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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Realistically, what is the path from mites to college hockey?  Doesn't even have to be D1 hockey ... I would be thrilled if my hockey-loving kid played DIII hockey in the NESCAC, for example.

My husband and I were both college athletes, and we both had a very positive experience and would love to see our son play a sport in college, but we know very little about hockey.  My kid's unexpected obsession for the sport has my questioning what we are getting into.  I hear about people from our rink sending their kids away from home at 15, 16, and 17 to live with billet families, then taking gap years to play junior hockey, before they can even start playing in college.

Tell it to me straight! Thanks. 
[/quote]

I have a HS senior who has played hockey since he was 4-years old and is interested in playing in college.  As others have said, its very early in the game for your kid, but its great that he's having fun.  Its a great sport.  There are actually many paths to college hockey, but the two principal ones are:  (1) playing "junior" hockey, which is amateur hockey for boys of any age from 16-20, or (2) going to a prep school (most, but not all, are in New England).  Not many boys will be able to play NCAA hockey (either D1 or D3) as an 18-year old.  Most college coaches will want boys to play at least a year or two of juniors after HS (even after prep school) in order to allow for additional physical development. There is not comparable junior system for girls, so they will generally head straight for college.

My kid has played in Virginia his entire "career," but many of his former teammates and local opponents have left and gone elsewhere (either NJ, New England, Minnesota or Canada).  This is not something you need to worry about for a while.  Depending on what happens this season, its possible that my son might defer his college admission for a year to go play juniors to see whether there is a good college/hockey fit for him.

The top two teams in the DMV are the Washington Little Capitals and Team Maryland.  These are so-called Tier 1 clubs. But there are plenty of good Tier 2 clubs around as well.  My kid has played Tier 1 for a long time (which typically will involve more travel and be more expensive), but I don't think its necessary to go to Tier 1 until you kid is a Bantam (13), or even a Midget (15).

Also, when the time comes, don't overlook ACHA (American College Hockey Association) hockey.  It is not run by the NCAA, but is a great experience for many kids at the college level. [/quote]

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