Tyler Boston and the Difficulties of Balancing Junior Hockey and Education

For an 18-year-old, Tyler Boston already has a lot of regrets. The former Guelph Storm forward turned heads in late December when he announced he was leaving the Ontario Hockey League mid-season to focus on his education and future career goals. Boston had amassed 17 points through 32 games with the fledgling Storm but after looking over his high school marks, having a conversation with his father and deciding that the focus of his future endeavours were going to be educational, the timing was right for him to walk away.

Boston is trying to gain acceptance to the University of Western Ontario's social sciences program and there were a handful of courses he needed to upgrade his marks in, something he didn't think was possible while playing in the OHL.

"I didn't put in the effort at the time that I needed to in high school. I screwed myself in the long run," Boston tells VICE Sports. "That's why making this decision was tough because it was my fault, no one else's. I sort of felt bad for Guelph because they were nothing but first-class with me and the schooling there. It was all me."

Not long after he decided to walk away from the Storm, his agent was contacted by Marty Williamson, head coach of the OHL's Niagara Ice Dogs, who soon traded for Boston. The deal was contingent on Boston being able to receive extra tutoring from the Blyth Academy located in Burlington, Ontario, which wasn't available to him in Guelph. It was a deal he couldn't decline and now that he's a member of the Ice Dogs, Boston's committed to righting the wrongs of his academic past.

Though he's been granted a new lease on his educational future, Boston's situation echoes that of many in Canada's top junior leagues. With the lure of a professional hockey career seemingly always on the horizon, not enough interest and effort is paid to high school education until it's too late. "I was lazy in the past, I realize that," he says with regard to his performance in high school.

Boston is now receiving private tutoring in Niagara in the hopes of being accepted to Western in the fall. The university's admissions site lists the midyear average guidelines for marks anywhere between the mid-and-high 80s, but also states that "estimates are provided as a guide only. Admission to Western is competitive. Possession of an average in the anticipated range does not guarantee admission."

The growing concern over how young, elite junior hockey players who may not have a future in professional hockey transition into a post-secondary education is not lost on Adam Dennis, the recruitment and education director of the OHL.

"We're dealing with teenage kids. And when you deal with teenage kids, they go through a lot," says Dennis, a former goaltender with the Storm from 2002-05. "Especially with high-level hockey and trying to balance everything at once."

Dennis says a day in the OHL allows every player to be home by 6:30 or 7 PM during the school week. The onus is on players to complete necessary high school assignments and take advantage of that time.

"It translates into life skills," he says. Exit strategies in terms of education after hockey are worked on with specific teams, though Dennis says the Canadian Hockey League has a working partnership with the CIS—the governing body for university sports in Canada—which he believes is very beneficial for players. Dennis points to the league's scholarship program which is available to all OHL players.

The OHL's website states that all players have the opportunity to receive a scholarship that can be used at any post-secondary institution in North America. These scholarships must be accessed within 18 months after a player's overage year. The OHL handed out 285 scholarships last season. This is in addition to the costs covered by teams for high school and post-secondary education while a player is on their roster.

Dennis says there's no minimum GPA for players entering the OHL. But minimum grades are still required for entrance into any post-secondary program. It's because of this that some junior hockey players stumble. The grind of a 68-game season on players as young as 16 years old causes some to focus solely on hockey as they often lack the long-term vision of a life after their junior career.

"The OHL takes a toll on your body and mentally, as well," admits Boston.

When it does come time to make use of the OHL scholarships, players are often forced to recognize their own lack of preparation.

"Getting into academic schools is hard," says Colleen Reed of American College Consulting, which works with elite athletes who want to attend post-secondary institutions. "It's a daunting prospect with not much positives to it. There's no guarantee that you're going to get picked up by a school. It's a lot of self-recruiting. A lot of kids really don't know how to do that."

The realization of time lost in the classroom because of time spent on hockey can also lead to mounting pressure, or worse.

"It can lead to some depression," Reed says. "When you're so used to being on a team and their team is their life, it's their whole social situation and everybody understands the commitment. But then all of a sudden you don't have that. If academics have never been a priority, it's hard to switch."

Boston was able to make the switch, but his tale is a cautionary one. With more and more NHL players coming in from abroad, the path to the NHL is not nearly as easy as it once was for young Canadian boys. There are likely hundreds of players like Boston across the CHL who cannot imagine a life beyond hockey, and the pursuit of that can come at the expense of an education.

Boston admits that with his Storm teammates "education wasn't really a hot topic." That should come as no surprise to anyone who has spent time around a junior hockey player in Canada or a young, elite athlete anywhere. Education is a constant and therefore appears as if it'll be available forever. The lure of a professional contract, especially when surrounded by others chasing those same contracts, is much more compelling.

The mistakes Boston made are his and his alone. He's owning them and using them to catapult him into what he hopes be a rewarding education in the future.

"If I just worked hard and was responsible, I wouldn't be in the situation I'm in," he says.