🏒 What if the college hockey program recruiting your child isn’t actually the best college for them?
For many hockey families, playing at the college level can feel like the ultimate finish line after years of practices, travel, tournaments, showcases, sacrifices, and expenses. But when that opportunity finally arrives, another question becomes even more important:
Is this really the right place for my student-athlete?
In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Christie Casciano-Burns, and Mike Bonelli are joined by Kiersten Sires, Founder and CEO of 2aDays, to unpack what families should really be thinking about during the college recruiting process.
And one of the biggest lessons? Don’t let “D1 or bust” thinking—or your ego—make the decision for you.
Kiersten explains why choosing a college should go far beyond the logo on the jersey. Families need to consider academics, potential majors, location, finances, coaching style, team culture, expected role, institutional stability, and one powerful question:
If hockey disappeared tomorrow, would your child still want to attend that school?
🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn:
🏒 Why Division I isn’t automatically the “best” college hockey opportunity
🎓 Why academics and career preparation need to remain central to the decision
🔍 How families can research programs before the recruiting process heats up
👀 What coaches notice about players—and their parents—away from the puck
🤝 Why body language, character, communication, and self-advocacy can separate recruits
📱 How social media, streaming, and a player’s digital footprint have changed recruiting
💰 Why families shouldn’t automatically dismiss Division III or ACHA opportunities
🏫 How to evaluate coaching culture, roster turnover, facilities, campus life, and even the financial health of a school
✍️ Why personal communication with coaches matters more than copy-and-paste recruiting messages
🧭 How 2aDays helps student-athletes and families research coaches, programs, schools, and the overall college experience
Kiersten also shares why parents need to understand something coaches already know: people talk. The way a player treats teammates, responds to adversity, communicates with adults, and carries themselves matters. And yes—the way parents behave in the stands can matter too.
This conversation isn’t only for families actively being recruited. The habits that create recruitable student-athletes—communication, accountability, academics, independence, character, and self-advocacy—start years before the first college coach ever calls.
Whether your player dreams of NCAA Division I, Division III, ACHA hockey, or simply wants to understand what opportunities might exist, this episode will help your family approach college recruiting with clearer priorities and better questions.
🎧 Listen now, share this episode with another hockey family navigating the college conversation, and remember: the goal isn’t simply to find a college that wants your player. It’s to find a college where they can grow as a student, athlete, and person.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: College Hockey Recruiting Is About More Than Hockey
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