Over the course of the last 3 days, I have spoken to hundreds of parents and players who are searching for the elusive “S” word – the hockey “scholarship”. Over the last 6 years, I have asked every college hockey coach I know what players can do to make sure that they are prepared to play at the next level.

There are two tips that come up again and again – and neither one has to do with on-ice skill or ability…

Here are 2 critical things that aspiring girls hockey players must do off the ice if they want to play on the ice at the college level:

1) Get your schooling straight:

When you are trying to figure out what schools you are interested in attending, make sure that you are making your decision based on the academic programs that the school offers.  That may sound weird since you are also choosing the school based on their hockey program, but make sure that the schools you are choosing between have an academic program that you are interested in.  After all, hockey will only last for so long and you want to make sure that you’ve got a degree in hand that will allow you to get a job after hockey is done.

2) Play more sports:

This might sound a little strange too – especially if you are being recruited for hockey. First and foremost, college coaches want players who are great all-around athletes.  Coaches can teach you all the skills and strategies you need to know once you get there.  Every coach I speak to says that there are looking for the best all-around athletes and the best way to be a great athlete is to play other sports in addition to hockey.  It doesn’t matter which sports you choose – soccer, lacrosse, basketball – they are all going to help. To be a great hockey player, you need to be a great athlete first.

Remember – being a great player ON the ice means that you need to be a great student and athlete OFF the ice.