hockeymomfromtheeast
New member
Considering I am new to the college hockey world, as my daughter is a freshman, do D1 teams take walk-ons or non-requites that tryout? and if so will it affect a scholarshiped player's ice time?
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Walk Ons/Non-Recruited players
- Thread starter hockeymomfromtheeast
- Start date
HockeyEast33
New member
Re: Walk Ons/Non-Recruited players
There are really two types of walk-ons:
- Recruited walk-ons - In women's ice hockey, schools usually want more players than they have scholarships available. So they will recruit some players to be "recruited walk-ons". This means that they do not get an athletic scholarship, but they get the support of the coaches in the admission process and may get preferential treatment in the financial aid process, especially for other merit aid (academic or other non-athletic merit aid) and for need-based aid potentially as well.
- True walk-on - These are kids that the coaches did not support in the admission process (may not even have known about) who try out.
Many Division 1 schools have recruited walk-ons, but these players are well know to the coaches because they went through the standard recruiting process and are usually part of the announced recruiting class. It depends a large amount on the specific school and coach whether they will consider a true walk-on. Strong schools with a large number of scholarships and the ability to get recruited walk-ons have little/no need for true walk-ons, so I believe it would be VERY difficult to even get a chance to tryout if you are not recruited.
Coaches don't want to look stupid, so they are naturally going to initially give preference to their scholarship players, followed by the recruited walk-ons. Some coaches will never change that approach. Others will put the best players on the ice regardless of their financial aid status (RPI as an example has had some instances of non-scholarship kids playing over scholarship kids). This one is really coach specific.
There are really two types of walk-ons:
- Recruited walk-ons - In women's ice hockey, schools usually want more players than they have scholarships available. So they will recruit some players to be "recruited walk-ons". This means that they do not get an athletic scholarship, but they get the support of the coaches in the admission process and may get preferential treatment in the financial aid process, especially for other merit aid (academic or other non-athletic merit aid) and for need-based aid potentially as well.
- True walk-on - These are kids that the coaches did not support in the admission process (may not even have known about) who try out.
Many Division 1 schools have recruited walk-ons, but these players are well know to the coaches because they went through the standard recruiting process and are usually part of the announced recruiting class. It depends a large amount on the specific school and coach whether they will consider a true walk-on. Strong schools with a large number of scholarships and the ability to get recruited walk-ons have little/no need for true walk-ons, so I believe it would be VERY difficult to even get a chance to tryout if you are not recruited.
Coaches don't want to look stupid, so they are naturally going to initially give preference to their scholarship players, followed by the recruited walk-ons. Some coaches will never change that approach. Others will put the best players on the ice regardless of their financial aid status (RPI as an example has had some instances of non-scholarship kids playing over scholarship kids). This one is really coach specific.
Re: Walk Ons/Non-Recruited players
You are exactly correct. Would you agree that recruited walk-on and non-scholarship player is only a matter a semantics or is there a practical difference as you see it?
You are exactly correct. Would you agree that recruited walk-on and non-scholarship player is only a matter a semantics or is there a practical difference as you see it?
HockeyEast33
New member
Re: Walk Ons/Non-Recruited players
Well, a non-scholarship player could be a true walk-on so I guess that is a practical difference. But other than that pretty much the same.
Well, a non-scholarship player could be a true walk-on so I guess that is a practical difference. But other than that pretty much the same.
Re: Walk Ons/Non-Recruited players
If I'm not mistaken, "true walk-ons" cannot participate in pre-season activities with the team, which would include team bonding, off ice workouts, and Captain's practices.
I have been mistaken before though
If I'm not mistaken, "true walk-ons" cannot participate in pre-season activities with the team, which would include team bonding, off ice workouts, and Captain's practices.
I have been mistaken before though
Hockey it's only a Game
Registered User
Re: Walk Ons/Non-Recruited players
Would that be like Jorden Brickner who transferred to Wisconsin from Colgate last season?
She had to be a last minute pick up for Wisconsin ?
Would that be like Jorden Brickner who transferred to Wisconsin from Colgate last season?
She had to be a last minute pick up for Wisconsin ?
Hux
Alfond to Ridder & rinks in between
Re: Walk Ons/Non-Recruited players
LOL. Yes, I do indeed know better. (Just gonna stay over here in the corner and whistle softly to myself.)
Basically, what it comes down to is paperwork. A recruited walk-on will have been given the necessary NCAA paperwork prior to her arrival on campus and been cleared to play. A true walk-on generally comes out of the blue, so to speak, and has to come to tryouts and fill out the paperwork and go through the approval process.
LOL. Yes, I do indeed know better. (Just gonna stay over here in the corner and whistle softly to myself.)
Basically, what it comes down to is paperwork. A recruited walk-on will have been given the necessary NCAA paperwork prior to her arrival on campus and been cleared to play. A true walk-on generally comes out of the blue, so to speak, and has to come to tryouts and fill out the paperwork and go through the approval process.
Ralph Baer
Let's Go 'Tute!
Re: Walk Ons/Non-Recruited players
I suppose that you can't divulge who you are referring to, but assuming that you are referring to the women's team, it has been rare for RPI to have had more players than they can dress, especially after a couple of injuries hit.
HockeyEast33
New member
Re: Walk Ons/Non-Recruited players
Don't want to get into specifics to your point and you are correct that they have been frequently short-handed, but even with the players who dress, there have been a couple of non/less than full-scholly players playing over scholly players the past few years based on my observation and conversations. They may have more scholarships now then they did previously (heard something about that somewhere), so this may change.
Don't want to get into specifics to your point and you are correct that they have been frequently short-handed, but even with the players who dress, there have been a couple of non/less than full-scholly players playing over scholly players the past few years based on my observation and conversations. They may have more scholarships now then they did previously (heard something about that somewhere), so this may change.
Ralph Baer
Let's Go 'Tute!
Re: Walk Ons/Non-Recruited players
Supposedly RPI has been giving out the maximum allowed 18 scholarships since their fourth year in D-I.
Thanks. I can believe that some non-scholarship players or partial scholarship players are getting more ice time than some full scholarship players. That probably happens everywhere.
Supposedly RPI has been giving out the maximum allowed 18 scholarships since their fourth year in D-I.
goaliedad35
Registered User
Re: Walk Ons/Non-Recruited players
Does anyone know of an actual situation where a player just "showed up" unannounced to a D1 program for a tryout?? It seems to me that the roster is basically set well before the team officially practices (team building, captains practices etc) and nothing in the form of a true "tryout" really exists.
Does anyone know of an actual situation where a player just "showed up" unannounced to a D1 program for a tryout?? It seems to me that the roster is basically set well before the team officially practices (team building, captains practices etc) and nothing in the form of a true "tryout" really exists.
HockeyEast33
New member
Re: Walk Ons/Non-Recruited players
Kids definitely used to show up at schools "unannounced" back when there were fewer players and scholarships, but probably very rare nowadays. Believe there are still cases of "can't support you in the admissions process, but if you get in you can try out". This happens because the coach can only pull for a certain number of players (scholarship or not). I am definitely aware of at least 1 case of this at a lower success 1 school in the last couple of years. I think that these kids can go through pre-season team-building, captain's practices, etc. because those are technically open to any participants, but I definitely could be wrong on this one.
Kids definitely used to show up at schools "unannounced" back when there were fewer players and scholarships, but probably very rare nowadays. Believe there are still cases of "can't support you in the admissions process, but if you get in you can try out". This happens because the coach can only pull for a certain number of players (scholarship or not). I am definitely aware of at least 1 case of this at a lower success 1 school in the last couple of years. I think that these kids can go through pre-season team-building, captain's practices, etc. because those are technically open to any participants, but I definitely could be wrong on this one.
UCONN FAN
New member
Re: Walk Ons/Non-Recruited players
St Lawrence had a player show up for tryouts. Never even contacted the coaches. They offered her a scholarship after her first 6 games. They also heard fo a transfer who was club hockey. They went and watched and asked fer to join the join.
St Lawrence had a player show up for tryouts. Never even contacted the coaches. They offered her a scholarship after her first 6 games. They also heard fo a transfer who was club hockey. They went and watched and asked fer to join the join.
Re: Walk Ons/Non-Recruited players
I know that at Harvard, it is awfully difficult to just 'walk on' and win a spot on the team. We had a situation a few years ago where we were down to one goalie due to injuries and had to put the call out for someone to suit up. On the men's side, John Murphy was a walk on for the men's NCAA championship team in '89 and took a regular shift on the third line. Princeton had been after him hard but he chose to go to Harvard. He asked for a tryout and won a spot.
I know that at Harvard, it is awfully difficult to just 'walk on' and win a spot on the team. We had a situation a few years ago where we were down to one goalie due to injuries and had to put the call out for someone to suit up. On the men's side, John Murphy was a walk on for the men's NCAA championship team in '89 and took a regular shift on the third line. Princeton had been after him hard but he chose to go to Harvard. He asked for a tryout and won a spot.