SCORING AN MBA & HOCKEY FAME
Hard work pays off on the ice and at school
There’s lots of reasons for girls to play hockey — the fun, the athleticism, the opportunity to travel and introduce Canada’s game to new circles of fans. But for Montreal native Catherine Ward, who will be playing defence for Team Canada next month, one of the perks of playing top-level hockey was the chance to score a solid post-secondary education with hockey scholarships.
“It really opens opportunities. For some girls, it helps to get them through school. You have to do well in school in order to keep your scholarship, or even to have offers,” says Ward, 26, who has an 2010 Olympic gold medal under her belt as well as two silver and a gold medal in the World Women’s Championships.
“Girls are realizing that it’s a great option and a great experience.”
Ward studied commerce and played for the Martlets at McGill University for three years, where she set a Quebec Student Sport Federation record in 2006-2007 for points by a defenceman, and followed it up the next year by beating her own record with 25 points.
Next, Ward got an MBA from Boston University, where she played another year for the Terriers and attracted media attention for her skills as a playmaker and explosive skater. That year, the Terriers had their most successful year in their six-year history.
Opportunities for women are opening up in varsity hockey both in Canada and the U.S., says Ward. But there are differences.
“I think both are great. It depends on every person,” says Ward, who was drafted by the Montreal Stars of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League in 2011.
“I tell girls to figure out what their perimeters are. Both options are very good. There are a few differences that people have to be aware of.”
In Canada, for example, players have four years of eligibility. In the U.S. it’s five years, she says. In the U.S., a good scholarship covers the full ride — books, tuition and living expenses. In Canada, scholarship athletes are lucky to get tuition and books.
Ward says she would never have been able to afford the tuition at Boston University if she was paying for it on her own. The level of play in hockey tends to be better in the U.S., where teams have bigger budgets. In Canada, talent is more concentrated in certain teams, she says.
Ward, who is hoping combine her passion with sports with her knowledge of business after her hockey career is over, advises looking at the degree that is associated with the scholarship and warns that a degree earned in the U.S. might not translate into Canada.
“Going to the States has a status to it. For the longest time, people saw it as the only option, But Canada has done a great job of changing that.”