Why Play Oliver Ames Hockey
Why Stay In Town?
Private Schools/Prep Schools
At Oliver Ames High School you will have access to the same high standard of education experiences without the overwhelming costs and still be in the same position as the student/athlete who attended a private school. Take advantage of the opportunity to play four years with your home town high school and then take your next step, be it prep school or junior hockey. You will get the help you need here at O.A. to achieve your goals.
There is no need to rush into prep school and there is no reason why you can not have a successful high school career at Oliver Ames. Some players consider prep school if they have run out of competition at the high school level. If a player has several more years of high school ahead of them and you are satisfied with your academic program, then you most likely should hold off on prep school. Staying here at O.A. will help you to develop skills that will benefit you in a prep school career down the road, should you choose to pursue one. Keep in mind, unless you are completely dominating the high school ranks, then you most likely still have something to prove here in high school. (Win a state title)
Junior Hockey
Currently many of the junior hockey programs are selecting a majority of 18-to-20 year olds for their Junior ‘A’ teams. (Look at their rosters) Leaving high school before you are a senior means that you will likely find yourself playing on an lower tier team or ‘B’ team. These levels do not represent the highest level of junior hockey in New England. There should be no rush to play juniors; play your four years and develop your game in high school. There would be nothing like winning a Hockomock title or state title at Oliver Ames surrounded by your family, friends, and community. At O.A. we have the coaching staff to help you along, with staff members who’ve coached and played at the junior and private school levels.
Junior hockey is undoubtedly a great opportunity for meeting your goal of playing college hockey after graduating high school. However there is no reason to rush into junior hockey; it will be there when you graduate. The opportunity to play with the guys you have grown up with and in your community will not always be there. You have only four short years!
Take a Look at the College Ranks
By looking at college hockey rosters and talking to many hockey coaches who coach at the collegiate level; one can see the typical player they are pursuing is between the ages of 19 and 21. Success at the collegiate level is all about the effort that you put into your game; on and off the ice. Here at O.A. we want to help you take the next step in your hockey future.
Coaches Commitment To The Student Athlete
Here at Oliver Ames High School we have three distinct goals for our student/athletes:
1.) We want to help you receive a great education.
2.) We want to help you develop your game for the next level of hockey.
3.) We want to help you prepare you for life after school and hockey.
We have adopted a set of beliefs that we feel can help you reach these goals.
We call them The Four D’s: Determination, Desire, Dedication, and Discipline.
Take the time to watch this presentation by the Massachusetts Coaches Association. This video brings the high school experience to life through the eyes of various high school players such as Ted Donato and Bob Sweeney (Both former Boston Bruins).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw5l4aC9y6I
At Oliver Ames High School you will have access to the same high standard of education experiences without the overwhelming costs and still be in the same position as the student/athlete who attended a private school. Take advantage of the opportunity to play four years with your home town high school and then take your next step, be it prep school or junior hockey. You will get the help you need here at O.A. to achieve your goals.
There is no need to rush into prep school and there is no reason why you can not have a successful high school career at Oliver Ames. Some players consider prep school if they have run out of competition at the high school level. If a player has several more years of high school ahead of them and you are satisfied with your academic program, then you most likely should hold off on prep school. Staying here at O.A. will help you to develop skills that will benefit you in a prep school career down the road, should you choose to pursue one. Keep in mind, unless you are completely dominating the high school ranks, then you most likely still have something to prove here in high school. (Win a state title)
Junior Hockey
Currently many of the junior hockey programs are selecting a majority of 18-to-20 year olds for their Junior ‘A’ teams. (Look at their rosters) Leaving high school before you are a senior means that you will likely find yourself playing on an lower tier team or ‘B’ team. These levels do not represent the highest level of junior hockey in New England. There should be no rush to play juniors; play your four years and develop your game in high school. There would be nothing like winning a Hockomock title or state title at Oliver Ames surrounded by your family, friends, and community. At O.A. we have the coaching staff to help you along, with staff members who’ve coached and played at the junior and private school levels.
Junior hockey is undoubtedly a great opportunity for meeting your goal of playing college hockey after graduating high school. However there is no reason to rush into junior hockey; it will be there when you graduate. The opportunity to play with the guys you have grown up with and in your community will not always be there. You have only four short years!
Take a Look at the College Ranks
By looking at college hockey rosters and talking to many hockey coaches who coach at the collegiate level; one can see the typical player they are pursuing is between the ages of 19 and 21. Success at the collegiate level is all about the effort that you put into your game; on and off the ice. Here at O.A. we want to help you take the next step in your hockey future.
Coaches Commitment To The Student Athlete
Here at Oliver Ames High School we have three distinct goals for our student/athletes:
1.) We want to help you receive a great education.
2.) We want to help you develop your game for the next level of hockey.
3.) We want to help you prepare you for life after school and hockey.
We have adopted a set of beliefs that we feel can help you reach these goals.
We call them The Four D’s: Determination, Desire, Dedication, and Discipline.
Take the time to watch this presentation by the Massachusetts Coaches Association. This video brings the high school experience to life through the eyes of various high school players such as Ted Donato and Bob Sweeney (Both former Boston Bruins).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw5l4aC9y6I
Why High School Hockey?
Highly Qualified Coaches and Personal Development
MIAA High School Coaches must care about the development of the student athlete as a complete person. High school is a time when young people are developing socially and mentally and a prospective college athlete will be better prepared for a college campus if they lead a life engaged in school activities. High School hockey is all about playing multiple sports, striving for academic success, good attendance, proper behavior at school, and promoting your school community through sport. Unlike for profit leagues high school hockey coaches are managed by highly qualified and educated high school administrators who are able to monitor and partner with the coach about a student athlete's development as a person. You can trust that the people coaching your son or daughter are concerned with more than just winning because they have to be.
Athletic Development
USA Hockey and College hockey coaches have recognized that one of the most important areas for a player to develop is in the area of strength and conditioning. The high school season allows players to engage in multiple sports or bookend their high school hockey season in competitive leagues supplemented by on and off ice strength development. High school coaches encourage players to engage in intense year round strength development while playing additional sports like cross country, football, baseball, or lacrosse. For profit teams and leagues that require more hours of travel than practice, frequent absences from school, and loads of games against unknown opponents may claim to provide an advantage but any rational person can see that is disputable.
The Game Experience
For generations Massachusetts High School Hockey has been a well attended spectator sport. High School Hockey thrills fans in schools and throughout whole cities and towns. When a player's career has ended games attended by family and friends will mean far more than games played in front of people, who if a player is good enough, will eventually get see him play anyway. There is no experience like traveling during the playoffs followed by school buses full of fans decorated in school colors, or witnessing a sea of your school's colors outside the Boston Garden as you go in to play and make school history! No player should deny him or herself the opportunity to leave a legacy in your school or town.
The Next Level
Whether it's Juniors, a year of Post Graduate play, or off straight to college a fully developed high school hockey player will be able to succeed at the next level. With nearly 100 former high school players currently in college hockey it is a proven fact that you can get there from here. In recent years we have seen a return of scouts from as high up as the NHL coming to see MA high school players and several are currently recognized by NHL Central Scouting.
The Big Picture
High School hockey is about being a part of something bigger than yourself. It is about being a member of a team for the benefit of your team, school, and community. Playing hockey to gain a personal advantage or rushing to a for profit program to presumably get in line for the next level team are hollow dreams. The real marrow of life comes in proper personal development and spirited competition; high school hockey in Massachusetts can provide that experience.
http://www.mshcahockey.com/New_Custom.html
