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Author: Ray Tenenbaum

Categories
College Hockey Recruiting Women's College Hockey

Understanding the NCAA Division I Women’s Hockey Transfer Portal

The NCAA Division I Women’s Hockey Portal, commonly referred to as the “Transfer Portal,” is a centralized database that allows student-athletes to explore transfer opportunities between NCAA schools. Since its creation in 2018, the portal has become a vital tool for athletes, coaches, and administrators, transforming how transfers are managed in collegiate sports.

What Is the Transfer Portal?

The transfer portal is an online platform where athletes can formally declare their intent to transfer from one NCAA school to another. Once a player enters the portal, they signal to other programs that they are available for recruitment. This system applies to all NCAA sports, including Division I women’s hockey, and was designed to provide greater transparency and flexibility for student-athletes.

How Does It Work?

  1. Player Declaration: Athletes wishing to transfer notify their current school’s compliance office. Within 48 hours, their name is entered into the portal.
  2. Recruitment Process: Coaches from other schools can view the athlete’s information and reach out to discuss transfer opportunities.
  3. No Contact Restrictions: Once in the portal, the player is free to communicate with coaches from other programs without requiring permission from their current school.

Why Is the Portal Important for Women’s Hockey?

The transfer portal has significantly impacted the competitive landscape of NCAA women’s hockey. With only 42 Division I teams, roster spots are limited, and the portal allows players to find schools that better suit their academic, athletic, or personal goals. Similarly, coaches use the portal to address roster needs quickly, especially when looking for experienced players.

Key Benefits

  • Athlete Mobility: The portal empowers athletes to explore their options and make moves that align with their career aspirations.
  • Team Flexibility: Coaches can recruit seasoned players to fill gaps in their lineup, such as replacing injured athletes or graduating seniors.
  • Transparency: Both players and schools benefit from an open, centralized system where transfer intentions are clear.

Challenges and Considerations

While the portal offers new opportunities, it also presents challenges:

  • Roster Uncertainty: Teams may face unexpected departures, disrupting roster planning.
  • Increased Competition: With more players transferring, finding the right fit can be highly competitive.
  • Eligibility Rules: While the NCAA allows one-time transfers without penalty, additional transfers may require a waiver.

How It’s Changing Women’s Hockey

The NCAA Division I women’s hockey portal has reshaped the sport, offering more pathways for athletes to reach their goals. For instance, players from emerging programs may transfer to more established teams, while others might seek a school with better academic or playing time opportunities. Coaches are now incorporating the portal into their recruiting strategy, often balancing incoming freshmen with transfer students to build stronger teams.

Final Thoughts

The transfer portal is a game-changer for NCAA Division I women’s hockey, offering athletes and programs more flexibility than ever before. Whether you’re an athlete considering a transfer, a parent supporting your player’s journey, or a coach navigating roster management, understanding the portal is essential for success in today’s collegiate hockey environment.

Categories
2024 Women's College Hockey

NEWHA vs. the Rest of NCAA DI Women’s Hockey

First off, congratulations to Joe Grossman and the Assumption Greyhounds for their first non-conference win in program history (via shoot out) against UNH this past weekend.  Joe predicted that the team might surprise some folks during our podcast.

Last season, I wrote about the NEWHA conference in relation to playing DIII women’s hockey. As a follow-up, I wanted to track how the NEWHA teams competed at the start of the season when playing their non-conference games.  Clearly, St Michael’s is not competitive with Top 20 teams like Clarkson and Providence. As for the others, you can judge for yourself the overall level of play of the NEWHA against the other conferences.  In my opinion, these results reinforce the takeaways from the previous post about making a thoughtful decision when considering NEWHA vs. DIII women’s hockey. Hopefully, some of the NEWHA teams with the necessary resources can continue to raise the level of play of the conference over the next few years to be truly competitive out-of-conference.

Updated 10/26/2024

As of the end of October, the NEWHA teams have been outscored by a 10:1 ratio. Even scoring a single goal has been a challenge in many games. These match-ups pad the stats of their opponents and help the NEWHA goalies set records for saves. However, it seems that playing non-competitive games where teams are winning by 7 or more goals does not encourage attracting top talent to the conference.

Categories
2024 Women's College Hockey Women's Hockey

How does the level of DI NCAA women’s hockey compare to U Sports and Girls Hockey

A couple of questions many folks have are:

  1. What’s the difference in level of play between NCAA DI and U Sports (Canadian University) hockey?
  2. How different is NCAA DI women’s hockey from top U22 Canadians (or U19 in the States) girls hockey? 

Well, the NCAA DI pre-season provides an opportunity to do a little triangulation to compare these different leagues.  This month several Canadian U Sports and U22 Girls teams play exhibition games against DI women’s hockey teams.  Here are the results:

2023-24 RankNCAA DI TeamNon-DI Team2023-24 Rank
25 Boston University41Concordia (U Sports)1
27Merrimack23Concordia (U Sports)1
26Vermont13Concordia (U Sports)1
18Mercyhurst
40Stoney Creek (U22)12
36Syracuse60Windsor (U Sports)4th in Ontario West
16Northeastern40Durham West (U22)4
8St Cloud State41U of Manitoba (U Sports)6th in CanWest
12Minnesota State62U of Manitoba (U Sports)6th in CanWest
20St Thomas91U of Manitoba (U Sports)6th in CanWest
11Yale51McGill (U Sports)Last in RSEQ
17Brown60McGill (U Sports)Last in RSEQ
Updated 10-15-2024

A few notes to keep in mind – since the data may not be exactly comparable to real games:

  • Keep in mind that these are the first games for the NCAA DI teams, while all the U Sports teams have already played at least a couple of games beforehand. So , the NCAA teams might be still adjusting to each other and new systems
  • These may or may not be the regular season line-ups for the NCAA DI teams, because this is the first time to watch their freshmen in action.  So the NCAA line-ups may be below their regular season quality
  • Games vs U22 teams may not be a full 60-minutes – so the goal differential may be less than a normal game
  • U of Manitoba played St Thomas 15 hours after their game vs. MSU. Their 3rd game in 43 hours.

The data is only directional, but a couple of trends:

  • Given how strong Concordia has been the last few years, it seems the top U Sports teams would be in the middle of the pack (15-25) if they played a DI NCAA schedule
  • There is still a pretty big gap between a good DI team and a top U22 Canadian girls junior team

As more games are played, the final scores will be added to this post.

Updated 09-29-2024

Categories
Parents Player Development Youth Hockey

Parent Power: Key Factors in Raising College Hockey Players

This past week, my kids played their first games of the season. We’re approaching the end of their time in youth hockey, and I’ve been reflecting on their journey to playing at the highest levels in recent years. One realization I had is just how much work it takes as a parent to help them get to where they are. So, I thought I’d capture my thoughts on the key factors that parents enable to improve their kids’ chances of success in hockey.

Many of these attributes may differ between high- and low-density hockey areas. We live in a low-density hockey area in Northern California, which means relatively limited access to ice time, insufficient high-quality coaching, and few high-level local teams for both boys’ and girls’ youth hockey. In high-density hockey environments, players may be less dependent on their parents to access the resources and competition they need to be successful. If you live in Minnesota or the Greater Toronto Area, it’s much easier to put your player in a position to reach their full potential.

Additionally, if your child is exceptional at a young age, like Sidney Crosby or Connor Bedard, they will likely have no problem finding success. But most kids aren’t prodigies, and parents play a crucial role in helping them develop and find opportunities in youth hockey.

Here are the biggest ways parents enable their child’s hockey success:

1. Getting them to the rink

I know this is as obvious as it gets. But beyond just signing the kids up and paying their fees, waking up at crazy hours or traveling long distances for practices and games is no small task. Often, it means parents need to make sacrifices like missing work, losing sleep, or spending hours in traffic. All of these are frequently overlooked aspects of the vital role parents play in ensuring players simply show up. This summer, I calculated that I drove at least 250,000 miles over the past 10 years just getting my kids to their sports events. That’s a lot of car time. Additionally, the car ride home is a critical experience in ensuring your child continues to love the game. If they begin to dread the car ride because it’s filled with criticism (e.g., being told everything they did wrong), parents can ruin their child’s hockey experience and destroy their motivation to continue playing.

2. Signing them up for multiple sports

There is so much written about how many professional athletes played multiple sports growing up before focusing on a single one. But that doesn’t happen without parents buying into the philosophy and registering their kids for a variety of activities. It’s not just about exposing them to different sports; it also involves managing practice and game conflicts, navigating tight schedules, and rushing from one sport to another. Parents also have to negotiate with coaches who may not be sympathetic to players participating in another sport when there are overlaps. These are additional challenges parents must face to help their child succeed.

3. Finding the best team or coach for their development

Parents play a critical role in determining where a player should play and which team or skills coaches they should trust to develop their child. For the most part, there are no Yelp or Amazon reviews for teams and coaches, so parents need to talk to other parents, synthesize information from social media, and use other online resources to find the best opportunities. Most parents aren’t familiar with all the nuances of youth hockey at each age group, so they spend a lot of time and effort making the best decisions. While Champs App is trying to provide a lot of this information, every journey is unique, and parents invest significant time and energy in making informed choices about which hockey path to take.

4. Financial investment

Hockey is an expensive sport. Candidly, with the professionalization of all youth sports, the average player requires their parents to spend a lot of money on team fees, equipment, travel, and private lessons. Only a few players have their hockey development subsidized through scholarships or municipalities that provide locally-owned rinks with volunteer coaches. For most, playing youth hockey easily costs thousands of dollars each season. As a parent, you are investing in your child’s overall development and should not expect a direct return on investment from hockey.

5. Hockey-specific development

Most parents don’t have the hockey expertise to coach their kids. If they do, it’s a tremendous advantage—assuming the parent handles it productively (which isn’t always the case for over-zealous parents who can inadvertently harm their child’s development). However, any parent can provide access to video (e.g., LiveBarn or other streaming services) at a young age, allowing the player to watch their own shifts. Teaching your child self-awareness and the ability to learn from mistakes using video at an early age is an invaluable asset that parents can nurture, even if they know very little about hockey.

I’m sure I’m missing other key roles that parents play in their son or daughter’s development, but these were the most salient ones for our family. Of course, my kids put in the work—both on and off the ice—to get to where they are today. However, the effort we invested as a family to enable their success was significant, and parents should be recognized for the essential role they play.

Learn More on CHAMPS+

CHAMPS+ Subscribers can read more detail on the role parents play on the path to playing women’s college hockey in our age-specific Women’s College Hockey Playbook

Categories
2024 2025 College Hockey Recruiting Men's College Hockey Women's College Hockey

The NCAA’s New Scholarship Model: A Double-Edged Sword for Women’s Ice Hockey

As part of a recent settlement agreement, the NCAA will be expanding scholarships across all sports, replacing previous scholarship restrictions with roster size limits. This new structure option will take effect in the 2025-26 academic year, coinciding with another significant change: the sharing of revenue with student-athletes.

Old Model: 18 Flexible Scholarships

Under the current model, Division I ice hockey teams can offer up to 18 scholarships, which can be divided among as many players as the coaching staff sees fit. There is no limit on the number of roster spots, allowing teams to carry an unlimited number of non-scholarship players.

New Model: 26 Fixed Scholarships

The new option presents a different approach: teams must roster exactly 26 players, each of whom will receive a full scholarship. No partial scholarships are allowed, and teams are required to maintain 26 players throughout the entire season. If revenue-sharing dollars are available, they would be distributed among these players.

The Dilemma for Men’s and Women’s Hockey

For men’s ice hockey, where the average roster size last season was around 30 players due to frequent injuries, limiting the roster to 26 spots could be problematic. Teams may find it difficult to maintain a full squad throughout a grueling season.

On the women’s side, the new structure might offer more scholarships than necessary. Last season, Division I women’s teams averaged about 25 players, a number slightly inflated by graduate students taking advantage of a fifth year of Covid eligibility. Most coaches suggest their ideal roster size is between 24 and 25 players, including three goalies. Typically, teams only need 20-22 skaters and two goalies for the season unless a significant number of injuries occur.

Key Considerations

1. Financial Viability: Many programs, especially in women’s ice hockey, may struggle to afford 26 scholarships. Women’s hockey is not a revenue-generating sport for most schools, and increasing scholarships from 18 to 26 could significantly raise operational costs.

    2. Top Programs’ Advantage: Schools with large athletic budgets, like Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, are most likely to consider adopting the new scholarship model. These programs benefit from substantial revenue streams from TV deals and their football and basketball programs.

    3. Optimal Roster Size: Most women’s teams only require 22-24 players, making the new 26-player requirement potentially excessive. Even last season’s national champions, Ohio State, had just 24 players, while runner-up Wisconsin primarily utilized 22 players.

    4. Playing Time Concerns: Elite players might opt for programs where they are more likely to play, rather than sitting in the stands as the 24th, 25th, or 26th player on a top team. This trend has already been observed with the current transfer portal, and it may intensify under the new scholarship model.

    5. Impact on Ivy League and Smaller Programs: Ivy League schools, which do not offer athletic scholarships, and other programs unable to afford 26 scholarships, could find it increasingly difficult to compete for top talent. This could further widen the gap between the elite and less-funded programs in women’s hockey

    The Road Ahead

    While the new scholarship model has the potential to increase opportunities for women’s ice hockey players, the actual impact will depend on how many schools can and will adopt it. The coming months will reveal which programs opt for the expanded scholarships and how this change will shape the future of collegiate women’s hockey.

    Learn More on CHAMPS+

    CHAMPS+ Subscribers can watch former DI coach, Harry Rosenholtz from College Hockey Showcases discuss the new scholarship rules during the August CHAMPS+ Webinar:

    Categories
    2024 College Hockey Recruiting Girl's Showcase Girls Hockey Women's College Hockey

    Labor Day Weekend Tournaments: How Important are they for Recruiting?

    Labor Day weekend tournaments can be a bit of a conundrum for aspiring women’s college hockey players. On one hand, these events, such as the PIP Labor Day Girls Fest and the NAHA Labor Day Tournament, attract dozens of college scouts. On the other hand, these are often the first games of the season for many teams, so there are bound to be mistakes as players adjust to new teammates and systems.

    So, how should a prospective college student-athlete approach this first weekend of hockey from a recruiting standpoint?

    The answer depends on where you are in the recruiting process.

    If You’re a 2027 High School Grad or Later

    If you’re a 2027 grad or younger, the pressure is relatively low. While you’ll certainly be scouted during this first weekend, most Division I schools will also attend two or three additional high-profile events in September and October. These include the Stoney Creek Showcases, the RUSH Hockey Two Nations College Prep Series and the popular Minnesota Girls Elite NIT Tradition Tournament.

    If you’re a DI-caliber player, as long as you perform reasonably well over Labor Day weekend, you’ll have multiple opportunities to showcase your skills at an even higher level in these future events. For example, if you’re a goalie and your team’s defensive structure isn’t quite solid yet, causing you to let in a few goals, don’t stress too much. Coaches understand that early-season games come with challenges, and there’s no need to be overly concerned about hitting peak performance in your first tournament.

    If You’re a 2025 or 2026 Grad

    For 2025 and 2026 grads still looking to secure a college spot, the stakes are higher. Many 2026 players were contacted after June 15th but haven’t received offers yet; they’ve started conversations with schools and have been told by coaches that they’ll be watched “in the Fall.” Well, these are the games where you’ll be closely evaluated.

    If you’re already in talks with some teams, or at least contacting schools with open spots, this could be one of your last chances to make a strong impression. Scouts will expect uncommitted players to have worked hard over the summer and to be ready to prove they’re capable of playing at the DI level. The margin for error is smaller for players in this group, so it’s important to demonstrate that you’re ready to take the next step in the recruiting process.

    Additionally, be prepared to see many DI coaches that have already made offers to players to be talking to them in the lobby. After games, DI coaches will find their potential recruits and their parents to connect. Many times they will leave the rink together to go out for a meal. Don’t be discouraged if you aren’t approached by a DI coach, many times they have their own agenda at these events – sometimes it is scouting, sometimes it is just to close players with existing offers.

    The Bottom Line

    In any situation, you always want to be playing at your best. If you’re on track to play DI hockey, it’s unlikely that anything that happens this weekend will drastically change your trajectory. At worst, you’ll remain on a team’s radar, but some areas for development might be noted. However, if you’re already in discussions with schools and they’re trying to decide whether to make you an offer, there’s definitely pressure to perform. You need to show that you can be a top player at a tournament against strong competition, even this early in the season.

    Ultimately, Labor Day weekend is an important milestone in the recruiting process, but it’s just one of many opportunities to prove yourself. Play hard, stay focused, and remember that this is just the beginning of the season.

    To learn more about Planning for the 2024-25 Season, attend our CHAMPS+ Recruiting Webinar with Harry Rosenholtz from College Hockey Showcases – Thursday, August 22nd at 8 pm ET (5 pm PT). Free for CHAMPS+ Subscribers.

    Categories
    Champs Girls Hockey Women's College Hockey Women's Hockey

    Introducing CHAMPS+

    LOGIN to Champs APP to Tour CHAMPs+

    Introducing CHAMPS+! A new way for Champs to be your recruiting and development copilot!  If you are new to the women’s college recruiting process, you can check out our age-specific playbooks for girls at the 12U, 14U, 16U and 19U age groups that provide a guide to figuring out a path to playing women’s college hockey. Explore the Champs+ Articles, Videos and Events Directory now!

    Categories
    2024 Player Development

    Maximizing Late-Summer Training: Five High-ROI Activities for Hockey Players

    As we approach the end of July, players should be shifting their focus to preparing for the start of the new hockey season. How should players get the most development during their last few weeks of training?

    When high-end players are asked how they became so good at hockey, many share stories about playing hockey all day at the municipal outdoor rink or in their backyard. You always hear about playing after school or on weekends until their parents called them home for dinner. These development paths might make sense in Minnesota or Canada, but it is hard to replicate them today in many parts of North America where outdoor rinks either don’t exist or no longer get as cold in the winter. As someone who grew up in a cold-weather climate but now lives in California, I’ve asked myself if there is a way to replicate many of the aspects of “pond hockey” development.

    One of the concepts I used to shape my mindset on this topic is based on a magazine ad I saw many years ago which was endorsed by Tony Robbins. His philosophy is “How do you get the greatest result with the least amount of time or energy?” Tony refers to the ROM Quick Gym as the ‘torture machine’ – which is only a 4-minute workout but provides maximum results. So I have always tried to find ways to apply these principles to hockey with my kids since access to ice time is challenging where we live.

    As a result, here are five player development activities that have had the highest return on investment (ROI) for our kids:

    1. Hiring a Great Skills Coach

       Nothing compares to a highly skilled expert teaching a player new skills. Being able to transfer insights about all the nuances of different situations combined with delivering feedback and adjustments in a productive manner can have immediate results. Unfortunately, there aren’t that many coaches who can perform at that level. Most coaches have players just running drills and giving tips that are helpful but don’t move the needle on improving a player’s in-game execution. Over the past few years, I have seen many kids of former pro players become very good hockey players. Beyond just having good genes, having someone who is an expert teach their kid the fine details of the game is certainly an advantage. Finding a coach who can provide timely, experience-based advice is invaluable.

    2. Video Analysis

       There is no better tool to learn from than watching exactly how a player performed in an actual game. Being able to analyze video footage as a way to improve is the best way for a player to see exactly how they behave in specific situations. This is why every pro and college team uses video with their players. The simplest concept to figure out how to use video is to find high-frequency, high-failure rate activities. Specifically, what does a player do most often and fail to execute? This allows a player to prioritize what to focus on in their training. Once again, this is a high ROI activity that should immediately raise the level of play for a player who can correct these failure activities.

    RHA Hockey Academy · Game Situations & Battles | 10-13's group

    3. Recreate Exact Game Situations When Practicing

       There are many drills and practice plans that work on skills and simulate decision-making for a game. But in my experience, being able to practice executing a skill in essentially the exact conditions of a game is invaluable. Whether it is puck retrievals, stick handling in traffic, or shooting under pressure – being able to practice in nearly identical game environments is best. The hardest part of a game is to execute or make decisions under pressure and unpredictable opponents. A player who has practiced in that exact situation is more likely to execute successfully.

    Strength Training for 14U-16U Hockey Players

    4. Strength and Conditioning

       This is probably pretty obvious, but I am amazed at how many youth players do not take their off-ice training as seriously as their on-ice training. It is one of the few areas that a player has complete control over and a direct correlation to on-ice performance. An easy example is a player who is not in great cardio shape will be slower on the ice as a shift or game goes on. So, if you are an average-speed skater to begin with, you will appear to be below-average once fatigue sets in. Similarly, if you are easy to bump off the puck, that will show up as a turnover and spending more time chasing to get the puck back instead of being offensive. Physical training is a high ROI activity and becomes very noticeable when you don’t make that investment.

    5. Skating Lessons

       I have never regretted a single skating lesson my kids have taken. My kids have been lucky to work with skating instructors who work with top pro and NHL players. Every college coach will tell you how important skating is in the modern game of hockey. It is one of the first skills that a player is evaluated on. Continuing to invest in improving a player’s stride, agility, and efficiency will ensure that there will not be a ceiling on their hockey potential. Hopefully, these five different methods to get the most out of your hockey time and money investments provide some insights on where to focus. They can be somewhat obvious, but these recommendations are certainly better than “shooting 1,000 pucks in the backyard” or going to one more summer showcase when it comes to getting the best value for hockey development.

    Hopefully, these five different methods to get the most out of your hockey time and money investments provide some insights on where to focus. They can be somewhat obvious, but these recommendations are certainly better than “shooting 1,000 pucks in the backyard” or going to one more summer showcase when it comes to getting the best value for hockey development.

    Categories
    2025 Development Camp Girls Hockey Player Development Women's College Hockey Women's Hockey

    Insights on Preparing for the USA Hockey Girls 15’s and 16/17’s Camps

    I have paid close attention to the USA Hockey development camps for the last 3 years and written quite a few posts on the subject.  As the USA Hockey Girls 16/17’s Camp kicks off this week and the 15’s Camp starts next week, I thought I would put together some information and links that might be helpful to players who might be going for the first time.

    Expectations for Development Camp

    By now, all players have been training to prepare for their week of development camp.  Some parts are more important than others.  After you arrive, you are being evaluated by all the coaches, all the time.  At the same time, unless you show careless disregard for others or basic unprofessional behavior, basic interactions with coaches won’t make much of a difference.  Focus on having fun and learning and not just trying to butter up to the coaches. 

    Off-ice testing has little to no impact on your evaluation. The only way it may impact you is if you are significantly above or below the standards for your age group.  Even at the NHL level, little correlation has been found between combine testing results and performance. The only commonly accepted metric is that some of the vertical and horizontal jumping measurements can be connected to on-ice speed.  But that is just one contributing attribute in the making of a professional hockey player.

    “Based on just results, the combine has little to no bearing on how successful a player will be in the NHL or elsewhere.”

    How you play in the games is the most important element in how you will be evaluated. Do the best you can with your on-ice performance.

    Another item to keep in mind, is that many of the coaches working the camp definitely have dual objectives. Of course they want to be involved in USA Hockey and have their personal coaching development agenda – at the same time, many recruiting relationships are formed at these events that continue on after the camp.  It is quite common to hear how the recruiting journey of a player started when they met their future college coach at one of these events.

    For 15’s Camp Players:

    The Girls 15’s Camp is the first introduction for most players to the USA Hockey National Development Camp process. I wrote about attending the camp as a parent back in 2021:

    What I learned attending the 2021 USA Hockey 15’s Girl’s Development Camp Part I

    What I learned attending the USA Hockey 15s Girls Development Camp Part II

    What I learned attending the USA Hockey 15s Girls Development Camp Part III

    Unfortunately, there is no way to make the 18’s camp from the 15’s camp.  If you didn’t make the 18’s camp straight from District Camp, then you will need to wait to next year to be considered again for 18’s no matter how well you perform at the 15’s camp. The only exception might be for a goaltender – but that is highly unusual.

    Secondly, keep in mind there is about a 60% chance a player for the 15’s camp does not get invited back next year to either the 16/17’s or 18’s camp.  It’s just how the numbers work as you get older. So don’t take anything for granted and appreciate the time in Oxford, Ohio – because this might be your only USA Hockey National Camp you attend.

    Make no mistake, you are being scouted by college coaches at this event.  I had a DI coach tell me that they identified a 2024 recruit at the 15’s camp. This player was on a lower ranked AAA team that did not get much exposure, but their performance at the camp got the player on the schools radar for the coming season.

    For 16/17’s Camp Players:

    Last year I documented the event as it was going on:

    A Few Thoughts After the First Two Days of the 2023 USA Hockey Girls 16/17 Development Camp

    More Thoughts on the 2023 USA Hockey 16/17 Girls Development Camp

    As I’ve commented in the past, the process is not perfect.  In my opinion, there is not enough data-driven elements included in the evaluation of players. I have seen players with lots of points in the games get passed over for selection, and I’ve seen players with few (or no) points get moved on.  There is also clearly a bias to offensive oriented defenders over stay-at-home ‘defense-first’ players.  

    These two analyses provide a good perspective on the level of play needed to be selected to move on to the 18’s Camp. 

    Analyzing the USA Hockey Girls 16/17 Camp Defense Selections for the U18 Camp

    Analyzing the USA Hockey Girls 16/17 Camp Forward Selections for the U18 Camp

    My apologies to goalies, but I don’t have the background to evaluate the goalie selections, other than to look at the online stats such as GAA and Save %.  But I would not trust those statistics, because the folks recording those numbers are not professional statisticians.

    There are many attributes that factor into players being selected to advance, but also recognize that the relationship with your coaches and how much they ‘like’ you can play a role. I know of a couple of examples where relationships seemed to have either helped or hurt players being chosen.

    Also, keep in mind there were 6 players from last year’s 18’s Camp back competing at the 16/17s Camp.  Those players had to have been pretty good to even have been selected last year – so there is going to be a lot of competition to be one of the few players selected to move on to the 18’s camp. 

    From a recruiting perspective, almost every DI school and many DIII school will make an appearance during the week. Some will prefer to come for the early few days when players are still fresh and the quality of hockey is highest. Other coaches will arrive late in the week when they can watch the last day or two and then stick around for the 15’s camp.

    Before You Go – Let College Coaches Know you’ll be at the USA Hockey Development Camp

    If you still have not yet committed to a college team, take the opportunity to let the coaches at the schools you are interested in know you’ll be there.  Make sure to update (or create) your free, beautiful Champs App hockey profile.  Then use the Champs App Messaging Tool, to save time and ensure accuracy when sending coaches your hockey profile, team information and game schedule for the week.

    Categories
    2024 Coaching Player Development Women's Hockey Youth Hockey

    Summer Hockey Camps – Skills vs. Drills vs. Tips

    Over the past decade, my children have attended at least one hockey camp each summer. From a hockey perspective, very few of these camps significantly advanced their development. However, the true value of these camps often lay beyond mere skill improvement. These camps often coincided with family vacations, provided fun experiences, helped them regain hockey shape after a break, or offered a glimpse into a college’s environment. It’s rarely worth traveling solely for a hockey camp unless there are other compelling reasons to visit the destination.

    Tips: Necessary but Not Sufficient

    At most camps my children have attended, coaches tend to focus on running various drills as a means to enhance players’ abilities. There is nothing inherently wrong with emphasizing skating, stickhandling, and shooting drills. Repetitions and fundamental work can be beneficial, especially for younger players (e.g., 12 and under). However, these camps typically involve large groups, with everyone undergoing the same repetitions. Individual coaching usually consists of sporadic tips and tricks as coaches move among the campers. While tips and drills are valuable, they rarely constitute comprehensive skill instruction. The USA Hockey Development Camps epitomize this approach—featuring excellent coaches who primarily offer pointers and tweaks over the course of several days.

    This is why, for the past few summers, I have preferred enrolling my children in local private or semi-private lessons with experts rather than traveling for hockey camps. I would rather invest in trusted coaches who can provide individualized attention and feedback.

    Belfry Summer Camp

    This summer, I decided to take a chance on a camp that promised to focus on skill development. A few weeks ago, my son attended a destination hockey camp that yielded the highest return on investment (ROI) from a development perspective. The Darryl Belfry Camp distinguished itself from other camps because the coaching staff was dedicated to adding new tools to the players’ toolkits.

    The camp had 22 skaters and 2 goalies, with 7 coaches on the ice, many using iPads to record segments of the sessions. Players spent 3 hours on the ice each day, accompanied by a daily 30-minute video review with Q&A and a 1-hour professional gym workout. Notably, there was not a single whistle used during on-ice sessions. Coaches explained and demonstrated drills using their voices without yelling. Each day had a specific skill theme that built on the previous day’s lessons, ensuring that by the end of the week, players had acquired a suite of new skills applicable to game situations. Examples of these skills included making area passes, various types of steals, and explosive skating with and without the puck.

    One of my favorite aspects of Darryl Belfry’s coaching is his commitment to keeping the nets in their standard positions for drills. Even in small-area games, he simply shrinks the offensive zone but keeps the nets in place. This ‘ice geography’ approach teaches players to be acutely aware of their location relative to key markers like the faceoff dot and the boards.

    My hope was that my son would learn 5 or 6 new skills by the end of the week. He ended up acquiring 8 or 9 new skills, ranging from hook passes to reading the position of the defense on zone entries. This represented a significant ROI for 4 days of training, with each new tool directly applicable to game situations. The personalized feedback report, complete with links to short YouTube videos of my son demonstrating the week’s skills, was particularly valuable. I have been a big advocate of providing feedback to players after attending a camp, but feedback is only as good as the effort put into it. In this case, the detailed feedback, supplemented by video, was especially appreciated.

    Setting Expectations

    In conclusion, it is crucial to set realistic expectations when choosing a summer hockey camp. If a coach claims, “We will be on the ice for 15 hours this week; your child will definitely improve,” take that with a grain of salt. While this might be effective for younger children, merely repeating the same bad habits does not make a player better. There are few coaches who can both manage a large camp and teach new skills simultaneously; they need to have a background in coaching and a commitment to continuous improvement. Otherwise, ensure that your other priorities are met and view the camp as an opportunity for your child to enjoy being on the ice and having fun.

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