Program Profile: Okanagan Hockey Ontario

Located in Whitby, ON, Okanagan Hockey Ontario will play in their sixth Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) Eastern Division season next year, operating teams at the U18 Prep and U17 Prep level.

PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY AND MISSION STATEMENT

TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT GIVES EVERY STUDENT-ATHLETE THE BEST POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO ACHIEVE AND SURPASS INDIVIDUAL POTENTIAL THROUGH STRUCTURE, SUPPORT, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE.

LIST OF CSSHL TEAMS 

• U16 Prep
• U18 Prep

LOCATION AND YEAR THE PROGRAM ENTERED THE CSSHL

• Whitby, Ontario.
• OHO joined the CSSHL in 2019/20

 EDUCATION

• • Partner School
    • Henry Street High School
  • What are some of the things your program does to provide educational support?
    • Each student has a guidance counselor assigned to them. They have the ability to book meetings to see their guidance counsellor. They help support the student athlete through course selection, pathway planning and provide an extra layer of support if students need academic support.
    • Students have an opportunity to attend extra help sessions with Henry Street High School before school, during lunch or after school. Peer tutoring and resources are also available upon request.
  • How are grades monitored and how often?
    • Students participate in an academic check-in monthly with their coaching staff. We also receive midterm and final grades from the school. If students are struggling, teachers often reach out with updates as well.
  • How are courses and the graduation path for student athletes chosen?
    • Guidance counsellors work with the student athletes and their families to plan their pathway to graduation and earning the Ontario High School Diploma.
  • Do you have an academic probation policy?
    • Academic probation is a case-by-case situation. We work on being proactive and use academic probation as a last resort. Students are given opportunities to catch up on their work if they are falling behind in study halls. If a situation arises that a student is not keeping up on work, they will be assigned extra study halls until their work is completed. In cases of academic misconduct, games may be taken away from student-athletes. Students, coaches, management, parents, and teachers are all involved in the academic process.

RESIDENTIAL LIFE

• Our athletes who need room and board are billeted among a great group of local families. Our billets provide a safe and supportive environment that our student-athletes can call home. We have had great success through our billeting program and feel that it has been an integral part of the growth of our Academy.
• Okanagan Hockey strives to make our student-athletes feel right at home while developing their emotional intelligence. Our student-athletes will develop key life skills by living away from home, such as time management skills, cooking and laundry, self-advocacy, relationship skills, appreciation of new cultures, and controlled independence.

STUDENT ATHLETE HEALTH

• • How are injuries and sick student athletes monitored?
    • We have full-time Certified Athletic Therapists staffed daily in our state-of-the-art facilities for injury assessment, rehabilitation, and coverage during training and games. We have a team physician who comes to the academy weekly and is booked by appointment through an athletic therapist. Student-athlete monitoring is typically completed with daily check-ins but can differ depending on the injury or illness.
    • Parent communication will take place for student-athletes who are injured for any extended period, including updates on their progress or changes in their injury status. Parent communication will also take place when any sort of physician contact occurs, such as general check-ups, walk-in clinics, or emergency room visits. This is especially helpful for families that are not in town so that they can be kept up to date on each step of the injury or illness recovery process.

SCHEDULE

• What days the daily schedule look like for a student athlete in your program?
  • 730: Arrival
  • 745 – 845: Strength and Conditioning Session
  • 930 – 210pm: Academics @ Henry Street High School (3 courses)
  • 245 – 415pm: Team Practice
• How many games can your teams expect to play?
  • 45 – 50 games
• What does the on and off ice training look like?
  • On – ice training
    • 4x a week
  • Off-ice training
    • 3 – 4 times a week depending on team schedules.
• How long does your program run?
  • 10 months

KEY STAFF AND CONTACT INFO

• Paul Pascuzzi – General Manager
• Pat Lenehan – Assistant GM and U18 Head Coach
• Nate Bedford – U16 Head Coach
• Matt Beech – U15 Head Coach
• Development Coaches – Greg Nemisz and Mike Duco
• Athletic Therapist – Jaime Medranda
• Strength and Conditioning Coaches – Sean Harrison

 PRICE

• • What is including in the price to attend the program? Breakdown of fees
    • OHO FEE STRUCTURE:
      • Student Program Fees $28,000.00 + HST
      • International Education Fee $16,900.00 (outside Canada)
      • Billeting Fees $8,000.00 (if required)

CONTACT

• • What is the best way to contact the program?
    • GM, Paul Pascuzzi
    • Website: www.okanaganhockeyontario.com
    • Email: paulpascuzzi@okanaganhockey.com
    • Social media: @OHGontario (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram)