USA Hockey

U S A H O C K E Y PA R E N T H A N D B O O K 2 1 A s your child advances through the ranks, they made decide to set their sights on the higher levels of play. Junior hockey provides a valuable development opportunity, offering intense competition for boys between the ages of 16-20 who make every game a best-on-best challenge. Leagues like the USHL and NAHL are heavily scouted by NCAA coaches and NHL scouts, making them an excellent place for players to improve their game and their next-level hockey outlook. For some, that next level will be college hockey. Whether as preparation for professional hockey or as its own end goal, playing college hockey is a great choice, and the options are plentiful. At the NCAA level, more than 230 teams provide opportunity for young men and women to compete and develop while pursuing their degree. With a development-minded practice-to-game ratio, players are better positioned to reach their full potential in college hockey and enjoy a competitive environment in which every game is meaningful. Additionally, former NCAA players comprise 32 percent of the NHL player pool, and more than 200 former college players currently work in NHL front offices, including 12 general managers and eight head coaches. Academically, college hockey players also shine. More than 90 percent of NCAA Division I hockey players graduate with their college degree. In fact, men's and women's ice hockey rank among the very best of any NCAA Division I sports in Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and Academic Progress Rate (APR), which is further proof of the success college hockey players enjoy in the classroom. But the college hockey options for your son or daughter aren't limited to NCAA play. Club hockey at the collegiate level has exploded in popularity over the last 25 years. In 1991, the American Collegiate Hockey Association was founded with 15 members, all of which were men's teams. Today, the ACHA spans 49 states with 425 men's teams and 79 women's teams that compete annually for national championships at three levels. USA Hockey and the ACHA also send a select men's and women's national team to the World University Games, where they compete against other nations' elite talent while gaining an amazing life experience in a foreign country and culture. Another great college hockey option is intramural competition. Countless colleges and universities nationwide offer intramural hockey, in which men and women can compete for championships and bragging rights while pursuing their studies. The camaraderie can't be beat and it's a great way to maintain a fun, physically fit lifestyle while making progress toward a college degree, and ultimately, adulthood. A D V A N C E D DEVELOPMENT STAGES HOCKEY COLLEGE HOCKEY JUNIOR JUNIOR COLLEGE

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