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It’s college hockey week here at Total Female Hockey. This week I am touring Vermont and New Hampshire with the PEAC Girls Hockey team to visit NCAA Division 1 schools and play a few games against some top-flight teams. We will be watching team practices and training sessions, touring the campuses, watching a Division 1 game and getting a first-hand experience of what it really takes to get to, and excel at, the college hockey level. Then the day we get back from our trip, I fly out to Vancouver to speak at Hayley Wickenheiser’s tournament on “How To Get Noticed & Recruited”.

One of the most common questions I get from players, parents and coaches about the whole college hockey recruiting process is:

“What are the scouts looking for?”

There is really no easy answer to this since a college hockey coach needs to fill their roster with players who fill a position and role, which changes year-by-year based on their team’s particular needs.

To keep it simple for you, I’ve broken it down into what I call the “3 As”.

:: Academics
:: Athletics
:: Attitude

ACADEMICS:

When it comes to academics, the better your grades and test scores, the easier it is going to be for you to get into the school. Having high marks and scores will only help you throughout this process. I’ve seen far too many players focus all their time and energy on the hockey side of things only to miss out on a great opportunity because their academics weren’t up to par. Remember, you want to use your ability to play hockey to get a better academic opportunity. We aren’t chasing million dollar NHL contracts, we are looking to get a great education that we can use for life.

ATHLETICS:

Coaches aren’t just looking for the players with the best skills. Don’t get me wrong - your skating, shooting, stickhandling, passing and checking are critical to you getting noticed, but college coaches need much more than that. They are looking at your coachability, your sportsmanship, your work ethic with and without the puck (as well as on and off the ice). These aren’t always things they can see directly from the stands, but a quick conversation with your club coach or opposing coaches will tell them a lot.

ATTITUDE:

Last, and certainly not least, is your attitude. To be honest, I’ve heard from many college coaches that a player could have great academics and athletic ability, but if they have a bad attitude, they won’t be able to go anywhere. They need to be able to visualize you being a part of their team. They want to see how you interact with your teammates, coaches and opponents. They are watching you when you walk around the rink. They see how you carry yourself away from the ice. This stuff matters. It is about much more than just your playing ability.

BOTTOM LINE: They are looking for the COMPLETE PACKAGE. That’s what the “3 As” are all about. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication and discipline to get there. But the payoff is worth it.

Keep Working Hard, Dreaming BIG and Taking Action On & Off The Ice.

Your friend and coach,

Kim

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS

?Director, Total Female Hockey
Girls Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes

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• Ice Hockey, Sports, SportsPLUS, College, High School, Student-Athlete, Recruiting, Hockey