Academic Success After DHA
UBC Women's Hockey - 4-time USPORTS Academic All-Canadian
"My experience as a student-athlete at the Delta Hockey Academy was an important step in my hockey journey that prepared me for the challenges and opportunities at UBC. My time at the Delta Hockey Academy provided me the opportunity to balance hockey training with academic responsibilities, therefore developing my time management and leadership skills. Within this academy, I was able to collaborate with teammates, learn about leadership roles, and gain communication skills, which are very important qualities at UBC.
The environment at the Delta Hockey Academy allowed me to persevere through adversity and become more resilient which is a very important quality that is expected at the UBC.
When I began my academic studies at UBC, I felt well-prepared to transition from the Delta Hockey Academy to UBC. The rigorous academic environment at DHA instilled strong study habits and time management skills that are necessary for university coursework. The transition was smooth as I was already accustomed to having to practice and train every day, while also having to play multiple games on the weekend. My experience managing a demanding athletic schedule alongside academic responsibilities taught me how to prioritize tasks and how to appropriately manage my time in order to successfully complete my academics. This preparation helped me adapt quickly to both UBC’s high level of academics and athletic expectations.
To student-athletes preparing for the transition to university, I would advise focusing on developing strong time management and organizational skills. Balancing the demands of both academics and athletics in high school is crucial for building a foundation that will support you in university. Prioritize learning how to manage your schedule effectively, setting aside dedicated time for studies, training and rest."
Princeton University Men's Hockey
"I'm very grateful to have experienced the student athlete lifestyle in high school prior to playing college hockey. The daily schedule is very similar, getting up early to practice and get a workout in, followed by attending class throughout the rest of the day. Drawing from my similar experience at the academy I was used to and felt more prepared for the rigorous day to day student schedule in college.
At first the academic aspect is a big jump but a huge part of it is having the discipline to balance both a high standard of schoolwork and of course performance on the ice. At the academy this was a skill that I was forced to learn how to do and I'm very fortunate to have gone through this experience prior to college.
The biggest piece of advice I would give to any young student athlete is to simply enjoy the experience and spend as much time with your buddies while going through it. I may not have realized at the time, but now looking back, a lot of my teammates I met at the academy are now friends for life. It sounds cliche but the time goes by so fast and you don't even realize that the time spent at the academy going to school with all your friends will end up being the most fun time of your life."
Yale Univeristy Men's Hockey - ECAC All-Academic
"Delta was instrumental in teaching me how to be a student athlete. I learned how to work out properly and the time spent on the ice and gym allowed me to reach the next levels. It taught me how to balance school with hockey which also helped push me to succeed academically. I wouldn't be at Yale if it was not for my time at Delta.
I would tell any incoming Delta student-athlete to enjoy every moment. I had 4 of the best years of my life there but it flew by. Embrace all the moments, even the ones that suck at the time because those are the best times looking back."
St. Francis Xavier Womens Hockey
"Being at DHA taught me right from Grade 8 the importance of having good time management skills. Being on the road often makes it difficult to stay on track in school, so it was necessary to quickly learn how to balance my homework, assignments and tests with our travel schedule and communicate with my teachers if I was going to be missing class. This was a very important skill to have as I was transitioning to university when my travel schedule and workload only increased and became harder to manage! My teachers at NDSS were very good at preparing me for what my academics will be like after high school.
The best piece of advice I could give to someone preparing to be a university student-athlete would be to take it day by day and understand that mistakes are going to happen and that when they do, they do not define you. It sounds incredibly cliche, but it is important to stay present and be continuously ready to learn and adapt to the challenges you are facing. There is a lot of change you are forced to overcome when going to university, but that change is ultimately what shapes you into becoming who you are, and it is important to embrace this change in order for you to grow as a human being."
Cornell Women's Hockey
"My experience with DHA prepared me for the rigorous training schedule in college. Although training in college is a whole other level, having prior experience of practicing and lifting every day was advantageous when adjusting to collegiate training. Furthermore, at DHA, the frequency of traveling during the season forced me to plan ahead with teachers in high school; subsequently, helping me begin to develop the ability to manage my time and plan ahead effectively in college.
When I began my post-secondary studies, I did not feel fully academically prepared. This was because little details like how to properly cite article, create a thesis statement for papers, or how to find adequate research papers from reliable sources was not taught to me. I had to quickly adapt and learn these skills in university through first year writing courses which was very helpful in my later years of university. However, although I did not feel prepared, I strongly believe that with academics in university, you get what you put into it. I made sure I was on top of all of my assignments, planned ahead with my professors when I would be away so I would not fall behind class, and attended office hours if I needed extra help. These small habits of planning ahead and coordinating with my professors was a skill I had developed in high school with DHA that helped tremendously in university. Ultimately, although I did not feel academically prepared for university, working habits and time management skills I had developed in high school at DHA helped tremendously with academics in university.
My biggest piece of advice for student athletes transitioning to university would be to give yourself grace. The transition of high school to university can be very overwhelming because you are undergoing various amount of change in your life. Not only do you experience a whole other level of hockey, but also have to adapt to harder academics, navigate new social scenes, and potentially be moving away from home for the first time. Throughout this period of significant change during this transition, giving yourself grace is important during times of stress because everything will work out.
When I was being recruited in high school, I was keen on selecting a university with a strong academic reputation. My uncle has been a provost in the States for several years now, and helped me tremendously navigate academia in a different country with his knowledge while I was selecting a university."