Girls Ice Hockey

Home / Information on Sports / Icehockey Scholarships USA ICE-HOCKEY SCHOLARSHIPS IN THE USA icehockey scholarships icehockey scholarships Sport at Universities and Colleges in the USA in general: The amateur sport in may countries is characterised by the division of sport clubs in club leagues. Competitive athletes usually practise their sport as members of traditional clubs and compete with other clubs in leagues according to the level of their competitiveness. In the USA, these traditional sport clubs do hardly exist. Competitive sports are almost exclusively practised at colleges or universities or the professional level. While athletes also compete in various leagues, the classification of teams within these leagues is not solely based on the level of their competitiveness, but rather on the size of the individual college or university. The following categories of divisions are distinguished: the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) I, II and III, and the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics). The NCAA I comprises of the biggest colleges and universities in the country. In general, it is fair to say that the level of sports practised in this division is the highest. However, the athletic strength of the individual teams varies greatly, and a strong team in one of the other divisions may well play at a higher level than a weaker team within the NCAA I. The NCAA II contains smaller universities and consequently a wide scope of teams on various competitive levels. The NCAA III is generally viewed as the weakest division. However, this league does not offer scholarships. The fourth league, the NAIA, can be compared to the level of the NCAA II in terms of the level of its teams, but it does not comprise as many sports. The best timing for a icehockey scholarship: The best time to go to the USA with a sport scholarship is right after graduation from high-school or up to two years after. As a rule, only athletes ages 18 - 24 can compete within the college leagues. Consequently, coaches are increasingly committing to younger athletes as this gives them the opportunity to work with the athletes for a longer period of time. Of course, it is also possible to go to the USA for one year only. However, with every season of sports practised in a club league after high-school, the athlete will lose one year of eligibility to play in the college leagues. The rule is: the earlier you go, the better!! Icehockey scholarships in general: Icehockey is a very popular sport for both men and women at American colleges and universities. Round about 1000 universities and colleges award one or more scholarships to very talented icehockey players which enables them to participate in collegiate and intercollegiate matches and possibly also national championships of the respective division. Competitive level among holders of icehockey scholarships: Athletes, who would like to compete in the NCAA I should compete at the highest amateur level in their respective countries. To compete in the NCAA II or NAIA, one should start in the 2nd or 3rd highest amateur league. Of course, this estimate can only be seen as a rough guideline an varies from country to country. Requirements for a icehockey scholarship: Athletic scholarships for icehockey can be arranged very well. For strong icehockey players on the level of the First Division the chances to receive a full scholarship are relatively good. In order to further raise the attractiveness of your profile and thus receive higher scholarship offers, it is important that you try to participate more in ranking tournaments in the time prior to your studies abroad. This will enable you to further improve your ranking. An athlete’s position in the national or regional ranking is not, of course, an aspect that can be relied on 100 %, as other factors may influence the level at which the individual athlete will compete. These factors include recent injuries and the length of time that the sport has been practised. Often the athlete’s potential is a vital aspect, as coaches know from experience that even moderate athletic performance can be boosted immensely with their intensive training methods. In these cases, detailed explanations, compelling photographs of the athlete in action and, most importantly, an excellent video according to our advice are even more important. To find out whether you have a chance of obtaining a icehockey scholarship and therefore being placed in a college team, please complete our non-binding and risk-free evaluation form so that we can get a detailed picture of who you are. If we estimate that you stand a chance to win a scholarship and be placed in a team, we will send you a document with detailed information about our services and the necessary procedures. Please understand that we will not (!) provide you with this document if we think that you do not have a chance of winning a scholarship, as we work by success-oriented terms and thus have to deny our services if we have doubts about an applicant. Icehockey training on a icehockey scholarship: Naturally, icehockey practice is not conducted in the same way at every university. In general, five practice sessions a week of 2 – 3 hours each are held on the icehockey court alone, and additional strength and conditioning training is required as well. As icehockey coaches are sometimes paid according to the success or performance of their teams, icehockey practice can seem tough compared to German standards and therefore also takes up a significant amount of the time spent at college. Because of the challenging training, icehockey players often reach previously unattained levels of fitness and performance while playing at college, and several go on to be professional athletes after they leave university. Icehockey season: Icehockey season of men and women always begins in winter (Fall Term/ August). Generally, it makes sense to apply for a icehockey scholarship beginning in autumn (Fall Term/ August), as you will already be part of the team during the training phase. However, it is vitally important to remember that the application process requires a certain amount of handling time, and applicants should therefore have themselves be evaluated at least three-quarters of a year in advance, or better, even earlier. It is also possible to arrange icehockey scholarships half a year after the season has begun, in spring, for instance if a player of the collegiate team has been injured and the coach needs to recruit backing athletes. At this point in the year, though the number of scholarships offered is rather limited, the chances to be placed immediately prior to the beginning of the season are not bad in icehockey. Icehockey National Championships WOMEN: NCAA I+II (together): March MEN: NCAA I+II: March IMPORTANT FOR ALL ATHLETES WHO RECEIVE A POSITIVE EVALUATION RESPONSE: Should you decide to study in the USA with an athletic scholarship, it is extremely important, especially if you play a ball sport, to produce a strong and demonstrative video. It is very difficult for coaches to visualize the actual playing level of, for example, a icehockey player on position two in the Third Division, unless he or she happens to have had a Third Division athlete from the same country on his or her team before. Therefore you need to be convincing by providing very detailed information on your history as an athlete on the one hand, and a strong video on the other hand. So take your time and try to produce the video exactly as explained in the video instructions. Keep in mind that you are competing for up to 45 000 US $ a year for a duration of four years. Therefore, the 160 € the Sports-Media-Team requires to professionally arrange the raw video material you provide on VHS is a necessary aspect of our services, without exception. Through this process we simply want to maximize your chances of obtaining the largest possible range of good scholarship offers. Regarding the content of the video: It is best if you are filmed for the duration of set during an official icehockey match or team game in your icehockey season. That will provide the Sports-Media-Team with suitable video material to produce a) a Highlight Video and b) a longer, not as heavily edited video. Your opponent should be of approximately equal strength, as you can not present your skills optimally when playing either a weaker or much stronger player. In addition you should also shoot material during training in which you focus on showing all basic hits, volleys, overhead shots and serves as well as drills from all aspects to show positioning, game tactics and legwork. Please keep in mind that the video should not only show your technique itself but also the following flight path and direction of the ball, so film the drills from both the front and back! Scholarship-Ticker Value of Scholarship-Offers for our Clients in the Year 2009/2010 over 20.400.000 US$ Ads