“Discover your potential, strength, integrity, community”
Situated two hours southwest of Winnipeg, Manitoba, the Pilot Mound Hockey Academy joined the Canadian Sport School Hockey League in 2016 and currently offers a male and female team.
2020-21 Teams:
Female U18 Prep
U17 Prep
EDUCATION
Partner School: Pilot Mound School
What are some of the things your program does to provide educational support?
“Daily study halls while student athletes are in the dorms, as well as on the road. We have a dorm parent as the liaison with the school. Teachers inform our dorm parent and coaches if any schoolwork is missed and student athletes will miss practice if additional time with teachers is required. We also have tutoring available as needed.”
How are grades monitored and how often?
“Monitoring of grades is ongoing. Report cards are shared with our dorm parent and coaching staff. Sign-off sheets are provided by the players to coaches which include comments from each teacher as an update of progress in that class.”
How are courses and the graduation path for student athletes chosen?
“Courses are usually chosen with parent and student athlete input prior to each semester. The guidance counselor and principal at the school, along with one of our coaches, who is a former guidance counselor and teacher, assist our student athletes with their educational plan, including options and what would be needed to meet their goals.”
Do you have an academic probation policy?
“We have an academic suspension policy in place. For the most part, if a student athlete is lagging behind, they are provided additional instruction with their teacher prior to school or during their practice time.”
RESIDENTIAL LIFE
Do you offer a billeting program or a dormitory for non-local student athletes?
“We provide dormitory camp style housing for both our male and female student athletes. Rooms are single occupancy. A separate dining and recreation area are alongside the rooms. We have cameras that are active and monitored in the dorm hallways and common areas. Student athletes can add their own personal touch to their rooms with their own bedding, televisions, refrigerators, and such things. There is lots of storage and a desk in each room as well as two locking drawers for personal items. Some of our student athletes stay in the community with family and friends. Strategic plans are in place to build a new housing complex once we are able to add a third team to our program.”
What kind of life skills to the student athletes learn by living away from home?
“Our intention is to continue to maintain and grow our established hockey academy as a highly successful entity, developing elite hockey players, grounded in academics and most importantly developing overall good human beings. Pilot Mound Hockey Academy fosters the ability to work as part of a team environment. Student athletes leaving PMHA will have gained strong life skills, as well as leadership capabilities that will support them throughout their eventual life pathways.
“Our student athletes are regularly connected with community volunteer opportunities. Our student athletes are regularly involved in the operation and cleaning of the complex, lending a helping hand, assisting with community events and fundraisers; helping wherever needed on a regular basis. PMHA staff, directors and owners are all rooted deeply in the community and feel that volunteerism builds character and it is just part of being in the Pilot Mound Community; this sentiment is an expectation of all of the student athletes.”
STUDENT ATHLETE HEALTH
How are injuries and sick student athletes monitored?
“The Pilot Mound Hockey Academy management team monitors all injured and sick student athletes. The management team consists of our own sports medicine doctor, coaches, managers, and our dorm parent. Each injured student athlete’s recovery is dependant on the injury. We have access to general practitioners, chiropractor’s, physiotherapists, and an orthopedic specialist. We follow their instruction as to a student athletes recovery timeline.”
SCHEDULE
What does the daily schedule look like for a Pilot Mound Hockey Academy student athlete?
“Student athletes are at school until 2:30pm and then they have an on-ice and off-ice session. After dinner there is a mandatory study hall from 6:30-7:30pm and once that is concluded students have some free time for their own activities, which can be some free ice time at the arena, going fishing or simply relaxing. There are mandatory team activities setup on certain days that can include volleyball, pickleball, yoga, volunteering or community events.”
How many games can your teams expect to play?
“Our teams play 50-60 games a season, which includes the CSSHL regular season and championships, exhibition games and tournaments.”
What does the on and off ice training look like?
“Our on-ice development includes 215 on-ice hours for development in technical skills, situational skills, refined individual and team tactics, mental preparation and competition. Our student athletes can expect to spend 240 hours in off-ice training. Our comprehensive program is designed to enhance a student athletes’ ability to compete at the next level and consists of components such as cardio, speed, agility, balance, coordination sequences, flexibility, strength, endurance and power programs. We test, monitor and re-design programs throughout the year.”
KEY STAFF
Who are some of the key staff at the Pilot Mound Hockey Academy?
Rod Collins, General Manager/Female U18 Prep Head Coach
Rick McConnell, U17 Prep Head Coach
Ernie Sutherland, Assistant Coach
Brad Platt, Female U18 Prep Assistant Coach
Gord Tumilson, Goalie Coach
Ginger Collins, Housing Coordinator
PRICE
What is included in the price to attend the Pilot Mound Hockey Academy?
“The price for a Manitoba resident is $28,000 and a non-Manitoba resident is $36,000, which includes the additional education costs. Our fees are all-inclusive and cover all meals, housing, travel, 10-month hockey program, equipment, education, and additional planned team activities. Student athletes would only require spending money for items they would like to purchase such as going to a movie, out for dinner, snacks, etc.”
CONTACT
What is the best way to contact the Pilot Mound Hockey Academy?
Website: pilotmoundhockeyacademy.com
Email: ginger@pilotmoundhockeyacademy.com
Email: rodneylcollins@gmail.com