Opportunities In Hockey

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<P><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>       Why don't they just red-shirt me?</STRONG></FONT></P></DIV></DIV>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in" class=MsoListParagraph><FONT face=Calibri><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">The initial response of US hockey families who are familiar with college football when they learn college coaches want older players is often "What about the red-shirt?"<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Red-shirting, or sitting out a year while still practicing with a team allows a player to extend eligibility to a fifth season.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>Its origins go back to a day when few freshman played varsity college sports.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in" class=MsoListParagraph><FONT face=Calibri><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Hockey coaches don't often utilize the ‘red-shirt’ for freshman like football.</SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">This is a legitimate option for college coaches, but not frequently utilized in ice hockey.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in" class=MsoListParagraph><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>Why not?<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in" class=MsoListParagraph><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>First in D-I football, where red-shirting is very popular, there are far fewer games vs. practices, so a practice player gets to be with the team for most of the time they are in action. Second football systems are more complicated to learn, so when they actually do step on the field for a game players who have had a year to learn what is expected of them can hit the ground running.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>Third, at DI the coaches have a generous 85 football scholarships per school to hand out.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>Finally, because it is a fall sport, the red-shirt player really only has to stay in school 4.5 years to be with the team for 5 seasons.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in" class=MsoListParagraph><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>By contrast in hockey, a player can simply play juniors, get the additional experience, and come to college a year or two older and a year stronger.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>In fact, the coach can give out a scholarship to the high school student for a year or two out, and request they play juniors while waiting without using one of his precious 18 scholarships for a player who cannot play, and the player is not committing to stay at college for 5 full years (hockey ends in the spring term).<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>Players in Juniors can still take up to 12 credits without losing a year of eligibility while waiting. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For many players this is a better alternative than being on a college team and not dressing.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>Many also argue they are better suited to handle the rigors of college and practice a few years older and wiser. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>So the red-shirt remains an option and is used, but far less frequently than in some other sports.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in" class=MsoListParagraph><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>Note: the NCAA also grants “medical hardship waivers”, sometimes called a “medical redshirt” to players with season ending injuries in the first third of a season that play in less than 25% the team’s regular season games.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>This is by request and if approved could allow a player who missed most of a season to return to the school to play an extra year.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><I><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt"></SPAN></I> </P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><I><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">Article by George Haviland Jr. and Vinnie Dicks, Iceworld Consulting</SPAN></I><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><I><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">George and Vinnie co-authored "Your Hockey Future" a new guide for those pursuing college after high school.  <A href="http://www.iceworldconsulting.com/"><SPAN style="COLOR: blue">www.iceworldconsulting.com</SPAN></A></SPAN></I></P>
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