USA Hockey

CLIMBING THE DEVELOPMENT LADDER k As your child advances through the ranks, they may decide to reach for the upper rungs on the development ladder. Junior hockey provides a tremendous development opportunity, offering intense competition for players between the ages of 16-20 who make every game a best-on- best challenge. Additionally, leagues like the USHL and NAHL are heavily scouted by NCAA coaches and NHL scouts, making them an ideal place for players to improve their game and their next-level hockey prospects. 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. Former NCAA players com- prise more than 30 percent of the NHL player pool and nearly 50 percent of NHL general managers have college hockey backgrounds. Academically, college hockey players also shine. Nearly 92 percent of NCAA Division I men's players and 95 percent of NCAA Division I women's players graduate with their college degree. Hockey leads all of men's college sports in graduation rate and NCAA Academic Progress Rate, which measures teams' grades, progress toward their degree and commitment to staying in school. 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 College Hockey Association was founded with 15 members, all of which were men's teams. Today, the ACHA spans 49 states with 382 men's teams and 36 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. HOCKEY PARENTS JUNIOR HOCKEY COLLEGE HOCKEY 21

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