Interested in knowing the daily time commitment players must give (a) to a top D1 program; (b) to a D1 program at a top school, but a lower-ranked program (i.e., Dartmouth, Princeton, Holy Cross); and (c) a D3 program at a top school (i.e., Williams, Amhurst, Bentley). I assume the time commitment goes from pre-season in, say, August until playoffs end.

Appreciate informed responses.

Thanks.

My kid pla*** for a Hockey East school, it's pretty much 365 days per year, with a few weeks off here and there.

I get that. But how many hours of day during Fall and Winter semester, including skates, workouts, video, meetings, etc?

I don't know how it is with hockey, but I have one boy in a different NCAA sport. He is involved with team activities between 6 and 9 hours a day, and all day on "game days". He takes 12 credit hours, with easier classes, during peak season, and takes 15 hours in the other semester. He also takes a few classes, including his most difficult classes, over the summer.

He is super tired all the time.

I should add that some majors were not doable.

and Bentley is not close to Williams and Amherst academically

Who cares? Just like on this ice, it all depends on the person and what's inside them.

Besides with those schools you have to accept you're paying a ton for them to get brainwashed with ultra-woke culture the next 4 years.

To the super proud D-3 dad who gets on here and babbles about how great the hockey is - "I should add that some majors were not doable."

This is exactly why kids chose to play Club hockey in college. Not every kid wants to be a Communications, Phy-ed or General Studies major.

Try playing an NCAA sport and do a STEM major...only if you can function at a high level on 4 hours of sleep.

My oldest son left the USHL to major in Chemical Engineering at a good school (his choice of schools, his choice of majors). Club hockey was fun and social for him and he could have picked any D-3 program in the country to play D-3 hockey.

You my friend are a tool bag….

Oops. I meant to say Babson, not Bentley. My bad.

Here was the rough daily schedule at a Big 10 school for hockey...

6a-9a - Weight Lifting/Cardio/Pilates/Yoga/Etc.
9a - 2p - Classes
2p - 5/6p - On Ice/Meetings/Video
6p - 9p - Sometimes night classes/Homework until done
11p - Hopefully done with everything and going to bed

Away game weekends travel on Thursdays. Miss classes and makeup work with professor on return. Sometimes had tutor travel with team. Had study time in hotel while away.

During hockey season semester took 1 or 2 classes less than regular students. Took those classes in the summer to catch up.

It's a lot of work and time commitment to balance both school and hockey. The Big 10 is not the Ivy schools for school work, but they are all good schools with good academic re****tions.

My son has almost an identical scheulde..

He is at a CC high school.

Relax dads.

Hockey is a grind, the schedule for a high school or full season team with a coach who takes it serious rivals that of a college schedule, depending on school workload. It's a lot, but by college they should be either used to it or burnout and don't want to do it anymore, hence the major improvement in club teams over the past ten years.

This is an important topic. It is not easy handle both school and a D1 sport. It is even tougher to handle a D1 sport at a good school with a rigorous major. Either way, the kid gives up much of the "college experience" because so much of their time is spent on their sport.

It really depends on what you value, and you should ensure that your kid goes into with with both eyes open after a serious analysis of what it involves, and what he might be giving up.

I hate the term "College Experience".
Being lucky enough to play their favorite sport at the D1 level, and attending for free, is the "college experience" that 99.9% of others dream of.

Not many get a free ride. . . unless the kid's youth hockey has completely bankrupted the family.

"It takes incredible dedication to do this AND survive a rigorous major."

Sounds like the kid is missing his 'college experience' mentioned previously!

Hahahaha.

I had a girl play D1 hockey for an Ivy and she was an engineering major. I have to hand it to her. Schedule was 5:30 AM to 11:00PM just about every day. Throw in the travel and missing school and she had her hands full. There was zero time for any of the normal college social scene. Choices you have to make.

That's a good example of a different "college experience", and a good example. Proof there is no one "college experience", it's what you make it and different for everyone.
Everyone complains but in most situations there is plenty of free time in college. Its how you spend that free time that defines your "college experience".
Unfortunately when many talk about not playing a sport so their kid can have the "college experience" they are actually saying they want their kid to spend that free time on the social scene, frat parties, drinking until you're sick, and experimenting with drugs and sex instead of at the library, gym and rink. Good luck with that.