The Spokane Chiefs make education and scholastic achievement part of their players’ mission. The Chiefs assure parents that their sons will have not only the opportunity to pursue their goal of playing hockey at the highest level, but also to perform at that same high level academically, graduate on time from their home high school, and be prepared for post-secondary academic programs. Players can even take courses for college credit while playing for the Chiefs.
The Spokane Chiefs have high academic expectations for our players, and demand that they aim high not only on the ice but in the classroom, and that they look not merely at meeting minimum standards but that they work to excel.
All of our high-school age players attend Joel E. Ferris High School, which has over a 20-year history with the Chiefs. Their teachers and administrators welcome our players because of the outstanding work ethic and tradition of outstanding citizenship expressed by Chiefs players at the school. They know that the players are subject to extraordinary demands upon their time, but they also know that the Chiefs philosophy is that there are no shortcuts to success.
Players who have graduated from high school have the opportunity to be enrolled in college classes, most typically with Athabasca University, an accredited online program which offers hundreds of post-secondary academic options.
The Chiefs Education Advisor is Joe Everson, a longtime Ferris High School counselor who has worked with players, parents, counselors, and administrators for more than two decades. His role is to assist and encourage all players in their academic pursuits, and to ensure that they are enrolled in appropriate coursework in pursuit of their scholastic goals.
Our organization’s commitment to academic excellence has been recognized multiple times by the WHL, including multiple winners of the league’s annual WHL Scholastic Player of the Year (Reid Gow, 2011-12; Ty Smith, 2017-18), an award presented annually to the top student-athlete in the league. The Chiefs were also recognized as the league’s Scholastic Team of the Year for the 2015-16 season.
When players have concluded their Western Hockey League careers, they have the opportunity to access their WHL scholarship, which guarantees one year of post-secondary tuition, textbooks, and administrative expenses at an institution of their choice for every year in the WHL.
For more information about either secondary or post-secondary academic programs, you may contact Joe Everson at [email protected].