Even though there are over 130 colleges and universities in North America that offer varsity women’s hockey programs, the competition to get the chance to play at that level is fierce.  Coaches & scouts are looking for a “triple threat”:

=> Great Athletics
=> Great Academics
=> Great Attitude

If you great in all three of these “A”s, it is much easier to stand out, get noticed and be recruited.  While you don’t need to be the best player in the country or be a straight A+ student, but being as strong as possible in all 3 of these areas will help you out dramatically as you go through this process.

I wanted to take a moment today to take you through the first A – ATHLETICS.  And while your skill level is critical, it’s not the only aspect that scouts are looking for when it comes to your athleticism.

Basic Skill
First and foremost, you must have the basic level of skill needed to play at the next level. Notice that I didn’t say “elite” level skill. Being an elite player will never hurt you, but in the beginning of the process, coaches & scouts just want to see that you can execute all the basic skills on the ice at a level that would allow you to compete at the next level.  This means that it is not necessary for you to have the greatest slap-shot in the world to get noticed.  But you have to be able to skate, pass, shoot and stickhandle at a pretty high level.  Having any big holes in your game – for example, skating that is below average – will count against you at this point in the process.

Game Sense
Once they have established that you have the basic skills, scouts are looking at your game sense.  Do you know where to be when you don’t have the puck?  How do you create time and space for yourself and your teammates?  Do you make good decisions under pressure?  Game sense is much harder to teach than the basic skill, but it is absolutely critical if you want to get to, and excel at, the next level.  If your game sense is terrific, you may even be able to make up for any basic skills that are lacking in the beginning of this process.

Competitiveness
Every player wants to win.  But how do you compete on a shift-to-shift and a game-to-game basis?  True competitors will do anything to win a race to the puck or a battle along the boards. You must work as hard in the 3rd period as you do in the first.  You’ll block shots, make the effort to make the 2nd and 3rd save, and back-check at full speed even when it looks like there is no way you will catch up to the play.  You’re either a “gamer” or you’re not. You can’t fake it.

Consistency
As I mentioned above, coaches want to see you work as hard in the 3rd period as you do in the first.  They need to know that you are as effective in the 3rd game of a tournament as you are in the first game.  If the coach gets the chance to watch you play more than once, do they see the same type of player every time or are you unpredictable?  You aren’t going to play a perfect game every time you hit the ice, but coaches want to know that you can be relied upon to the deliver the same level of effort and focus game in and game out for an entire season. This is after all exactly what they need you to do when you get to the college/university level. This is easier said than done, but it is very important.

Potential
No one expects you to be a perfect player right now.  You are a work in progress and coaches understand that.  They know that after playing varsity hockey for a few years that you should be a dramatically better player.  They want to be able to have a sense of just how much better you can be with more time on the ice, more high level coaching, and more training.  Some players will thrive at the next level and some will level off. Coaches would always prefer to work with players who have the potential to improve dramatically.  How can they gauge your potential?  If they watch you a couple of times over the course of the season, they want to see that you’ve improved.  If they see you over the course of a few seasons, they want to see that you are more of an impact player.  They will talk to your coach and ask about your work ethic and coachability. If you work extremely hard and are very coachable, the sky should be the limit in terms of your potential.

Off The Ice
Ten years ago, it might have been enough to be a great player on the ice to get recruited.  Coaches and scouts may notice you from your on-ice play, but they will definitely want to know that you are as committed to becoming a great athlete off the ice as you are on the ice. After all, the best athletes are the best players.  Make sure that you are doing your off-ice training to get stronger, faster and fitter. Taking care of your nutrition and mental preparation are absolutely critical.  Your commitment to excellence off the ice translates directly to your performance on the ice.  Coaches and scouts know this and they are looking for players who already have this foundation in place before they get to the next level.

Last but not least, you have to find ways to separate yourself from your competition. Do you just do what the rest of your teammates do? Are you going above and beyond what your coach is asking you to do?  The best players I’ve ever coached constantly do more than the rest of their teammates. My best shooters practice their shots the most and still take shooting lessons.  The best skill players are doing extra skill sessions on their own in addition to all the ice times we do together.  The fittest players are doing much more working out than the 2 days a week we do with our team.  There’s no mystery to being better and standing out – if you do more, you have the opportunity to achieve more.

Work Hard. Dream BIG.  Do More.

Your friend and coach,

Kim

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS
Director & Founder, Total Female Hockey
www.totalfemalehockey.com