

1. Why did you choose the university you ended up attending? 2. What was the hardest thing about the recruiting process for you? 3. What’s the 1 thing you wish you knew then that you know now about the whole recruiting process? 4. What’s the #1 piece of advice that you’d give players who are going through the recruiting process?

As you read their answers, keep in mind that they are all very different players from very different backgrounds. Three of these players played on their provincial team before attending university. Two of them played for their Under 18 national team before going to university. Four of them are from small towns and 4 are from cities. Three of them went to universities that were less than 2 hours away from where they grew up. Two of them did a gap year (sometimes referred to as a ‘victory lap’) before attending university. And while all of them played at the varsity level, only 3 of the 8 played a lot in their ﬁrst year and 5 of them were playing a lot by their 3rd year.

Why am I sharing all these numbers with you? Because you will be able to identify with at least one or two of these players. They’ve been through it and they didn’t all have a smooth journey along the way. So read their answers closely and use that information to help you navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead. Everyone’s process is different and your path will be a unique one.

Player Interview #1: NCAA Division 1 College Hockey Player - Ivy League School

Why did you choose the university you ended up attending? When an Ivy League school calls and says that they're still interested in you, it's impossible to say no. Despite a rocky recruiting process, I ended up where I needed to be. It was the combination of some of the best academics in the world and a chance to play hockey at a well respected program.

What was the hardest thing about the recruiting process for you? The hardest part about the recruiting process is understanding that there's no such thing as a 'normal' recruiting process. I have an older brother who is also an athlete, so I was constantly comparing myself to his recruiting process which ultimately made me feel like I wasn't as good as I should have been. Seeing what my friends were going through and how seemingly easy it was for them left me comparing myself to the normalcy of their process, which is never really the truth. Keep your eyes on your dream schools, and don't look around to see what other people are doing.

What’s the one thing you wish you knew then that you know now about the whole recruiting process? If you're talented and ambitious, some coaches will try to convince you that you ﬁt in to their program and their school, regardless of whether or not you really do. Trust your gut. If it feels right, it probably is. If it feels like a sales job, that's because it is (partially). Know what it is that you want from a college, hockey program, coaching staff, and social life before you start talking to coaches. Brainstorm with your family, friends, and teammates (the people who know you best) to get an idea of what you think you want in a college so that you're never walking in unarmed; it will give you the power to resist some of the charm and awe that comes with the process.

What’s the #1 piece of advice you’d give players going through the recruiting process? Pick up the phone and call! I never would have ended up at my university if I hadn't mustered up the courage to call the coaches and ask where I was on their depth chart and what I needed to do to move up that chart. In my ﬁrst phone call, I got honest answers to questions I needed to know; I was 5th of 5 on their depth chart, they liked my academics, and they were impressed that I had called to show my interest. Coaches don't get a sense of who you are as a person (which is the single most valuable thing for both parties involved) if you simply send emails and ﬁll out questionnaires. Call, call, call! It seems scary and intimidating, but the coaches who are recruiting genuinely love talking to you.

Player Interview #2: NCAA Division 1 College Hockey Player

Why did you choose the university you ended up attending? I grew up in a small town, attending small schools with a tight knit environment. The school that I chose closely resembled this and I loved that. The team also made a huge impact on my decision. During my visit, something just clicked. I knew this was the place I wanted to call home and these were the girls I wanted to call my teammates.

What was the hardest thing about the recruiting process for you? The hardest part about the recruiting process for me was having coaches come watch me play. I personally did not handle pressure as well as I thought I could. The idea of someone watching me got to my head. This would occasionally affect my performance and was really tough on me.

What’s the one thing you wish you knew then that you know now about the whole recruiting process? Looking back, I wish there was someone to tell me that Division One hockey wasn’t the end all be all. I had the opportunity to play for some great D3 teams and I didn’t give them a chance because I had my heart set on “being a division one player”. Long story short, I spent most of my four years sitting in the stands or on the bench when I could have been tearing it up for a D3 team!

What’s the #1 piece of advice you’d give players going through the recruiting process? Don’t worry about all the shiny bows and frills that some schools have to offer. A great relationship with your teammates and coaches will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Player Interview #3: Canadian University Hockey Player

Why did you choose the university you ended up attending? I chose the school I ended up going to because it offered the program I was interested in and the coach had put in a lot of time towards my development as an incoming athlete. The team, coach, education and location was what I was looking for in a school and athletic program.

What was the hardest thing about the recruiting process for you? The hardest thing about the recruiting process was getting 'known' as an athlete and potential prospect for their teams. Performing consistently is more important than playing a ﬂashy game, a lot of times coaches will come see you multiple times to get a handle on what type of player you and if you ﬁt the role they need from you.

What’s the one thing you wish you knew then that you know now about the whole recruiting process? To start early! I was late in the game and didn't get a chance to explore every option. The process takes time as you build relationships with coaches and demonstrate the type of player you are. If I could do it over again, I would start the process earlier.

What’s the #1 piece of advice you’d give players going through the recruiting process? Take an active role in the process, don't wait for coaches to come to you, go to them and make yourself known, always ask for feedback and don't be afraid to take criticism. Coaches are interested in long term development, they're looking for players that will get better every time you're on the ice for 4-5 years.

Player Interview #4: Canadian University Hockey Player

Why did you choose the university you ended up attending? The biggest reason I chose the school that I attended was because they were well known for the academic program that I wanted and decided that it was the smartest choice for my future.

What was the hardest thing about the recruiting process for you? The most difficult part of the recruiting process is probably making sure you pick a school that fits you well in every category, from academics, to lifestyle to the hockey program. You don't want to settle on one because another part is so good. So really taking the time to compare each part that different programs and not letting yourself jump at the first school that seems like it will be a fun experience. You really have to take a step back and think about what will be best for you and your future.

What’s the one thing you wish you knew then that you know now about the whole recruiting process? I wish I knew to keep a more open line of communication with the coaches. Maybe speaking to the coaches recruiting you more often and not being afraid to ask every question that comes to mind.

What’s the #1 piece of advice you’d give players going through the recruiting process? The best piece of advice I was ever given, and that I like to pass on, is make sure that when you pick a school, it is one that you would still be happy at even if you couldn’t play hockey. Because, believe it or not, hockey isn't everything.

Player Interview #5: NCAA Division 1 College Hockey Player

Why did you choose the university you ended up attending? It sounds pretty cliche, but it just "felt right," when I went on my ofﬁcial visit, sort of like I could go to school there the next day. I always seemed like the coaches were engaged with me whenever I talked to them, and the players made me feel like I belonged on the team already. I also felt that the school gave me a chance to grow, and try different things.

What was the hardest thing about the recruiting process for you? The hardest thing about the recruiting process for me was my actual decision on where I wanted to commit to. I was pressured by one team to commit to them before I was ready, and it made me really uncomfortable. So many thoughts went through my head like, "should I commit now," and " should I wait and talk to the other schools ﬁrst," and "do I really want to go there?" At the end of the day I decided not to commit to that school. I trusted my intuition, and took a step back to think about what I really wanted. If they really wanted me, they would been more patience and wouldn't have pressured me.

What’s the one thing you wish you knew then that you know now about the whole recruiting process? The one thing I wish I knew about the recruiting process is that each program recruits differently. Okay, so maybe I did know this, but I wasn't totally aware of it. For example, which coach is contacting you, how are they contacting you, did they phone you by the international deadline in early July, have you received anything in the mail? Maybe you can answer some of these questions, or maybe none at all (that is completely okay). The program that I went to was actually one of the ﬁrst ones off of my list because they were the only ones that did not reach back to me during my grade 11 year. What made this program climb my list was that they head coach called me a few times that summer, and came to my hometown to watch me play and meet my family.

What’s the #1 piece of advice you’d give players going through the recruiting process? Believe in yourself. Recruiting has changed since I was went through it, but the one thing that has stayed the same is players promote themselves. I wrote emails before and after every tournament I went to in my grade 11 year, I wrote a letter to the teams I was interested include information about myself, my transcript,and game schedule, and made sure that I exposed myself (playing in showcases, attended summer tournaments and camp, etc.) so that teams would not miss me. I wanted to play in the NCAA, and I believed that I could. My action spoke for how much I wanted to be there and the belief in myself.

Player Interview #6: Canadian University Hockey Player

Why did you choose the university you ended up attending? I chose the university because it was somewhere that I really saw myself being a part of for the next 4-5 years. The team was welcoming and it seemed like the type of program where I could continue to develop my skills and take my play to the next level. The rink itself was quite old and had a lot of history, which is something I’ve always been a fan of, so that sealed the deal for me. The campus itself was beautiful and had incredible academic services that made me excited to learn. The surrounding city was also somewhere I could picture myself living my day to day life. Overall, I felt a sense of community and even though my campus is extremely large, it felt like home.

What was the hardest thing about the recruiting process for you? The hardest part about the recruiting process was the fear of making the wrong decision and ending up at a school that wasn’t a good match for me. There is a lot of pressure when it comes to picking a school for both hockey and education and that caused a lot of stress for me. I was always worried that I wouldn’t meet the academic standard of the school, or would end up hating my program. I also had a lot of concerns about not ﬁtting in with the team or that I wouldn’t be good enough at the next level. The fear that I might pick the wrong school made the process difﬁcult for me.

What’s one thing you wish you knew then that you know now about the whole recruiting process? I wish I had known that everyone’s recruiting process is different. I spent too much time worrying about what my teammates were doing; which schools they were talking to, who had decided to go where, whether they were taking a gap year or not. In the end, you need to decide what’s best for you and where you see yourself. Worrying about what everyone else is doing isn’t going to beneﬁt you and won’t help you to make a decision. Just because something works for one of your teammates doesn’t mean it will work for you too.

What’s the #1 piece of advice you’d give players going through the recruiting process? The best advice I can give to someone in the recruiting process is don’t rush it. It may seem like you need to make decisions right away, but give yourself enough time to visit the schools you want to see and get all the information you need before ﬁnalizing anything. It’s better to give yourself extra time to weigh out all your options than to rush into something and regret it later. You have more time than you think you do and waiting that little bit longer will not make or break your future.

Player Interview #7: NCAA Division 1 College Hockey Player

Why did you choose the university you ended up attending? I chose the university that I did for a few reasons. The ﬁrst being the size of the school. Coming from a small town, I knew attending a school in the middle of a city with a large population wouldn’t be enjoyable for my college experience. Another reason is the university had the program that I wanted to take which was the most important. I think education should be pretty much your ﬁrst consideration when choosing your university. A third reason is make sure you check how long the coach has left in his contract and that you are compatible with the coaches because it could be a long four years if you are not happy.

What was the hardest thing about the recruiting process for you? The hardest thing about the recruiting process was not knowing what to do. It was hard for me living in a small city and there wasn't anyone with knowledge in the process. I made a good decision to move to play in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). This is where I received information on the recruiting process. I made a lot of contacts in the PWHL and the organization that I played for answered a lot of questions and set me in the right direction. Also, it does seem like a lot of work talking to schools and visiting but it is worth it in the long run to ﬁnd the right school.

What’s the one thing you wish you knew then that you know now about the whole recruiting process? The one thing I wish I knew then was to start early in looking at schools and what process needs to be completed to attend the school. For example, writing the SAT, narrowing it down to about ﬁve schools that I would have liked to attend and checking the programs that are available at the school. Don't wait to the last-minute thinking you have a lot of time. The time goes by fast and before you know it you will be graduating from high school.

What’s the #1 piece of advice you’d give players going through the recruiting process? One piece of advice (as obvious as it seems) is to ask lots of questions! There are no such thing as dumb questions, especially because you want to ﬁgure out which school will be most beneﬁcial for you with regards to education, hockey geographically whether you want to be close to home or far away, etc. Asking questions will help you receive all the necessary information to make a well-educated decision. Along with asking questions, it is so important to reach out to coaches and schools to ask them about their program and get in touch with them yourself, don’t wait for them to come to you.

Player Interview #8: NCAA Division 1 College Hockey Player

Why did you choose the university you ended up attending? Many factors come into play when trying to pick the right school. Not the school that’s right for your parents, not the school that’s right for friends or teammates. It is about whatever is best for you… The reason I chose the university I ended up attending was because I got a really strong sense of emotion and joy when I walked through the campus. I could see myself walking to and from class everyday. The rink and locker room was special, but the feeling being on campus as a regular student was even more exciting to me. I also wanted to attend a school with tons of history and tradition. Those things were the most important factors to me when choosing a university.

What was the hardest thing about the recruiting process for you? The hardest thing about the recruiting process for me was being aware that I could potentially make the wrong decision, and not enjoy my student athlete experience. College coaches are sales people, and it is their job to sell their university program to young female athletes. I didn’t want to buy into a program, and then ﬁnd out that it wasn’t anything that I expected it to be.

What’s the one thing you wish you knew then that you know now about the whole recruiting process? One thing I wish I knew now about the recruiting process is that University coaches can’t make promises to future athletes. If they do make all these incredible promises during your recruiting process, it is a red ﬂag. Which, in my case it was. I had high expectations, only to show up at training camp and be told that I was currently ranked as the 9th defensemen, ﬁghting for a spot against women who were much older and more experienced than myself.

What’s the #1 piece of advice you’d give players going through the recruiting process? The biggest piece of advice that I could give to players during the recruiting process is to trust the process itself. Whether it takes you until your grade 12 year to ﬁgure out your dream school, or maybe much sooner than that, there is not a time limit. University coaches will wait for players if they truly and genuinely want you to become a part of their program. It is not a race, it is a process. In order to make the most of the four year student athlete experience, it is important to do your research, reach out to current players and alumni, train, eat healthy, rest, do your homework, and most importantly listen to your current coaches who are trying to help you get there.