Re: PWHL coach

Hamilton, Amherst, Williams, Bowdoin

I have only heard of Amherst and from they sent, it had some very reasonable undergraduate programs. However, this is true of most schools. The key is not the school but the programs, as in departments, faculties (not schools) that allow progress towards a particular degree which is then granted by the school. Most school D1, D3 and CIS schools have some strong and some weak programs. If your child is fortunate enough to know what they want to study, then investigate the programs they are interested in. If they don't know what they want to study, find a broad based educational program that allows for specialization after a common first year. However, if your child knows what they want to study, then investigate specific programs and find out what they will be taking and more. Unfortunately, this is largely done by talking to friends and most students do not ask the appropriate questions. As an example, if you know your child wants to study Kinesiology, selecting an Ivy school might be a mistake as most of these schools (I have not checked all of them) do not have these types of programs. Hence, while they may get a good well rounded liberal arts or even good science based education, it could be limited compared to what is offered in Canada and other places with programs designed to educate in this area. This type of student athlete might be better off staying in Canada. I don't mean to bash the Ivys, they do very well at what they do and they are a good choice for many but certainly not all.

Going to a school for its athletics is foolish as you may find yourself not enjoying the academic part. Remember, it won't be the fact that you played on a varsity team that gets you a job and fulfillment in later life (you are not going pro), it will be your degree combined with what other things you do. These young women are not going to become professional hockey players so do not make the mistake of modeling your thoughts like many of the misguided males whose only route to the NBA or NFL is via school.

Does anyone have statistics on how many Canadians do not finish their NCAA degree and return to Canada?