A DISCUSSION PAPER FOR COACHES ON COLLEGE HOCKEY

In 1996, my Thesis was accepted by USA Hockey for the Master Coaching requirement. Since then, I have given out hundreds of copies of the paper to players, families and coaches. "WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS AFTER MIDGETS COACH?", has become one of the available tools for players who hope to study, and play hockey in college .....Steve Malley

I have become convinced that our coaches need more information to help provide players and their families with the guidance they so clearly need. This discussion paper should help our coaches. Just as we offer training in the game and how to coach it, we need to make certain that more of our coaches at the bantam level and beyond are aware of the options and the process.

"A COACH WHO KNEW THE PROCESS AND OFFERED HELP IS OFTEN THE DIFFERENCE"

First I believe that we need to be certain that each player learn the following three rules - there are many ways to get the message to the players but for sure all players need to understand the meaning. My version has been published for a few years in the College Hockey Guide and on the World Wide Web.

1. live and play in control on and off the ice (that is a clear mind / a healthy body / a constructive attitude / and absolutely no drugs - fail a drug test and your hockey is over
2. achieve your academic potential - earn a solid classroom GPA and a strong set of national test scores (SSAT / ACT / SAT)
3. enhance your playing skills - not the game count - and remember that skating is the basis for the game - every player can benefit from skaing work!!!

It has been my experience that grades are the most limiting factor for players who want to earn admission and play at the college level.

THE PATH TO SERIOUS HOCKEY

In truth, high school is the most serious hockey many of our players across the nation will ever experience. The thrill of playing in a local high school championship before family and friends will become a life long memory and for many the very pinnacle of their sports experience.

COACHES WHO RECRUIT WATCH LOTS OF GAMES

It is important that our players know where coaches look for players. The following represent a partial list of such opportunities:

• Chicago Showcase
• National Level Championship Tournaments
• Hockey Night In Boston
• Compuware and other well known local events
• Junior tryouts
• Prep school games and tournaments
• USHL and other Junior league games
• High school All-star games
• High school championship games
• Midget AAA games
• USA Hockey select camps
• Summer skill camps

COACHES LOOK FOR THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS IN POTENTIAL PLAYERS:

• work ethic
• character
• confidence
• team player
• clean police record
• leadership
• healthy mind and body
• passing skills
• strong academics
• intensity
• hockey knowledge
• plays away from the puck
• strength along the boards
• serious attitude on the ice / on the bench / in the locker room
• speed
• size

OUR PLAYERS NEED TO BE REMINDED OF THESE CHARACTERISTICS!!!!

There are more places to play serious hockey beyond Midgets than ever before. Take a look at these numbers:

• hundreds and hundreds of high schools across the nation play every level of hockey we can imagine from recreational to high pace / top skills…..advise players to carefully consider where they choose to attend high school if playing hockey is important to them and their families
• some 75 + prep schools - primarily in the northeast - offer several levels of hockey and a strong academic preparation that make most graduates very attractive to colleges who look for well prepared athletes who are ready to become strong college level student-athletes……(prep schools are a very expensive but effective way to prepare for college hockey).
• believe it or not there are more than thirty five junior leagues that is leagues that play throughout the USA and Canada….these leagues are growing every year - today there are over 350 such teams at the A - B - C levels - the level of play varies significantly as do the costs to play and the opportunities available after playing junior hockey (every serious midget hockey player should attend a junior tryout to measure himself)

At the college level there are hundreds of teams looking for players every year - for women players the number of teams has exploded - two large organizations administer college hockey and our players need to understand that both the NCAA and the ACHA include loads of teams that also play at every possible skill level.

WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS IN HOCKEY AFTER MIDGETS, COACH?"

For the good of your players, please get more familiar with some of these tools!! Please reach me if I can help!

Steve Malley
1792 Reading Street
Crofton, Maryland 21114
Phone: 410-721-3599
Fax: 410-573-0025
Email: malley@ix.netcom.com

"THERE ARE MANY PLACES TO PLAY - WE HAVE TO HELP OUR PLAYERS AND THEIR FAMILIES FIND THE RIGHT PLACE FOR THEM TO STUDY AND PLAY"

The NCAA is the primary college sport administering body across the nation. The classic levels - DIVISION I - DIVISION II - DIVISION III are used as the general indicators of skill level. It is important to remember that players have to learn about each school that interests them because it is also true that the strongest Division III schools have been known to win games over higher levels schools - our players have to learn not to simply plan by the numbers. The ACHA (AMERICAN COLLEGE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION) serves the growing number of colleges across the nation whose programs are not registered with the NCAA. It is critical for our players and their families to understand that the ACHA includes two levels of registered teams across the nation. These Division I and Division II teams also vary significantly in the level of play but the Division I teams compare very favorably and very competitively with many NCAA teams. ACHA Division I teams have won games playing against NCAA teams and more of our players have understand that the ACHA offers a real alternative for players of all skill levels.

In recent years, players from the Southeast have begun to earn spots on college and junior rosters across the country. They have had to overcome serious geographic prejudice and often work twice as hard to make a team than another player from up north. But they have and with our help more will every year!

THE FOLLOWING PREP SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, AND JUNIOR PROGRAMS HAVE OR RECENTLY HAVE HAD PLAYERS FROM THE SOUTHEAST ON THEIR VARSITY / JUNIOR VARSITY / OTHER ROSTERS.

Most of our players are unaware this is true - in fact most of our players in the Southeast have never seen a college hockey game yet they hope to play at the Division 1 level (whatever that means to them):

• THE PREPS:
  The Hill School, Lawrenceville, Kimball Union, Taft, Northwood, and Northfield - Mount Hermon in the USA - Upper Canada College and Stanstead College in Canada.
• THE JUNIORS:
  Niagara Scenics, Baltimore Bandits, Washington Capitals, Sioux City, Saginaw Gears, and Danville Wings
• THE COLLEGES:
  Delaware, Towson, Maryland, Scranton, Rider, St Bonaventure, Tufts, Bethel, Stonehill, Wesleyan, Plymouth State, Lake Forest, SUNY-Buffalo, Gustus Adolphus, UMass-Lowell, UMass-Boston, Lake Superior State, Amherst, Merrimack, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Connecticut, USNA, USAFA, Union, Providence, Vermont, Sacred Heart, Rochester, Bentley, SUNY-Pottsdam, University of Buffalo, Salisbury State, on and on!!!

"THE LIST IS GROWING EVERY SEASON - WITH THE HELP OF COACHES MANY MORE PLAYERS CAN FIND A PLACE TO STUDY AND PLAY"

More of our players have to make better use of the summer off-season if they plan to continue to play -- take time off - get away from the rink - recharge batteries -strengthen and heal the body and the mind - renew the commitment to the game they love

After some critical time off, players need to work on several activities, which include the following:

• ACADEMIC - prep for SSAT / SAT / ACT / ETC as in season demands make such studies difficult for most players
• STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING - to improve their game and to minimize injuries wherever possible this work, safely planned and executed, is a must
• SKILLS - all players know the skills they should work on and coaches need to encourage them to do some of that in the off-season

I regularly remind all players that skating is fundamental to the game and that every player could benefit from some time spent on skating techniques. Most coaches would agree with me that they do not teach skating at hockey practice. I'll go further and say that some of the best skaters I have seen play the game took technique lessons from instructors who were often power skating specialists or figure skating coaches. EVERY PLAYER CAN BENEFIT FROM SKATING WORK IN THE OFF SEASON!!!

MORE OF OUR PLAYERS WOULD PLAY BEYOND MIDGETS IF THEY TOOK THESE STEPS!!!

Fortunately for players, their families and the coaches who advise them - there are many fine tools that will help them navigate thru and benefit from the process. Some of them are:

• *MEN'S COLLEGE HOCKEY GUIDE
• *WOMEN'S COLLEGE HOCKEY GUIDE
• *JUNIOR HOCKEY GUIDE
• *PREP SCHOOL HOCKEY GUIDE
  (*all published by Tom Keegan and his athletic guide publishing company)
• ANNUAL COLLEGE GUIDES
  (published by Time, Newsweek, or U.S. News & World Report)
• A QUANTUM TO COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
  (published by Kei Gilbert and her SORAS Corporation)