Girls Player Development

The player development program in Illinois is part of a larger national process with USA Hockey to identify and develop players for national programs. USA Hockey is the governing body for the sport in the United States and divides the country into 11 geographic districts. Illinois is part of the Central District along with Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. The Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois (AHAI) is USA Hockey’s sanctioned affiliate and helps facilitate the player development program in Illinois. For more information, visit the USA Hockey website or the Central District website.

The AHAI Girls’ Committee works with the Central District and USA Hockey to create development opportunities for female players. In 2022, the committee introduced the Hockey Life After High School Packet, replacing the annual Opportunities in Hockey Seminar. This packet, available on the Girls’ page of the AHAI website, highlights post-high school hockey pathways and continues to promote both the America’s Showcase Illinois Girls Team and the Central District Girls Tryout Development Camp.

The tryout camp brings together players from across the Central District for a weekend of development and competition. Selected players advance to the Central District Development Camp in June, and from there, some may move on to USA Hockey National Development Camps.

Central District Tryout Camp

• 2026 information coming soon
• View last year’s Central District Camp invitees – see how many Illinois players earned invitations

For questions, please contact: