What Women’s College Hockey Scouts Are Looking For

By Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS

The women’s hockey world is becoming more and more competitive every year.  Not only are team and players at the elite level getting better and better, but there are more girls hockey players joining the competitive ranks of the game each year.  Aspiring girls’ hockey players who want to play at the college level and beyond need to find ways to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.  Ten years ago, talent alone would have been enough to get you noticed.  Today, it’s not.

Coaches need to see more, and it’s the players who are willing to demand more of themselves on a daily basis that are going to make it to the next level and excel there.

There are a lot of skilled girls hockey players out there. And sometimes it’s hard for scouts to separate two prospects based solely on their on-ice ability.  And that’s where a player’s dedication to being the best off the ice comes into play.  It’s what you do off the ice that can separate you from everyone else in the eyes of the scouts. 

Every player looking to get to the next level is committed to working hard on the ice.  It’s easy to be motivated to be the best when everyone is watching.  To stand out from the crowd, you have to be just as committed to being the best off the ice as you are to being the best on the ice. 

How motivated are you to become the best when no one else is looking?

I can guarantee you that the players who are warming up before every game and cooling down afterwards are the ones who will stand out in the eyes of the scouts.

It’s not that the scouts are watching what you do to prepare before the game or what your recovery program looks like afterwards.  But it’s that dedication to doing all these “little” things that will make a huge difference in the way you perform on a daily basis tht will separate you from the rest of the pack.  The better you feel, the better you will perform and the more you will stand out.  It only takes 10 minutes before you head out on the ice and 10 minutes after you get off the ice to completely transform the way you feel and perform in every single girls hockey game that you play.

Are you working as hard in your off-ice training in the off-season as you are on the ice during the regular season?  Are you warming-up before every ice session and cooling down afterwards?  Are you taking the time to work on your mental game?  Are you eating the right kinds of food to fuel your best performance?  Some girls hockey players want to play at the next level, some wish it would happen, and others MAKE it happen by doing all of these "little" things on a consistent basis.

If you want to be the best female hockey player possible, you have to commit to do all the little things that make players great.  That’s how you are going to stand out in the eyes of the scouts.  The message is simple:  Your hockey skills may allow you to compete at this level of girls hockey, but it’s your off-ice dedication that is going to allow you to get to the next level of women’s hockey.

© Total Female Hockey 2008

Kim McCullough, YCS, MSc, is a Athletic Development Specialist and founder of Total Female Hockey. In addition to training and coaching girls at all levels of hockey, from novice to the National team, Kim has also played at the highest level of women’s hockey in the world for the last decade. Kim’s female player development website features a state-of-the-art Complete Off-Season Training Program and her blog gives the coaches and parents of aspiring young players access to the most up-to-date tips and advice on how to help their players take their game to the next level. To learn more about female-specific player development, get your Free Report: The #1 Mistake Female Players Make in the Off-Season at http://www.totalfemalehockey.com