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Q: What can you do to get noticed by prep schools, or by the universities or colleges in Canada or the U.S.?

A: Getting noticed is the goal of every midget player. With your minor hockey years coming to a close, you are poised to make the jump to the next level. By the nature of your question, school also plays an important part in your future decisions. With regards to prep schools, generally speaking, they don't do much scouting. These schools let the quality of their programs speak for themselves. It is up to the player/student to bring themselves to the attention of the school. What we mean by this is you have to do some of the foot work on your own. First off, find out what the requirements are to be excepted to these schools. When contacting them for additional information, enquire specifically about the school's hockey program. You may also want to go that extra step and contact the school's coach directly. He'll be able to give you greater insight into the team, next season, and the steps to take to apply to the respective school. Another important thing to keep in mind when researching these schools is the funding options available. The tuition costs for American prep schools, and boarding schools in general, are very high.
      When it comes to getting noticed by universities or colleges, there are many avenues to take. Given the fact that you are still playing minor hockey, our first suggestion would be to pursue playing at the junior level. NCAA schools traditionally scout the Junior 'A' leagues of Canada and the U.S., as well as prep schools, for future players. Having a few years of junior on your resume will improve your chances for getting noticed. Within Canada, the same is also true for the CIAU and the CCAA (Canadian College). When recruiting players, these teams generally look for junior experience. Another factor to consider is that most players in the CIAU have played out their junior years and are thus much older. It is quite difficult to make the jump as an 18 year old to playing against seniors that are 24.
      With all this said, however, there is one important step to take in getting noticed. If you are waiting for junior teams and schools to come to you, you may be waiting a long time. It is important to be proactive in your career, and the best place to start is with self-promotion. First off, take a look at the 'Getting Noticed' section of our site. This will give you a good starting point. The first thing we advocate in doing is building a hockey resume and cover letter. Once you have this done, decide on which teams you want to market yourself to. While university hockey may be your goal, don't forget about Junior 'A'. At this stage in your career, it is important to keep your options open. Consider contacting teams in the AJHL, BCHL, NCAA, CIAU, and the CCAA. You can find contact information for the respective teams in the 'Leagues & Teams' section of our site. Once you have a short-list drawn up, send out your resume and cover letter to introduce yourself. Another important thing to do is sit down with your coach. Make him aware of your career aspirations. He should be able to give you some good advice and will undoubtedly help you with marketing you to teams.
      The important thing to remember in all this is to take it one step at a time. If the NHL is your dream, break down in stages the steps you need to take to get there. For now, your goal is to take that first step in realizing your dream.