Scoring Goals or Reaching Goals? Balancing Coursework While Playing in the Ontario Hockey League

Even when you’re driven by a dream to make a career of playing professional hockey, there should always be a backup plan. Keeping your options open is not only a good idea, but a practical way to think about the future. In addition to spending much of their time on the ice, several players in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) are spending their free time in front of a computer, gaining valuable university credits in case they may need to enact their backup plans.

Meet Andrew LeBlanc, 20-year-old centre for the North Bay Battalion. Born in the Cayman Islands and currently residing in the Niagara Region, LeBlanc is in his fifth year of playing in the OHL. In his limited amount of free time, he studies online in the Open Learning Program at OpenEd, University of Guelph. Currently taking business courses, LeBlanc enjoys the flexibility of online learning in a demanding lifestyle of hockey practices, games, and extensive travel across Ontario, often away from home for days at a time.

“One of my friends, who also plays in the OHL, told me about Open Learning program courses at the University of Guelph,” says LeBlanc. “I looked into it and discussed it with our team academic advisor; he thought it sounded like a good plan, so I decided to try it out. Since we have such a busy schedule in the OHL, I needed something that was flexible, completely online but still worth my time, and at a great university…and the University of Guelph was all of that.”

Online Learning: Flexible and Convenient

LeBlanc is one of many Open Learning program students who sees the merits of online education. The flexibility and convenience of learning online asynchronously allows even the busiest individuals an opportunity to learn and gain valuable university credits while working full time, or in LeBlanc’s case, playing professional hockey full time.

“What I like most about studying online is that I am able to do the coursework and study from almost anywhere,” explains LeBlanc. “When we go on road trips for days on end, I have no problem doing assignments in hotel rooms or on the road. Also, due to our busy schedule, I don’t have to worry about attending classes in person.”

After previously attempting to take post-secondary courses in person at another institution, LeBlanc had to drop out due to his heavy hockey schedule.

“If I had to go to class in person, I would miss countless classes due to practices, games and travel,” says LeBlanc.

When asked how he balances his hockey commitments with school, LeBlanc adds, “I can balance my courses with hockey due to the way the courses are planned out. At the beginning of every week, we get a layout of what to expect for the week and any assignments or tests we must complete. This is extremely helpful because I am able to plan days to do the tests or assignments around my hockey schedule. There are some challenges like when we are gone for multiple days in a week. In those cases, I have limited time to study or finish some assignments, but so far, I have been able to keep up.”

Start Your Open Learning Journey

For students like Andrew LeBlanc, the Open Learning program offers a host of benefits in addition to the convenience of balancing other commitments with the flexibility of online course delivery. For one, the Guaranteed Admission Pathway provides a unique opportunity for learners to transfer to a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Commerce degree program at the University of Guelph. Admission to these degree programs through the pathway is based on a student’s Open Learning program academic record, not high school transcripts. Other options include applying degree credits toward one of eight online degree-credit certificates which require only five or six courses for successful completion.

For those looking to blend their passion for sports with an interest in business, Sport Management Today is open for registration for the upcoming Winter ’25 semester, with extra spots reserved for students in the Open Learning program.

“Sport Management Today is an introductory course where students learn about the key parts of the business side of sport such as marketing, finance, and the structure of sport,” explains Dr. Ann Pegoraro, course developer and Lang chair in Sport Management. “Students can study sport business while also running their own sport franchise, providing a hands-on learning environment.”