IHD development elite-level hockey players, Chase Wouters, left, Bryce Kindopp and Ryker Singer, break for a photo op with IHD owner and lead instructor, Kyle Tapp, who has started a Lloydminster Athletics academy at Holy Rosary High School. Geoff Lee Meridian Source
Student athletes at Holy Rosary High School can score good grades and hockey goals when classes resume in the fall.
The school has partnered with Innovative Hockey Development (IHD) to launch the Lloydminster Athletics hockey academy for U14, U15 and U18 teams during the school year.
“The response has been really good to the program so far,” said vice principal Jeremy Blais with registration underway.
“This is the first time we’ve had a hockey program and as the education provider for Lloyd Athletics, we’re really excited with this partnership.”
There is no cost to the Lloydminster Catholic School Division for the program either.
Blais says the academy is suited for the athlete who wants to play at the highest possible level and wants to acquire a high-quality education as a student athlete.
“So if they choose to go the junior (hockey league) route or the university route they are able to do that with the program that we’ll provide. We’ll make sure they have those opportunities,” he said.
Lloydminster is one of nine IHD player development hubs across Western Canada owned and operated by Kyle Tapp, who says Holy Rosary became a good fit.
“It’s school first; it’s a school-based program,” said Tapp, noting all the hockey takes place during the school day with students home by 4 or 5 p.m. with every second weekend off.
“You can be a sibling, you can study, hang out with your family and get rested and recover and be a student athlete.”
Players will train at the Russ Robertson Arena and compete in the Junior Prospect Hockey League (JPHL) against teams in other hubs.
The program is presented by IHD at a cost of $12,500 including games, practices, tournaments, travel-related costs, some equipment, dry-land training therapy and a daily shuttle to and from school.
“Basically, we’ve done all the work for the parents, made it a one-stop-shop and even included spring hockey in the model. It’s one price for 10 months and it’s everything you need for hockey,” said Tapp.
Lloydminster Athletics also has an exclusive partnership with power edge pro (PEP) for reactive hockey training used by NHL superstar Connor McDavid.
“Our kids see that every week. That’s included as well,” said Tapp.
Registration essentially closes at the start of the school year with 10 players already signed up for U14, 6 for U15 and 6 for U18 since the program launched in late June.
Tapp says the way the hockey world works, especially for the older groups, there’s a lot of moving parts in August and sometimes even into September.
“So I’m guessing there will be some spots that will be filled much later into August and September as well,” said Tapp.
He says his goal with IHD is to return hockey to parents with a more affordable, yet effective academy model than ones that currently range from $25,000 to $75,000 a year.
He says in the last year, 19 of the 22 picks in the WHL draft were all from academy hockey, so that is the way elite hockey is going, but it’s becoming unaffordable.
Tapp has been the head coach of the Lloydminster Bobcats U18AAA team for the past five years and is into his 16th year heading IHD independent of Hockey Canada.
He thinks the growing trend of independent hockey academies and leagues like his boils down to accountability for parents and customers, and even players.
“When you are paying for something and it’s your player and your money, you deserve to have a voice and a say,” he said.
“In the volunteer system, you don’t.”
