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Old 02-05-2013, 09:21 PM   #27
yads
Powerplay Quarterback
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Winnie View Post
Just finished reading a great new book on the topic by Ken Campbell (from the Hockey News). An eye opener for sure....

http://www.penguin.ca/nf/Book/BookDi...065738,00.html
Here he is in conversation with Maclean's. It was a real eye opening read.

http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/01/20/y...-a-future-fan/

Quote:
Q: The most shocking fact in your book might be that the $10,000 or $20,000 a year parents believe they’re “investing” in an NHL contract or NCAA scholarship for their kid would quite literally be better spent on the lottery.

A: I’ve had people ask me, ‘What do I have to do to get my kid a hockey scholarship?’ My answer would be, ‘Take all the money you’re putting into minor hockey and put it in a GIC. By the time your kid is ready to go to college, you’re going to have more than enough to pay for it.’ People seem to think schools are throwing scholarships around like candy. In fact, there are only about 50 schools in the U.S. offering Division I NCAA scholarships, and most of those are going to American kids. Hardly any schools offer full-ride scholarships any more.

Q: The most striking story is that of a family from near Pittsburgh who lived on their sailboat off Port Credit, Ont., just so their son could play in the Greater Toronto Hockey League, because it’s considered one of the country’s premier minor hockey circuits. What became of them?

A: The kid played three seasons and actually did reasonably well. He went to play junior in the USHL and last year was the backup goalie at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa. But the chances of him doing anything in hockey beyond the college level are pretty remote. And the parents, who both quit their jobs and came to live with him in Toronto, have since split up. I don’t know whether this experience had anything to do with it, but they’re back in the U.S. trying to rebuild their lives.
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