<p>Yes, on the boys side there will be a consolidation into 1 division going forwards. The girls side is still divided, though. And there are many dynamics in the girls game that may drive it that way eventually, although I don't see it coming for a couple more years.</p>
<p>hockeymomofthree: but another ISL school ...BB & N ....is moving FROM D 1 TO Eberhard League. Does anyone know where to find out the whys and wheres about the shuffling? Maybe another website?</p>
<p>The only thing I heard was that many schools petitioned to get into D1 so the powers that be decieded to just let everyone in.</p>
<p>I am not too familiar with Eberhard league.
The only ones I know of are ILS and Founders.</p>
<p>Hockeymomofthree, we always say that about the old man's league! dh is there now! ;) </p>
<p>PS~I pm'd you.</p>
<p>Too funny, maybe our DHs play against each other.</p>
<p>The ISL, for hockey, is divided into two divisions -- Keller is comprised of DI schools (Lawrence, Belmont Hill, Nobles etc) and Everhart is DII (St. Georges, St. Marks, Rivers etc.). Sounds like BB&N (never a power) is realligning to play a (formerly) DII schedule.
Good move...</p>
<p>Um…Shattuck St. Mary’s is the nation’s premier hockey school. They dont show up in the rankings cause they dont play those schools, they are too good for them. They play top U.S. Junior teams and Canadian teams and win the U.S. national championship every year.</p>
<p>Oh and Sidney Crosby went there, and if you are looking for hockey I don’t know why you would look anywhere besides Minnesota.</p>
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<p>Sid was a top player long before he went to SSM. </p>
<p>SSM is for the most part a school for hockey players who want a D1 college experience that is non-Ivy (the school is good, but not the best place to prepare for Ivy). On the guys side, some use it for a year or 2 as an intro step to Junior Hockey, as it is a good way to make the transition to living away from home.</p>
<p>SSM hockey is for players who make hockey the #1 priority in their life. If you aren’t so driven, you won’t make the team. The solid education is a secondary benefit. If that is not your view of life, SSM is not necessarily for you.</p>
<p>Not everyone is that way, so there are plenty of reasons to look beyond Minnesota.</p>
<p>Who won the D1A New England Prep School Championships in 2009?</p>
<p>fun is fun can’t recall ( he is having trouble remembering what happened yesterday these days). Please enlighten us all, SARUM!</p>
<p>A school near lakeville Conneticut won it I believe. note i said near not in.</p>
<p>Culver in Indiana has a fantastic hockey program comprised of Varsity, U16 and Prep (for boys). But its not sooo competitive that’ll you’ll never see the ice unless you repeat 2 years. Hockey is HUGE here; its ultra-competitive. Kids from all over come to Culver JUST for the hockey program. They also offer great FA to their top picks.</p>
<p>Hey all - new to this forum. I have a 16 year old goalie. He hasn’t been playing long (2 years) but we have been told by many that he has a natural talent. He’s on two teams right now and works with a private goalie coach locally. Question for this forum - would it be better to go with a AA or AAA travel team locally or try to send him off to a Prep School for better chances of getting looked at by colleges? He’s not the best student but has a drive to achieve…</p>
<p>OK, as one who as been through the system on the girls side (goaliegirl is a 4th-year senior in a prep school), I can tell you that either path works. </p>
<p>The first step is to understand his goals and your goals (which may be different). </p>
<p>Your goals as a parent are probably more along the line to use hockey to improve his academic outlook (as a measure of future success - also a debatable subject).</p>
<p>His goals (as “not the best student”) may be along the line of doing what it takes academically to advance his enjoyable activity. Very normal.</p>
<p>Sometimes if the environment is right, a prep school is a place where a kid can discover the desire to achieve academically. Othertimes, it can become part of the BMOC mentality of a recruited athlete and academics (if not supported for the student) become a game to be played. </p>
<p>Next item is his talent. “Many people” telling you that he is a “natural talent” may very well have a vested interest (financial or otherwise) in his hockey participation. And even if he is a natural, with the goaltending position, experience (not just seeing lots of pucks) in game situations has no substitute (nothing against goaltending coaching, but they generally don’t bring along a couple dozen people to play along). </p>
<p>What I’m telling you is that you are fighting an incredibly tough uphill battle against other goalies (and their hockey parents) who have established reptutations and know how to play the game of hockey politics (both prep and club).</p>
<p>Quickly to look at your immediate decisions, you are already behind in the prep school chase for next year. Prep coaches have been looking at prospects for months already and know where they will be for holiday tournaments. If your son will be at a major tournament over the next few months in the NE region, you can still get a look from some coaches. </p>
<p>As to the academic part of prep schools, go look at schools where he will be successful as a student. That is part test scores, but more importantly the type of environment where he will get the right mixture of support and discipline to change the attitude towards academics. This may likely be a school that has a lousy sport environment, but the right type of structure and support. </p>
<p>Goalie coaching at prep schools is an iffy thing. You will have to evaluate staff stability (coaches come and go) and whether they have a good part timer who comes in.</p>
<p>Playing time is all earned, so he does run a risk of riding a lot of pine or playing JV. Most good prep coaches will give you an honest opinion of where your son stands if he spends enough time evaluating him.</p>
<p>Club hockey and public school can work as well. In this solution, you have more direct control of the hockey operation (choosing your club to some extent and your goalie coaching). You can also expect to have more ice time, as prep hockey season is only 12 weeks in length. College scouting is a function of coach referral, so if your son has the right coaches and favorable opinions, you can get college coaches to come out and evaluate. However, this is not as easy as it looks and nobody is responsible for the result. </p>
<p>You also are responsible for the academic advancement of your son, which I guess you are not satisfied with. The light may well turn on with him as he grows up at home and sees the path in front of him. </p>
<p>Finally, there is the question of money. Neither club hockey nor prep school are cheap. Don’t know your financials, but you have to ask yourselves what price for what opportunities? </p>
<p>Oh and BTW, both options are not mutually exclusive. If your son is 16, he could easily stay public with club hockey through 12th grade and do a PG at prep when he is more likely to get better ice time and he will get a little extra needed time to develop academically. Not as much time to get the full benefits of prep, but more time overall to develop as a whole person before college.</p>
<p>Wow - thank you very much! Great perspective and great points. My son is in a college prep school locally but is not motivated by their traditional teaching methods - doesn’t help too as he has a learning difference. But hockey does really motivate him and we do have to use it to “create” some motivation in him. That has been one of my biggest fears in sending him to BS - lack of control with a lot of financial investment.</p>
<p>Am also investigating a more flexible school locally which allows him to do his work in the morning and then he can get on the ice earlier in the afternoons. He’s been working with our local CHL team coaches/players and they are the ones who have given input on his talent. </p>
<p>I also like the idea of him doing a PG year as I don’t think he will be ready for college at 18, which also makes it hard at his current school as they expect/demand college applications/acceptances in senior years. Have received info on Brewster.</p>
<p>Ultimately he wants to go to college and play hockey - so that’s our driving force right now. I’m figuring we have just a wee bit of time to further build his skills to get him ready for those college scouts. If we stay local and do club, I’m going to have to pull out all the stops with local athletic contacts to get the scouts down here. I have a lot to learn as well. Fortunately, I have connections with educator’s with prep experience and AD’s and pro coaches to learn from.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your input! I continue to learn.</p>
<p>Knowing that you are also geographically challenged with regards to college hockey (CHL = Central Hockey League), the PG year may well be the best strategy as college coaches know what the level of prep hockey is. They struggle more with assessing players from non-traditional hockey areas. Plus their scouting budgets generally don’t include trips for 1 player.</p>
<p>Even with the PG year strategy, it isn’t too soon to look at schools. Just let them know your plan and they are fine with that. </p>
<p>Minor league players and coaches are often good resources for learning about the college recruiting game as they are not that removed from those days themselves. And kids your son’s age will listen to them about the importance of hitting the books more than they will listen to their parents saying the same. </p>
<p>Another thought, don’t underestimate the value of summer camp connections. If you know a collection of colleges that would fit his needs (both academically and hockey), you might want to find out which camps the coaches work and sign up. Working with a kid for a week will reveal more about the kid to the coach than any single game.</p>
<p>Kent School Hockey is dominant. Our goalie is probably the best in the league(Marco is also Italy’s U19 Goalie) and we have a ton of Canadians that are a true cut above normal American talent. </p>
<p>I would say that you can work hard and make the team… BUT you can’t expect it 100% of the time. You have to be naturally talented AS WELL AS committed to getting as much ice time as you can and getting as much gym time as you can during the summer and school year. </p>
<p>If you play hockey at the school, you are rewarded academically(People try to tutor you or aid you in some way inside and outside of the team), socially(Almost everyone goes to at least 3 games a season… We like wins. We’ll like you if you get us a few) and physically(YOU WILL BE PUSHED BY YOUR CAPTAINS). </p>
<p>I also like how we have super study. You check yourself into(Or a parent can request) a silent and isolated area that a teacher will check every 5 minutes that you use to study. Zero distractions. Great if your kid can get a bit off track. Plus, the hockey team puts pressure on each other to maintain the grades needed to play. The team is very tight, they all sit together every meal and hit the gym/ice after school. The pressure to do well academically is put on by the coaches, captains and team. </p>
<p>I wish I played Hockey. Just to play for Combs and Smitty. They are two great guys/coaches(One is a dorm parent for me and the other is a teacher).</p>