Our Philosophy:
The Pride was founded with the belief that ‘NCAA-ready’ student-athletes can be developed right here in the Washington, DC area. All college prospects, no matter where they live, require access to on and off-ice training facilities, elite level coaching, and a competitive league. This allows players to develop over a period of time and also to measure themselves against other college prospects. Players in this type of environment make it easier for college scouts to evaluate them and make ‘apples to apples’ comparisons as well. Our facilities at the Rockville Arena, our experienced coaching staff, and our membership in the JWHL adequately address these requirements.
Being a part of the Pride means putting the time in to develop properly. Players who are looking for a competition-heavy experience with Showcases and Tournaments in lieu of training do not fit our philosophy. Pride players and their parents understand the value of the development process, and we place a premium on practice and training. Through lots of sweat, our players develop not only better habits on the ice, but better work, team, and leadership skills that become invaluable not only in hockey, but in other aspects of their lives. We are proud that our alumnae are able to make the transition to NCAA hockey smoothly and tend to be some of the most prepared players on their college teams.
One Goal:
Our singular goal is to develop every player in our program into a NCAA-ready student-athlete by the time they graduate from high school. Some players will receive full athletic scholarships, and some will gain admission to elite non-scholarship athletic programs. Some will play NCAA Division 1, and some NCAA Division 3. We just want to ensure that our players will be in control of their athletic and academic future once they finish high school. To date, nearly 100% of our players have gone on to NCAA hockey programs, and we plan to continue that level of success.
What We Are Looking For:
We are looking for players locally (and globally as needed) who want to play NCAA ice hockey. It goes without saying that we expect these players to be hard workers and good citizens, but they must also possess each of these three traits: Athletic Talent, Scholastic Aptitude, and Unwavering Love of Hockey.
These traits define our most successful alumnae and we hope to find new players who fit this mold. They don’t have to be the best players or rocket scientists, but they need to be solid athletes who work hard in school – and absolutely love the game. They need to be able to carry on our tradition of excellence both on and off the ice and be laser focused on developing into collegiate student-athletes. Most of all, they need to be ready to work.
Join Us!
if you have what we are looking for, and want an opportunity to play in a great environment, we hope you will consider playing for The Washington Pride. Our track record of placing girls into NCAA programs speaks for itself, and our alumnae are shining examples of young women who have maximized their junior hockey experiences with us.
We are on the ice 6 times a week, starting in late August, and going through early April. We also train off the ice 3 times a week in our gym at the Rockville Arena. We are founding members of the Junior Womens Hockey League and host the renowned JWHL Challenge Cup every year. We also attend the NAHA Labor Day and Stoney Creek showcases each September. Although we play a 70 game season, we do find time to take breaks so that our players remain fresh for playoffs.
For players who would like to join us from outside of the Washington, DC area, we can set up billet housing and also help with school enrollment. We require that all players are full time students or if they are doing a gap year, that they are taking classes and/or doing an internship locally. We also welcome International players and can arrange the appropriate schooling to ensure that NCAA initial eligibility requirements are met while in the US.
Prospective players will be evaluated on April 13th, 14th, and 21st, 2013. To register for tryouts, please visit: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1uUM9tKoqTVD0wR-mh-RHIPvq1UmnYz1R6N_FN8Feyiw/viewform
Head Coach
If you are interested in joining The Pride College Prep Team for the 2013-2014 season (or for future seasons), please fill out the form at the link below. We are actively searching for qualified players from the US and Internationally to join our program. Housing and schooling options are available for players who are not from the Washington, DC area.