Kohl Awarded Dual Sports Scholarship On Journey With Dual Goals

By Robert Thomas

“I’m super excited and can't wait to get started,” is how 18 year old Moose Jaw product Jasmine Kohl describes how she feels after deciding to commit to play not one but two sports for Lake Forest College.

Kohl who was a product of the Moose Jaw Minor Hockey's Mavericks program - before that it’s predecessors the Pink Panthers and the Maniacs - is off to the Chicago area university where she will be part of their hockey and softball programs in their NCAA Level 3 team the Foresters.

For the past three years Kohl has played hockey with the Saskatchewan Female AAA Hockey League's Prince Albert Northern Bears while attending Carleton Comprehensive High School.

In the summers she has returned home to Moose Jaw to play softball where she was part of the 2022 Girls Provincial U17 A Championship team.

Jasmine Kohl announcing she had committed to playing female hockey and softball for Lake Forrest College's Forresters starting this fall - submitted photo

“It is pretty nice actually I was being looked by other schools too,” Kohl told MJ Independent in a telephone interview from Prince Albert just prior to heading out to practice with the Bears.

She said she was talking to almost a dozen other US colleges but settled on Lake Forest because of what they offered program wise and financially.

“Other schools couldn't give as much they tried to get me more.”

Financially Kohl received a scholarship that will help pay for her schooling with her being financially responsible for the remainder.

One of the unique things about Kohl's scholarship is it is a dual sport scholarship - female hockey and softball.

Although it cannot be confirmed 100 percent it is likely the first dual sport scholarship awarded to a Moose Jaw athlete.

Applying for a dual sport scholarship was something Kohl said she had not initially considered but applied just for hockey.

Later she asked and was told by US colleges by all means to apply for both sports.

“Looking back at the beginning of the process I didn’t think I could do it and only uploaded hockey onto my profile…I asked someone and then sent a video.”

The dual sport application was something more than a few coaches wanted to see.

“I was surprised how many coaches wanted to see my ball as well.”

“To get here now and being committed to play at Lake Forest is just fantastic.”

Kohl heading off to play college hockey is part of her dream to one day make the roster for Team Canada.

Shawn Kohl with daughter Jasmine Kohl are pictured when she returned to Moose Jaw to help out with a Mavericks program to help develop player skills and encourage more girls to play hockey - MJ Independent file photo

“My goal since I was really young I watched Team Canada play on television and I wanted to be part of the team,” she said.

Even if she doesn’t ever crack Team Canada’s roster Kohl is philosophical saying “if it doesn't follow through I will still be happy going to school and playing hockey and softball.”

Like her playing in two college sports Kohl had two goal while at Forest College - one to crack Team Canada's roster.

The other one is to work on her academics as she will be studying psychology with a second goal of one day becoming a psychiatrist.

She wants to become Dr Jasmine Kohl someday as well.

Asked what her parents, Shawn and Tammy Kohl, think about her heading off to the US to attend university on an athletic scholarship she said they are proud.

“They are just excited as I am about it.”

Her parents have been supportive of her hockey efforts with their driving to attend every one of her games this year.

Kohl would not even give an estimate to the number of kilometers her parents have driven her as part of her hockey journey other than to say it was “countless.”

Although receiving the scholarship was great she pointed had she had chosen a different path in her life her parents would not have been disappointed in her.

“My parents are proud of me no matter what.”

Although she has never been to Chicago she said she had been to other places - Boston and Minneapolis - for hockey as well other places playing softball and they were all positive experiences.

“Every time I’ve been to the United States its been a great experience.”