Women’s college hockey camps aren’t just an opportunity for high school hockey players to get time on the ice. Hockey camps can help recruits improve their visibility, compare their performance against players just as advanced as they are, as well as increase their exposure to college coaches.
FAQs about women’s hockey camps
- What to expect at college hockey camps
- How to choose the right girls hockey camp
- Is it important to compete in hockey tournaments?
What to expect at college hockey camps
Women’s ice hockey clinics
During ice hockey clinics, experts lead recruits through drills, mock games and player tips to help them improve their skillset. While most clinics focus on general skill development, student-athletes can find position-specific development clinics. Typically, hockey clinics run for a few hours or as long as an entire day.
Women’s ice hockey camps
Hockey camps generally run for a couple of days to a full week. Student-athletes can find both local or travel hockey camps to attend, some of which are held on college campuses and led by the head coach of the school’s program. Much like hockey clinics, student-athletes can expect to work on skill and technique development through drills and mock games. One of the main benefits of attending a college camp is the opportunity to explore the college campus and interact with the coaching staff. Aside from our list below, Global Hockey also provides a list of camps and clinics.
How to choose the right girls hockey camp
Not sure how to choose hockey camps that are a good fit for a recruit? Attending the right college hockey prospect camps can help recruits get noticed by college coaches as they develop their skillset and prepare for college hockey. To find the right hockey camp, we’ve outlined a few tips below.
Skill level
Find a camp that aligns with the recruit’s skill level. A recruit will benefit more from hockey camps where they are surrounded by other players who are at their same level and challenging them on the ice.
Exposure
Camps held on college campuses are often run by the coaching staff. This is a great opportunity for coaches to interact with and evaluate athletes to see their work ethic and what kind of player they are on the ice. In turn, athletes will receive valuable feedback from these established coaches, and, in some cases, they will make the coach’s list of potential recruits.
Location
There’s no need for underclassmen to travel far for a hockey camp. Recruits should reserve their funds for destination hockey camps until they are upperclassmen. At this point in their high school career, recruits’ skills are more refined. This better positions them for evaluation by college coaches running these camps.
Is it important to compete in hockey tournaments? Which tournaments should I attend?
Recruits should consider two main factors when selecting the right hockey tournament. First, consider the location of the tournament. High school underclassmen should focus on local and regional tournaments for skill development and experience. Once the recruit is an upperclassman with more refined skills and experience, then they should consider tournaments across the country.
Second, recruits should identify what tournaments college coaches typically attend. Start by identifying the college programs that the recruit is most interested in and research which tournaments those coaches have attended in the past. Below is a list of top hockey tournaments and showcases for exposure to college coaches:
- RinkSport Tournaments
- Rush Hockey Tournaments
- North American Premier Women’s Showcase
- College Hockey Showcase
- Beantown Classic (invite only)
Sign up for your free NCSA Recruiting Profile today to start getting on college coaches’ radar!