Have you noticed the love for hockey in your little child? Hone that talent into a professional skill by enrolling them in a hockey preparatory school. Do not just enroll them in any prep school. Please bring them to one of these 10 best hockey prep schools in the USA.
Gone are the days when hockey was just a fun sport. It has become an internationally recognized sport and a befitting career.
The schools we have listed below will start from a tender age to train your little kids to become resilient, independent, skillful, and successful.
Even if your ward will go on to choose another career path, enroll them in the best hockey prep schools so they can get a glimpse of what it feels like to pursue a dream. It will come in handy in later careers for them.
Below is an outline of what we will discuss in this post.
Table of contents
- What Are Hockey Prep Schools?
- Is Attending Hockey Prep School Really Worth It?
- What Is The Difference Between Ice Hockey And Field Hockey?
- Top Hockey Prep Schools for Girls Only?
- What Are The Best Hockey Preparatory Schools for Boys?
- Best Boarding Hockey Prep Schools
- Are There Financial Aid for High School Students In Hockey Prep Schools?
- 10 Best Hockey Prep Schools In USA For Both Ice and Field Hockey | 2023
- FAQS on 10 Best Hockey Prep Schools In USA | 2023
- Conclusion
- References
- Recommendation
What Are Hockey Prep Schools?
Prep schools are university preparatory schools for students from grades 9 to 12. Usually, they are co-educational, meaning they are for both male and female students.
In addition, the student-to-teacher ratio is always small and the class size small. Although some prep schools are boarding schools, there are still day prep schools.
Basically, hockey preparatory schools are designed to hone children’s talent in hockey. This is because prep schools have their own facilities, rinks, teams and they participate in tournaments. Students start all these exercises from grade 9 which is a tender age.
Read: Best Football Prep Schools in the USA | 2023 Rankings
Is Attending Hockey Prep School Really Worth It?
Is it really worth it to attend a preparatory school? Yes, it is. Here are a few points to prove my notion.
Coaches and parents who see potential in a young hockey player should consider sending him to a preparatory school as a means to further develop his skill set.
Secondly, learning expectations and academic curriculums also differ. Students who attend preparatory schools tend to be more mature than those that don’t.
This is because the students are forced to develop study skills and independent life skills more quickly than other students who commute from home.
Furthermore, hockey preparatory schools attract international attention. This is particularly great for students who wish to pursue a full-time career in hockey. Unlike regular schools, preparatory schools tend to have their own ice rinks. This allows the students to practice for long hours and even during the weekends.
What Is The Difference Between Ice Hockey And Field Hockey?
Ice and field hockey aims to score a goal in the opponent’s net. The difference is in how they are played, the number of players and location, and the gear used.
Starting the difference from where they are played. As the name suggests, field hockey is played on gravel, grass or artificial turf while ice hockey is played on ice.
Secondly, the field for field hockey is twice as large as the rink used for ice hockey. In addition, the goal of field hockey is more significant than ice games of hockey.
Ice hockey is mainly played in Canada and United states.
Ice hockey has twenty players, six on the ice attimeme tFiveme. 5 are on the ice, one is the goalkeeper, provided there are no penalties. For field hockey, there are sixteen in a team, eleven are on the field playing per time. No one is the goalkeeper unlike in ice hockey.
Ice hockey rink is usually indoors. Field hockey is played outdoors
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Again, Ice hockey uses lots of protective equipment that include a shin guard, shoulder and elbow pads, padded pants, helmets, and gloves. On the other hand, field hockey uses less gear, and some players can wear goggles and shin pads optionally.
Now, going to the type of ball used, field hockey is played using hardball whereas ice hockey uses a rubber disc or puck which is frozen before the game to avoid bounce and friction.
Lastly, the hockey stick. For ice hockey, the stick is shaped like a letter j. Field hockey is played with an l-shaped stick that has a blade at the bottom
Top Hockey Prep Schools for Girls Only?
There are not as many all-girls preparatory schools as there are male prep schools. But, there is still all-girls prep school for hockey in the US. Most of them are boarding schools that offer hockey as an interscholastic sport. Here are some of them;
It s worthy of note that the girl-prep schools we have listed are for both field hockey and ice hockey.
- St. Timothy’s School Stevenson
- Buffalo Seminary New York
- Chatham Hall High School
- Dana Hall
- Emma Willard School
What Are The Best Hockey Preparatory Schools for Boys?
There are many great hockey preparatory schools for boys. However, we will list some of them. They include;
- Avon Old Farms
- The Salisbury school
- Harvard-Westlake School
- The Greenwood School
- Hillside School
- Georgetown Preparatory School
Best Boarding Hockey Prep Schools
There are so many boarding hockey prep schools in the US. In fact, boarding school reviews names more than 100 as the top boarding schools for hockey preparatory. These schools offer hockey preparatory as an interscholastic sport. Because they are numerous, we will list some of them.
- Ashbury College
- Amerigo Catholic High school
- Brooks School
- Hebron Academy
- The Governors Academy
- Lawrence Academy
To read more about the boarding hockey prep schools. We have a post dedicated to it. Do well to read it.
Are There Financial Aid for High School Students In Hockey Prep Schools?
Although every school has financial aid for high school students that demonstrate financial need and even merit scholarships, there are numerous awards for high school students in the USA. Some of these awards are for high school seniors and the likes.
Some of the Best High School Awards In USA for high school students in the USA can be seen as well as Ned Mcwherther.
Do you live in New England? Here are the Prep schools for you.
10 Best Hockey Prep Schools In USA For Both Ice and Field Hockey | 2023
The schools we have listed below are ranked using the following information;
Accreditation: This is the first and most notable ranking criteria. All the prep schools accredited rank higher than those that aren’t. However, all our schools are accredited.
Year Of Establishment: Another factor we considered is the years in which the schools were established. Most older schools have more experience in hockey tournaments than newer ones.
Tournaments won: Those best preparatory schools in the USA that have won tournaments are also ranked better. If you participate in a sport with international recognition, we expect you to have won or two tournaments to prove your efficiency.
Notable Alumni: To also show your credibility in the sport of hockey are notable alumni from your prep school in the USA going on to pursue the sport as a career.
#10 Choate Rosemary
Choate Rosemary is a boarding and day school for hockey preparation of students from 9th grade through postgraduates.
You can join two teams in this best hockey prep school for the boy’s ice hockey games. They are; Boys Varsity Ice hockey or Boys J.V. Ice hockey.
There is also an option for girls ice hockey. In conclusion, it is our number 10 in the list of best hockey schools in USA.
Also, read: 13 Best Prep Schools In Virginia, USA | 2023 Rankings
#9 Shattuck St. Mary
Located in a small rural town in Minnesota called Faribault, a new rink was constructed in 2005 that is home to seven Shattuck-St—Mary’s Hockey teams, as well as the Figure Skating team.
The hockey students in St. Mary have exclusive access to the use of the arena for practice and games. The New Rink holds 600 fans and uses geothermal technology to maintain high-quality ice all of the time. Connected to The Barn as well as the locker rooms and training facility, the New Rink of this notable USA hockey preparatory school is the place to be on game night.
In addition, the Notable Alumnus is Sydney Crosby, Zach Parise, Jack Johnson, Nathan MacKinnon, and many more.
#8 The Salisbury school
Founded in 1901, the Salisbury school is an all-boys private college-preparatory school located in Connecticut.
Furthermore, The hockey team is called the Crimson Knights. Apparently, this hockey preparatory school team has recorded 26 wins against just four losses. It has won a total of five New England Division I Championships.
We already said that preparatory schools for hockey in the USA that are for both males and females will rank higher. Because of that, this is our number eight.
Furthermore, Notable Alumni are Mark Arcobello, Paul Carey, Alex Biega.
#7 Noble and Greenough School
Whether you are an experienced hockey player or new to the sport, Nobles has a team for each level, including varsity, JV, and middle school co-ed alongside the female team.
Although Nobles is made up of primarily Massachusetts natives, and its tuition exceeded $50,000 last school year, several high profile prospects from around the state enroll due to their campus beauty and renowned athletic facilities.
Lastly, Notable alumni are Kevin Hayes, Mark Fayne. It also is the 7th on our list of best hockey prep schools in USA.
#6 Culver Military Academy
Located in northern Indiana, this military academy’s hockey team has produced 26 NHL draft picks.
In the first 32 years of hockey at Culver, Military Academy they have built a program that has amassed 20 state championships, in addition to producing 148 college players – including 70 at the Division I level – and 22 National Hockey League draft picks.
Lastly, the notable alumni are Jean-Michael Liles, Ryan Suter, Gary Suter.
#5 Cushing Academy
Basically Cushing has been in existence since 1865 as a co-education college preparatory boarding and day school for students in grades 9-12. And also for PG students.
This hockey prep school is one of the best on our list. It has been recognized nationally and in New England’s prep school ice hockey association which it is a member of.
The penguins of Cushing Academy have secured two New England Elite Championships, one Large School Championship, and 21 in-season tournament championships.
Lastly, Cushing boasts as one of the top hockey prep school rinks in the country along with its world-class facilities. Furthermore, they also have dedicated coaches who teach the off-ice hockey program throughout the year.
Notable alumni include Connor Sheary, Chris Bourque, Keith Yandle.
#4 Phillips Academy Andover
Typically, if you type best hockey prep schools, Philips is one of the schools you will see. It is that good.
Founded in 1776, this USA best hockey preparatory school has both male and female teams. The girls’ hockey program at Phillips Academy has a long and successful tradition as one of the oldest high school girls’ programs in the country.
Importantly, it is also easy to get into. Lastly, some of the Notable alumni are Chris Kreider, Cory Schneider, Garnet Hathaway.
#3 Deerfield Academy
Suppose you want to attend an Ivy League or NESCAC school. In that case, you should consider Deerfield Academy, as the education-hockey combination has led to nearly 30 commitments to those two leagues over the last eight years.
Hockey has been at the core of Deerfield’s culture since the program’s inaugural season in 1922. Deerfield won the 2016 Flood-Marr, defeating Nobles, KUA, and Milton en route to the championship. In addition, the girl’s team badged New England Division I Championship in 2001.
Lastly, Notable alumnus for this preparatory school for hockey in the USA is Ben Lovejoy, Alex Killorn.
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#2 The Taft School
With just over 600 students, the Taft School, a hockey prep school, is consistently ranked in the top 20 among prep schools in both education and athletics.
The Taft School is a private, coeducational school located in Watertown, Connecticut, United State for College preparatory programs in Hockey.
Apparently, hockey has been played in this prep school since its inception in 1890. They were the first to have an indoor ice surface in 1950. It is two; Mays and Odden Arena.
In addition, a Notable alumnus is Max Pacioretty.
#1 Avon Old Farms
This all-boys best hockey prep school located in the mountains in Connecticut definitely has one of the more creative mascots in sports—the Winged Beavers.
As the premier prep school hockey program in New England, it has demonstrated the consistent ability to produce winning teams and develop successful players. Their facilities are top-notch.
The team is led by legendary coach John Gardner and has won eight Division 1 New England Championships, including five between 2004 and 2010 and nine Founder’s League championships.
The Notable alumni are many including Brian Leetch, Jonathan Quick, Nick Bonino, Cam Atkinson, Spencer Knight. It is our second-best USA hockey preparatory school.
FAQS on 10 Best Hockey Prep Schools In USA | 2023
Most prep schools do not give hockey scholarships, while some do. However, financial aid is available, with most of these best hockey prep schools in USA offering merit scholarships for exceptional students and need-based aid for those who can’t afford the total price.
Avon Old Farms
The Taft School
Deerfield Academy
Philips Academy Andover
Cushing Academy
Starting the difference from where they are played. As the name suggests, field hockey is played on gravel, grass, or artificial turf while ice hockey is played on ice.
Secondly, the field for field hockey is twice as large as the rink used for ice hockey. In addition, the goal of field hockey is more extensive than ice hockey.
Conclusion
Although there are so many hockey prep schools in the USA, we have successfully reduced the list to the best 10. Carefully read through. The link to the schools has also been written so you can apply to the school. World Scholarship Forum wishes you the best.
References
- https://pregameskate.substack.com
- https://www.timturkhockey.com/
- www.boardingschoolreview.com
- https://en.calameo.com/
