OP Here, so what do all of these hockey kids do at Prep school from September-November with no ice? I assume they must hit the gym or forced to play another sport? I guess if parents live close enough or day students they can travel to play 1/2 season tournaments?
So you get a kid who has played Hockey for 9-10 months a year since they were 10-12 in order to get into a school, now they are in and only play true team hockey for 5 months.. Something not adding up...I guess staying home and playing club hockey is a better option for a non scholar hockey player.
OP Here, so what do all of these hockey kids do at Prep school from September-November with no ice? I assume they must hit the gym or forced to play another sport? I guess if parents live close enough or day students they can travel to play 1/2 season tournaments?
So you get a kid who has played Hockey for 9-10 months a year since they were 10-12 in order to get into a school, now they are in and only play true team hockey for 5 months.. Something not adding up...I guess staying home and playing club hockey is a better option for a non scholar hockey player.
Kids at NH schools and MA schools near NH border play Fall Prep. No exposure but keeps them playing every weekend. Others play split season and mom and dad drive.
IMO, if school is not your clear priority, you are definitely right that club would be a better route. Problem is in this area the full season club hockey at the 16u and 18u level is pretty weak. Probably why so many clearly NOT academically focused people aroubd here send their kids to private day schools with strong hockey programs.
OP Here, so what do all of these hockey kids do at Prep school from September-November with no ice? I assume they must hit the gym or forced to play another sport? I guess if parents live close enough or day students they can travel to play 1/2 season tournaments?
So you get a kid who has played Hockey for 9-10 months a year since they were 10-12 in order to get into a school, now they are in and only play true team hockey for 5 months.. Something not adding up...I guess staying home and playing club hockey is a better option for a non scholar hockey player.
Kids at NH schools and MA schools near NH border play Fall Prep. No exposure but keeps them playing every weekend. Others play split season and mom and dad drive.
IMO, if school is not your clear priority, you are definitely right that club would be a better route. Problem is in this area the full season club hockey at the 16u and 18u level is pretty weak. Probably why so many clearly NOT academically focused people aroubd here send their kids to private day schools with strong hockey programs.
NE Fall Prep League is "mixed" at best. Some decent teams, mostly pickup hockey, no practices, only games where kids that don't have a conflict show up. Remember, Prep kids have to play a sport every season and a lot of those games are on weekends.
The better Prep kids play in a handful of very strong half season teams, like the River Rats, Yale Bulldogs, teams like that.
And, then there are the kids that play full season instead. Not every prep team has good hockey, and those that do recruit internationally. So, you get "tweener" players, especially lower classmen, that won't play much until they are Juniors. Or, the program isn't that strong, so they could top out.
I don't know where the poster's assessment of U16 and U18 is coming from. The only reason BA and NHJM have iffy records is because the league is so strong that it feeds the USHL. In the USPHL, BJB, IHC etc. are good - not great - hockey, but lots of ice, lots of games, to help a younger player develop. Weak? Poster has probably has never seen a game.
Anyway, the better players are playing more hockey, not less, when they get to Prep School. Year round, mostly.
Many schools have Ice year round and in most cases when they don't it's in by September or October. Also, many schools allow upperclassman to opt out of one or two seasons outside of hockey and concentrate on their sport of choice. Prep season is a little too short and has it's challenges. Independents like Shattucks, Selects & Northwood have the ideal set up for those hockey-centric types Last few years Prep has gotten younger and watered down slightly but still a great option if you can swing it.