OT: "Inside the world of Penn State hockey recruiting"

[OmniscientFan]

What a great... GREAT... article: https://bwi.rivals.com/news/inside-...kquh1oDTOOtcqn3XLTpc29ieUUXGaBmxESbWkCOWiwU44

As a hockey parent, who has gone through the trials and tribulations of college recruiting, it's a must-read for any hockey parent who has a son or daughter with aspirations of playing at the collegiate level.

The most inlighting part of the article, WHICH COULD SAVE HOCKEY PARENTS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IF THEY TRULY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS BEING SAID, was the following:

• “Very seldom are we out and see a kid once and say, ‘Oh, we’ve got to have this kid in our program,’” Fisher said. “We’ve seen these kids probably since they’ve been 15 years old. We don’t have a couple pages of notes.
  
  “We’ve got novels.”

As a hockey parent, I can't tell you the number of times I've been approached... PRESSURED... for each of my boys to play in this "must do tournament". I say it like that because that is how they (people running the tny) try and get you:

• "You don't understand... this is a must-do tournement...so many scouts will be there."

Example: Several years ago I was approached to have my youngest play in the World Select Invitational (WSI). Over 50 teams... from all over the world... participate in this tny. The cost to play in this week-long tournament can run as high as 1800 for some teams and no less than 1000 for others and that doesn't include tryouts (which some teams charge as much a 250).

Again... all to play in a tournament that will only guarantee your kid 5 games at most (7 if they advance to the finals)

Their selling point: Scouts!

I actually spoke to Guy Gadowsky personally and asked him his thoughts on the WSI tny. Although he did say it was a great tournament he also noted: "No tournament is worth that type of money." and in the end said "Thanks... but no thanks".

Point is if you're a hockey parent you are fully aware of these select teams/ tournaments and the pressures that come along with them. But as you can see (read) from this article they are nothing but "money grabs". No one tny is going to make or break the chance of your kid getting "seen". It's his or hers body of work.

This was just one of many insight to how college recruiting works noted in this article. The point about no longer being able to commit until your junior year AND how most hockey players are much older than your average freshman.... all GREAT STUFF!

What a great article. THANK YOU!

 

[hereforthebeer]

Thanks for posting this.

 

[hereforthebeer]

What a great... GREAT... article: https://bwi.rivals.com/news/inside-...kquh1oDTOOtcqn3XLTpc29ieUUXGaBmxESbWkCOWiwU44

As a hockey parent, who has gone through the trials and tribulations of college recruiting, it's a must-read for any hockey parent who has a son or daughter with aspirations of playing at the collegiate level.

The most inlighting part of the article, WHICH COULD SAVE HOCKEY PARENTS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IF THEY TRULY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS BEING SAID, was the following:

• “Very seldom are we out and see a kid once and say, ‘Oh, we’ve got to have this kid in our program,’” Fisher said. “We’ve seen these kids probably since they’ve been 15 years old. We don’t have a couple pages of notes.
  
  “We’ve got novels.”

As a hockey parent, I can't tell you the number of times I've been approached... PRESSURED... for each of my boys to play in this "must do tournament". I say it like that because that is how they (people running the tny) try and get you:

• "You don't understand... this is a must-do tournement...so many scouts will be there."

Example: Several years ago I was approached to have my youngest play in the World Select Invitational (WSI). Over 50 teams... from all over the world... participate in this tny. The cost to play in this week-long tournament can run as high as 1800 for some teams and no less than 1000 for others and that doesn't include tryouts (which some teams charge as much a 250).

Again... all to play in a tournament that will only guarantee your kid 5 games at most (7 if they advance to the finals)

Their selling point: Scouts!

I actually spoke to Guy Gadowsky personally and asked him his thoughts on the WSI tny. Although he did say it was a great tournament he also noted: "No tournament is worth that type of money." and in the end said "Thanks... but no thanks".

Point is if you're a hockey parent you are fully aware of these select teams/ tournaments and the pressures that come along with them. But as you can see (read) from this article they are nothing but "money grabs". No one tny is going to make or break the chance of your kid getting "seen". It's his or hers body of work.

This was just one of many insight to how college recruiting works noted in this article. The point about no longer being able to commit until your junior year AND how most hockey players are much older than your average freshman.... all GREAT STUFF!

What a great article. THANK YOU!

Honest question: What is your take on the merits of the whole hockey experience for a high end kid? I'm afraid I might be headed down this road, but I am hesitant to send my kid away as a young teen to play juniors, live with another family, and miss the whole high school experience. I'm just not sold that it's worth it. The chances of actually making it as a full time NHLer and making big money are so minimal, most EHL/ECHL, etc. salaries are less than probably most of this board makes, and the kids college is already paid for.

I know a bunch of NCAA hockey players and their responses to this question are all over the map.

 

[OmniscientFan]

Honest question: What is your take on the merits of the whole hockey experience for a high end kid? I'm afraid I might be headed down this road, but I am hesitant to send my kid away as a young teen to play juniors, live with another family, and miss the whole high school experience. I'm just not sold that it's worth it. The chances of actually making it as a full time NHLer and making big money are so minimal, most EHL/ECHL, etc. salaries are less than probably most of this board makes, and the kids college is already paid for.

I know a bunch of NCAA hockey players and their responses to this question are all over the map.

Wow... this topic is better talked about over a six-pack because there's so much to talk about. But I will tell you this: One of my boys made the Stx 68 camp during his Bantum year. The very first night they had dinner for all the parents and players. During that dinner, a shit load of coaches from all levels spoke to us and basically had the same message "The longer your boy can sleep in his own bed the better off he will be".

I can tell you as a parent of two high-end boys we swore not to let them move away until their junior year of high school (even though we had plenty of opportunities to do so beforehand) and education was always the number one priority. They are a number of "hockey academies" and clubs where the school work is all video. We wouldn't even visit these types of programs/school.

As for your comment about the NHL pertaining to "going away". You have to understand going away to play juniors and billeting doesn't mean one believes their kid is on the path to the NHL. The majority of D1 schools (including Penn State) want your son to play juniors. Almost force you to play juniors. There's a reason why the average freshmen D1 hockey player's age is about 20. But to be honest by the time you are at this point (ready to make a decision like this) more then likely you'll have a "hockey advisor" helping you decide if this is the best decision or not. If you don't know what a "hockey advisor" is more then likely your son is nowhere near ready (or as talented as you think). Because if he was they would have been knocking on your door already.

With all that being said everyone's decision is different. I've known a number of parents who sent their kids away too early and it didn't end good. But to answer your original question (honestly) both my wife and I have never done all that we do, all the sacrifices we've made, in hopes that our boys making it to the NHL or get a D1 scholarship. We do what we do to keep them out of trouble and away from the temptations of drugs (which we have accomplished). Anything else.... well we just always thought of them as nothing but a bonus.

We are just enjoying the ride because, in the end, it all leads to one place: Men's League.

 

[RGWhirly]

Thanks for sharing. I think the staff does a great job at finding student athletes that "fit in" with the team, style, academics, etc.

I would be lying though if I didn't say that I do hope that at some point that the staff finds a truly elite player that "fits in".

Besides winning some additional B1G Championships, advancing past the first round of the NCAA tourney, I feel that getting a player that finally gets to the NHL and sticks, for the program to become even better. I really hope that one of our current players can be one of the first or that in the near future we recruit one that will become the first.

 

[MJG-90]

Honest question: What is your take on the merits of the whole hockey experience for a high end kid? I'm afraid I might be headed down this road, but I am hesitant to send my kid away as a young teen to play juniors, live with another family, and miss the whole high school experience. I'm just not sold that it's worth it. The chances of actually making it as a full time NHLer and making big money are so minimal, most EHL/ECHL, etc. salaries are less than probably most of this board makes, and the kids college is already paid for.

I know a bunch of NCAA hockey players and their responses to this question are all over the map.

Plenty of schools have club teams that are very talented. If your kid's school is already paid for, don't dismiss this possibility. If he loves the sport but isn't quite good enough, this is a valid way to continue playing. If he is good enough to play division 1, then you probably do need to consider junior hockey. The USHL seems well run, and while there are probably some issues to consider as a parent, I haven't heard of any as a fan (and I know a scout for one USHL team).