OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY: UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT

OHA is definitely an unsafe environment. There is a crack house right next to the HS. It is a PUBLIC school. Want to pay 40K for a public school just because they have hockey? Think about what an insane thought that is for anyone to consider. They fix teams and do not help the kids move on to higher play, as they claim. They kids who have moved on came to OHA with very special discounts (a fraction of the 40K tuition) and those kids are so good they were going to move on anyway with or without OHA.

If you are an American the story is even more bleak. In their entire history they have not moved an American player to the BCHL Jr A. They will offer to put in a word for your son to play NORPAC (bottom feeder league for kids going nowhere). A few American kids go to KIJHL, but very few and that will become the end zone. I believe they moved 1 player that was American on to a Div II or III college scholarship this year. Note that the young man left OHA to play in Wenatchee for a year to get real development which makes me question what role OHA really played in getting him to a college level, albeit Div II or III.Look at the west coast (SoCAL or NorCAL) hockey. OHA got wiped clean in every AAA US tourney they entered last year. The OMAHA league is solid but cannot compare to USA AAA level hockey. You are better off staying in the states and dealing with the politics that come your way at home.

The politics at OHA are just as bad and you end up with empty pockets at Nose bleed tuition for public HS.If you insist on looking to send your son to Canada, look at POE in Kelowna. The kids go to a private Christian school and the program is very good. They go back and forth with OHA when they play at all levels and their tuition is a fraction of the cost. The other one to consider in Notre Dame. Don't look for these guys to blow smoke up your a$$ because they won't. At Notre Dame they will place your son according to ability. At OHA is all about negotiating your son's team place BEFORE tryouts. At least at Notre Dame you know exactly where your boy stands.

OHA has some good coaches. Actually, they have some very good coaches. Unfortunately, Oakes and Kerr tie their hands and greatly limit the impact they could have on the boys if they had the freedom to do their jobs. It starts with Kerr telling them exactly who will play on their teams, again based on parent negotiation, and it goes downhill from there. OHA has two very good coaches on their coaching staff, Blake and Rob. The other very good coach they had was Steve, but he has finally broken free for greener pastures.

Good luck!

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY: ANDY OAKES IS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY

I used to play for OHA. I too was promised things that never came to fruition, but that is not an issue with me.

OHA is a business and Andy operates it to make dollars. It is awful how he has changed, people that knew the old Andy can attest to this.

I don't want to bash on anyone, I am not angry, as a former player though speaking to prospective parents I have this to say...

I would not send my child to OHA because it is not a family. There certainly is brotherhood among the teammates, but from a checkbook standpoint, each recruit is a dollar sign. The nicest Andy will ever be to you is right before he gets you to sign up for OHA, he is quite the actor, and not ashamed to make grand claims about your hockey future to get to your wallet. The all-mighty dollar has its ways of tearing down good people, and Andy certainly is not the same man he was when he brought the IDT to OHS. I am certain too that you can get more for less elsewhere too, if finances are a concern.

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY: CRACK HOUSE NEXT TO CAMPUS

OHA was recruiting my son and we nearly sent him to OHA when a friend made us aware of this website. I confirmed the existence of the crack house from a local family who sent their son to OHA 5+ years ago. Thank God we did not send our son to be billeted in a place which lacks supervision and is full of drugs.

We may have drug problems in the US but the government does not ignore drug dens. In the US they are raided and shut down. Apparently in Penticton the government thinks its good enough to have a rent-a-cop stand outside the crack house during school hours. That is not good enough. It should have been shut down. It makes me think someone in the RCMP or government is getting a kick back from drug deals.

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OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY PREP: A TEAM OF QUITTERS

Okanagan Hockey Academy lays an egg against the Edge while being crushed 10 ZIP. Is anyone surprised? Even coach Blake Wesley is referring to them as quitters. See the attached article: http://www.bclocalnews.com/sports/69004147.html

Is Okanagan Hockey Academy really where you want to send your son at 40,000 a pop? Remember, it's a public school in the drug infested town of Penticton, BC with one of the most prolific crack houses in the city sitting right beside the campus. FYI: The cops won't shut it down.

Andy and Alan still claim OHA is the premier prep school is Western Canada. Really? It seems after a king sized whooping from Edge, it's clear there's a much better program only one province away dominating OHA in a big way. Bonus: No crack house sitting next to the high school campus.

http://www.edgeschool.com/

We understand the tuition is much more reasonable too!

Here's the blurb from the Edge website about the first meeting against the limping OHA squad:

BOYS PREP DO THE MONSTER MASH IN HALLOWEEN WEEK-END FINALE @ OHA

Edge Boys Prep coaches Kevin Willison and Brent Gogol knew their troops were having a solid week-end at Okanagan Hockey Academy with some dominating performances in the first two games. They might not have expected Sunday's outburst however as they watched the lads belt host OHA with a 10-0 blasting. In the first CSSHL meeting of these two squads, Edge definitely had the upper game as Brady Ramsay continued his incredible season with 3 more goals while Tanner Labbe, Max Reavis and Tanner Hicks each sniped a pair and Austin Donaldson had a singleton.

With the victory Edge remained comfortably atop the CSSHL standings with a clean 6-0 slate for 12 points. When league scorers are posted next week, look for the names of Ramsay, Hicks, Labbe, Paylor and Reavis to be prominently mentioned.

Three games, three victories, 20 goals for and 3 goals against - all in all, a great week-end for the Boys Prep!

Detailed results of Edge success in the Prep league found here:

http://www.edgeschool.com/page.php?p_id=5&s_id=20&t_id=69

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY PLAYER OF THE MONTH? ...OOPS!

If you want your son to be forgotten, send him to Okanagan Hockey Academy!

Wake up! Obviously OHA staff made that comment or someone still with the blindfold on. You poor poor thing. The entire OHA quad team moved on because of the boys own talent NOT OHA at all. OHA did nothing but try to hold boys back, these boys were survivors of the OHA program. You are so out of the loop it is pathetic! Get your head out of the sand.
OHA can't even update their website team photos to this year and didn't even bother to put in a player of the month nominee for their KIJHL team that they are oh so proud of owning. That is a hint Alan/Andy nominate a player of the month for your treasured second from last place junior B team. September is past but you still have time for October-it will look like you care just a bit! Ready?....GO!

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY COMING APART AT THE SEAMS

Notice how OHA tried to take credit on their website for 'Moving the entire Major Midget AAAA team' BS. Those kids from AAAA and their parents refused to send their kids to OHA another season even if it meant them not playing this year or dropping down to whatever or wherever they could play. The boys were seen by other teams, without OHA's help or input at spring camps and in turn invited to fall evaluation camps in and out of province. The boys scrambled desperately to find teams to play for this season - who would appreciate them for their talent (pre OHA experience), just so that they would not have to go back to OHA. Parents were happy as now they could afford to buy their own kids a car instead of yet contributing to another one for the Kerr family. Then OHA tried to take credit for them all moving on. Pathetic. OHA had nothing to do with the entire QUAD team moving on. NOTHING. The boys told them they were NOT going back there no matter what. The boys who couldn't make any other Junior A or B team ended up being added to the old Sting team now the Penticton Lakers -Junior B or Alberni Bulldogs, -both owned by OHA just so that they would have a place to play and OHA could take credit for moving them on. By the way...Junior B with OHA costs the same $40,000, whereas other Junior B team players/parents are paying almost NOTHING!

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY ENROLMENT WAY DOWN

Like a pathetic game of limbo, Okanagan Hockey Academy is singing a new tune, "How low can you go?" Predictably, the teams this season are collectively losing, losing, and losing.

Penticton Lakers, formerly the Sting, has begun the season with, shall we say, less than a bang?

14 games played, 12 losses with the Lakers firmly planted at the bottom of their division with no way out of the hole they have dug for themselves. Only one team in the KIJHL has a record slightly more terrible, the Columbia Valley Rockies. It's going to be a long year for the OHA boys with the early losses piling up.

OHA coffers are a bit depleted this year. Is this due to the economy? Their teams are down a minimum of twenty players from last year with area British Columbia players dominating this year's rosters. Very few American boys have returned to the OHA program and new recruits are nil. You might recall we exposed the OHA sliding tuition scale last year. The Americans are the ones the owners rely upon, for the most part, to foot the full tuition bill, while the local boys and sons of staff members practically attend for free.

Stay tuned as the blog heats up over the next few months. We will be following these losing teams and undoubtably hear countless stories of politics during tryouts and disgruntled players doing everything possible to leave OHA.

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY: QUALIFICATIONS

"lots of ice and trips 55 games NHL coaches , Power Skating, Yoga the program has impoved much since last year!"

ok alan (or whoever), let's go over these one by one:

1)yes lots of ice, but you shouldn't have to go on road trips to calgary every month to play hockey in canada, and you DEFINITELY shouldn't have to drive an hour to kelowna just to practice once a week from april-july.

2) nhl coaches? Dirk and Wesley are legit, but just because you were qualified to get your face punched in for 9 years does not qualify you to teach skills and systems to young players who may or may not have better skating and hands than you. I can't comment on Randy Jaycock, but it's a bit of a misnomer to call a perennial bench-warmer an nhl player.Dixon Ward? his doctor took a blood sample and it was 80 proof (and he rarely even shows up). that nhlpa card only covers a 8x5cm part of your ass. you still have to cover the rest.

3)power skating yes. if a player is a real athelete, he will benefit from this (about 20-35% of your enrolled players).

4)yoga yes. about 3-4 times during the season, more regularly in summer. but really, who cares?

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY: DRUG PROBLEMS

No, they do not perform drug testing - they should. You sign that it is okay to do, but when the coaches son is one of them using drugs and/or alcohol no kidding they won't do them.Yes they promote your son -if you are personal friends.Yes the boys do get some exposure on road trips which results in letters for spring/main camps for Junior A and B teams, but don't ever voice a concern about the program because when the teams contact Alan for a previous years referral watch out. My wife and I know of some families that have fallen misfortune to this. Many know to see through it and don't bother making the referral call to Alan at all.Yes the OHA has connections with the NCAA, but after you enrol with OHA, and a few months pass and the scout from the NCAA won't recognize you, your wife, or your son in an empty room.Yes the boys miss many many classes for ice time or on or off ice training. Time that they can't make up especially with resentful teachers.Yes they have an absolutely beautiful new office with decorative brick walls and waterfalls. Simply stunning.Yes they have kicked some academy boys out of the program for misbehaving and not following rules and of course kept all the money.Yes they had dismissed an academy staff member for issues non disclosed but related to certain 'deals'.No they do not support your son, it is a 'gonna watch you till we get you' approach.Yes they have problems getting billet families due to past bad experiences, many have backed out and said enough.Yes sometimes there are up to 4 academy boys in one billet house.No the billet coordinator does not go and check out the homes prior to billeting the boys, some live in basement rooms with no windows, or closets -just 4 walls.Yes, the boys develop their skills on ice but not as much as they should for the amount of time they spend on the ice with ex NHL'ers.Yes the boys mature but mainly because of the morals, values, goals that they come with and strong support from their families at a distance.Yes most of the players from last season have decided not to return because of their personal disappointment with the program.Yes global is not what it is promoted as, there are not many scouts present. Vegas is better than Burnaby. Yes letters do come from some scouts that do attend, it is a big recruitment tactic, but also every other money making camp as well that your e-mail is shared with. Every player at OHA summer camps receives a global invite which recognizes them as an elite player, even if they are house league level.Yes the boys are kept busy with their schedule, but we can not stress enough how many classes they miss, school is definitely second in the OHA program. If they fall behind because OHA schedules most of their practises etc during certain class time, the boys are blamed for falling behind.Yes we understand they are making some adjustments for this coming season -wonder why?We regret moving our son to OHA

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY: INSULTS YOUR BOYS AT 40K A YEAR

Yes, there is absolutely a well known crack house next to the school, which on occasion security is hired by the city to stand by and direct kids away from, -but they just meet around the corner -there is only one security guard there, he can't be on all four sides of 24-7 (store) at the same time.Yes they have tutors 'so to speak', do they ever go on out of town trips to help the boys as promised -no, never.Yes the boys go on road trips during review weeks -right before exams and have no tutors on the trips to help them study or answer questions for them. POE excels in this area, tutors go on road trips and a separate study room is booked at their hotel for them to use.Yes, you can hire private tutors in Penticton -at an additional $30.00 - $35.00 per hour. Most are students or recent grads.The curfew calls almost never ever happen, and the boys are pre-warned when they will occur.The boys attend a public school, with many teachers of very poor ratings -see 'rateyourteacher.com' for specific teachers.Yes, it is true most teachers are in an uproar because they do not want the hassle of having academy boys in their classes -why, because they miss so much school, that is a very heavy burden on them to try to get them caught up. Can you blame them?Yes, the OHA 'honor role' is fixed, the academy classes are like spares with an academy teacher walking around to help them if needed. The boys get high 90's in this class, but low grades in the core courses, average it out and voila! -good marks = honor role.Yes, drugs are rampant at Penticton Secondary School and there are known dealers in the same classes with the OHA boys.Do you really want to spend $40,000 plus to have your prospective hockey son at a public school sharing a desk with known school drug dealers?Yes, there are some success stories for OHA boys - but you have to know the connections, as for Cole Manning -awesome job for him, the 'real' OHA blog didn't mention that at the banquet Alan Kerr stated "I guess this shows that miracles can happen" when referring to this boy. Typical comment from Alan.Yes, when the coaches go on road trips, a few of them spend more evening/night time in bars drinking than supervising the boys.

We regret the move to OHA.

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY: TEAM FIXING REALITY

"Last summer Alan Kerr approached my son at summer camp about attending OHA. We already had plans to send him to Notre Dame. Alan promised my son a spot on his top team as a means to motivate us not to send our son to Notre Dame. I did not like this approach. It is essentially an admission that the teams at OHA are fixed well before the boys arrive to school in the fall. 

My son likes the summer camp but we prefer to play at Notre Dame during the school year."

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY: IT'S A CON GAME

"The worst thing about OHA is that the players don't get scouted and the school does virtually nothing to promote them. At $40,000 a year and those huge house payments Alan has, why would he want to move them? haha! Somebody has to pay for that Mercedes too! That would be you if you think telling everyone you send your son to OHA is worth that. Their program is a con game."

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY: SAVE YOUR MONEY

"There are a number of top quality organizations in the US. I wouldn't waste my time or money to send them to Canada. We've done both and I would suggest having him stay in the USA. There is a lot more opportunity if he is a US citizen in the states. Besides that every year more and more NCAA teams are securing many of their players through the USA Junior programs which are mostly Americans. The programs in the USA are as good or better than any of those in Canada. That's our personal 2 cents based on participating in both. OHA is definitely not worth the money. Notre Dame in Canada has a good program or Shattuck St. Mary's in Minnesota. These are the more premiere prep schools, yet there are politics there also. Have him make the best team he can and work like crazy to develop his game."

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY DOESN'T MEASURE UP

"They definitely don't get a prep school level education at OHA. They really don't even get the level of education you would receive at a top flight public high school in the US. You pay a top price, yet you don't get what others offer for about the same price. I would agree with the other comments that Notre Dame and Shattuck are much better than OHA, although OHA at one time pitched their program as in that same league. They aren't in that league either on the hockey or academic side. Those schools have a long standing tradition of which OHA has nearly none. OHA surely doesn't have the character those schools have or have ever met with the level of performance and success they have. Talk is cheap. Measure them by their past performance. OHA comes in last, just like most all their teams this year."

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY IN SEARCH OF FRESH MEAT AT GLOBALS

One of our readers recently offered some advice re: Okanagan Hockey Academy and their recruitment plans at Global.  It's the perfect place to find players who are hopeful they will draw the attention of scouts.  Instead, they often fall victim to the OHA machine ready to reach into their pockets and take $40,000 after a bit of schmoozing.  It's a great strategy and a mighty big payday!

"Its amazing the amount of crap they feed people to get them to write that check in the spring. We never did. We paid as we went. I wouldn't recommend this program to anyone, yet if you get taken in don't pay in advance. You will regret it. I think the word is getting out on these guys. They usually are working the showcases hard at Global Burnaby and Las Vegas. Don't get sucked in. Go make a real team which you can be proud of playing for."

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY: BOTTOM OF THE BARREL

How does Okanagan Hockey Academy stack up with other TRUE prep schools academically and with respect to hockey quality?  The following comment gives an interesting and thoughtful perspective:

"Notre Dame and Shattuck St. Mary's have a number of teams within specific age brackets. This means your player has to be a top player to play on their top team. If they aren't, they will put them on a more developmental team. They both have good programs and have a lot more depth than OHA. Their lesser teams would run over OHA's best teams. Both of these schools do not billet the players as they live in dorms. Both of them also offer much better academic opportunities for the about the same money as OHA. For what OHA charges you should be getting a prep school education. You get it at ND and SSM. You don't at OHA. The money actually goes in the owners pockets and the Americans fund their Canadian friends that can't afford to play there. As you would expect at OHA the more affluent players are Americans, while the less affluent are the Canadian cronies of the Kerr's. I guess OHA is pretty good if you are looking for a over priced, mediocre hockey program, mediocre public education, while paying a premium for others to attend for free. The owners of OHA seem to think that is a hell of a deal."

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY: LAST PLACE

"Thats funny. Looks like Alan and Andy are back on this site. A word of advice to them. Stop sending the same thing acting like a prospective or existing parent who talks about the other peoples players not working hard enough, getting in trouble and being sent home, and what a great opportunity it is for all the players at OHA. Blah Blah Blah!!!!!!!

Very, very few players have been sent home because of bad behavior, very few have come all that way and not worked hard. Have some common sense. What parent and player would come there and spend that kind of money to not give a top effort? That's ridiculous!

What it comes down to again is very poor performance. Every team in last place. Very few advancements in recent years outside the OHA organization. That is how you measure the success of the organization. These guys have done a masterful job convincing parents that coming is last is OK as long as the players are developing. Doesn't that tell you something about the organization. What championship level player ever thought it was OK to come in last. That is again ridiculous!"

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY: A CRACK HOUSE NEXT TO CAMPUS?

"That's about the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! Justifying the existence of a crack house right across the street from the school. It's like saying yeah its okay just stay away from it. What does that say about the school, OHA, the city, the police, that they know its there and don't even do anything about it." 

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"a bunch of punk ass dudes were shooting up heroine in a van right in front of academy kids at the 24/7,,,this was 2 years ago, but the fact remains. the fuzy muf were notified and they busted the junkies. They pulled them outa the van with the needles hanging from their arms, all in front of some OHA boys."

~~~~

"yes, it is absolutely true there is a crack house right behind the 24/7 where the OHA boys are picked up daily. Penticton is not a safe place to send your kids."

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY DADDY BRAND HOCKEY

"The bottom line is that OHA needs to raise their standards. It used to be a good place to send your son. It was small and personal. Everything has changed. They have turned into a money making machine. Plus Mr. Kerr should not be coaching his kids, nephews and friends. They have enough coaches to make that happen yet Kerr places himself each year in position to coach his own kids. It's never a good idea to have these guys coach their own. It's not good for the parent coach and it is almost always terrible for the kid. There are a few exceptions but Kerr has a big reputation of being very harsh on his kids and berating them in front of their teammates which is not good for team morale."

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY: ALL SMOKE AND MIRRORS

"All these posts are interesting to say the least.  I am a former player and this much is true regarding the academy, they didn't do anything for me, especially when I was leaving the program.  All is great until we decided to look at other options for me. Here is one more peace of info, these so called top end owners, treated the rest of the staff like shit.  They were the gods and the rest of the employees were working dogs getting no credit and doing most of the work.  Any other former players and parents please let the world know just how they treat us after we leave OHA.  As for the hard working support staff, they are underpaid and are not treated fairly.  What a shame! This program could be good if the owners knew how to take care of these major issues.  I was promised alot of things, and some were realized, but most were just smoke and mirrors. This blog is great because I am done hockey now and they can't hurt me any more with threats of calling teams and telling them I was a bad actor. 

Good luck to the next generation of academy students, they are going to need it!"

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY SEARCH FOR TRUTH

"How much of this site is true? My son wants to go to OHA next year and I will not send my son there if there is a crack house next to the high school. Some of the stuff on this site is very disturbing but many people say its not true. I was also under the impression the school is semi-private with special classes only for the hockey boys which are academic in nature and not just study halls.

I am looking for real advice here and not just from people who are angry at the school. Thanks!"

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY RECRUITMENT TRICKS

Okanagan Hockey Schools provides a rich 

recruiting environment for unsuspecting parents and kids alike.  Many families are suckered by Alan Kerr in the method described below.  This person is obviously "in-the-know" about the techniques used to by Kerr to fill the Okanagan Hockey Academy coffers to ensure the continued development of his friends. Note: There is a high probability you do not fall into this category.

"Warning coming into the summer months in Penticton for all prospective players to be recruited by the academy. Alan will take you out to lunch and tell you your player will play Junior hockey and then onto Division 1. Also be prepared for him to commit to them a place on his team. Have your tape recorder with you so you can sue him later. He does this to everyone and doesn't deliver. Don't trust these guys. You will end up holding the bag. Run for your lives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY DESERVES BAD PRESS

"What a poor loser trying to defend OHA. Typical idiot who just keeps drinking the koolaid thinking everything will be ok there if he says it enough and blames everything on those problem kids and their stupid parents. The truth is OHA has lied, cheated, stolen from people who placed their trust in them. They deserve all the bad press they are getting and are suffering for their greed. What a bunch of low lifes. But, of course its always the parents fault for trusting OHA to keep their promises and deliver a good product. How dare they!"

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY HAS LOUSY TEAMS

"To be fair OHA does have some highly qualified coaches. The question is whether or not development is affected when your son is grouped with lower level players who can neither pass the puck or receive it. OHA has VERY low level teams. The good coaches at OHA are incredibly frustrated at the poor quality. Now with the nosebleed tuition gauging you are going to see even less talent.

There are Ex-NHL guys coaching in the regular Canadian hockey system. The issue there is lack of ice, but in Edmonton where we live, the kids play outdoors for a good bit of the year. My son's friend has a rink in his backyard we use.

Hockey is a blue collar sport and its sad how the OHA program and others are using it strictly for financial gain and to develop their own sons on the dollars of others. 

I hope people are getting wise to these guys. This is not what hockey is supposed to be."

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY SELLING FEATURES

Okanagan Hockey Academy: It's definitely not a pretty picture......

"OHA's primary selling point to people is their superior coaching with all of the former NHL instructors and their superior academic offerings with 82% of their players being on the honor roll. Just look at the front page of their website. They don't deliver on either one in that the teams from the Bulldogs to the bottom Midget team are last in the standings. They aren't even competitive in the leagues they play in. As to academics they again don't deliver a top quality education. They certainly don't deliver on the training or academics that would even come close to justifying 40K. There are much better places for far less."

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY 40,000 A YEAR IS SIMPLY LARCENY

Here's some advice that won't cost you a penny........

"Okanagan Hockey Academy is another example of irresponsible hockey authorities making money on the false hopes and dreams of parents and average players alike. Look at the statistics--good players will be good players and will advance without having to pay excessive amounts of money. Talent does need to be developed but is mostly innate my friends. Save your money. Buy your kid a membership at the local gym, a bucket of pucks for the basement, build a $600 back yard rink, Make sure he gets to school on time and finishes his homework. If it is suppose to happen it will happen. Too many parents think they can make it happen. I truly feel sorry for the boys who fall short of their parents' hopes, dreams and unrealistic goals. These players, sold a bill of goods from these hockey leaders, will most likely fall short of anything beyond playing past a low level junior hockey and have nothing to show for it--they will feel like a failure. Good players are asked to play at the high levels or pay minimal amounts for a legit Jr. program--40 grand a year is simply larceny."

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY STICKER SHOCK!

Hello MacFly, anybody home?

Pssssst, will someone tell these guys there is currently a worldwide recession?  Everyone has lowered their prices except guess who?  While most families are tightening their belts, the Okanagan Hockey Academy owners are loosening theirs!  

This is a significant price hike over last year.  Some might argue that, given what is happening with the economy, these guys are a bit out of touch.

Click to enlarge.  

We recommend that you sit down first.  

Note the bottom of the fee schedule where 

they tell you they are going to keep all your 

money after September 1.  

THIS IS YOU AFTER THE OHA CONTRACT IS SIGNED

We have had quite a lot of parent contribution on the blog about the Okanagan Hockey Academy contract and the picture is not pretty.

The bottom line is that once you sign on the dotted line, you are essentially handcuffed to Okanagan Hockey Academy and you forfeit your rights financially and otherwise to challenge any decision they make regarding the welfare of your player.

Promises are made, contracts are signed and promises are broken.  It's a sadly predictable pattern which is repeated over and over again.  It seems the parents who are adept at the art of negotiation, fair the best under this current system.  Whereas, those who turn their player's future over blindly trusting the OHA owners, tend not to fair as well in the "tryouts."

By now we have all had the opportunity to read the contract and even the OHA "people" have weighed in saying to the effect, "You've read the contract and if you don't like it, don't sign it." Finally we are in agreement with OHA owners.  If you don't like the contract, don't sign it and take your player and your hard earned dollars elsewhere.

At a minimum, for those who still believe OHA is a good place to send your player for hockey development, then by all means, trickle your payments at the slowest rate.  Protect yourselves and negotiate the best team position possible by holding out on payments until the last minute. If your son is promised a spot BEFORE the tryouts, get it in writing.

We have had one parent who was wise enough to dole the payments out slowly, which provided him with ample opportunity to hit the eject button at such time when the program did not meet the expectations or the promises of its directors.

Imagine for a moment the AA families of the 2007/2008 season.  Each family paid a hefty sum to send their player to OHA and entrust their sons with an NHL star who ultimately was a "no-show" a good bit of the time.  These players were cheated!  If a parent in this situation wanted a refund, it would not have been granted according to the rules of the contract.  These families were simply stuck in a one-way contract and a program that did not deliver.  OHA claims they have rectified the situation by moving the head coach into a new role for 2008/2009.  However, we can assure you they did absolutely nothing to address the issue for the entire season, even though they were well aware of the situation, essentially leaving these trusting families high and dry.

We can appreciate the fact that some families will continue to send their sons to OHA and we acknowledge there are bright spots left in the program, Robert Dirk and Blake Wesley to name a few.  Still, in these situations where parents are prepared to take the risk, and sign the contract, it is advisable to select a payment option that will empower you with respect to your son's hockey future.

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY REFUNDS? NOT A CHANCE!

Here are some sad examples of families unhappy with the Okanagan Hockey Academy program of broken dreams and promises who failed to get refunds of any kind, even early in the year.

Please continue to send examples of Okanagan Hockey Academy hoarding your money and not delivering on their promises.

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" I sent my boy there a couple of years ago, they sold me on it in their summer camp. After one month it was clear that the high school and the academy were not that good. We decided to leave. Asked them for some refund and they said NO. Big time lesson ($26,000.00)."

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"When you sign that contract you are f******. I lost 24,750.00. Wanted to leave after my kid got placed on a lower team, but Andy said no refund. We stayed for three months, things got real bad so we left. Six other kids left at the same time. No one got any part of a refund."

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"You are right in that the teams the last couple of years have been all picked in advance. Their so called try out is a lie. They even lied to us about our son being placed on Alan's team and then reneged after we have made all the arrangements for the year. The good news is we didn't pay them until they made good on their word. Alan actually told us on 2 occasions very specifically what team our son would be on. The really bad thing is that he really is a very good player that should have been placed based on his playing ability and character. We hauled ass back to the states and played on a much better team and much better program. I think it is worthwhile for all of us to get the word out on these guys although I expect we would have a difficult time recouping any tuition from them in Canada. They are a rotten bunch."

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY TRYOUT STRATEGY

Excerpt from a perceptive parent:

"Seriously though what if all the OHA parents decided not to sign the contract until they had it in writing where their kid is going to play. Join the other parents that hold out paying until Kerr guarantees the spot behind closed doors.

Watch all the parents file into private meeting with Alan Kerr at the end of the season to "secure" their spot. It's like a damn breadline. 
The best negotiators get the gig. Funny thing is you have to ask what you are fighting for. Alan's team is no quad. Better to go to POE. They will absolutely dominate OHA from top to bottom in two years.

Kerr and his cronies are getting their due payback for all the team rigging "BS" going on at OHA. My message to POE is don't let the success go to your head. Don't destroy a good program. Slow and steady wins the race and stay principled and you will be on top for a long time while the owners of OHA will continue to run around with their heads squarely up their ......"

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY: SELLING WIDGETS

A parent's expectation of value at Okanagan Hockey Academy:

"Look at OHA from an investment point of view. Where is the value? If I was to send my player there I would expect top training, improvement, and advancement in their game. I would also expect the organization to promote him to a higher level. It's a simple matter of an investment in their future especially at 30 to 40 K a year. Look at the last two years and OHA's performance just like you would any business you might invest in. Their business is like any other business selling widgets. Their overall developmental system is behind top programs and much less robust than those which cost a lot less. Their advancement of players as a rule has been poor especially the last 2 years. Their overall performance in the leagues they play in are basically last place. Based on a fair performance based evaluation of OHA why would anyone spend that kind of money to send their player to them? On top of that communication with the parents who are footing the bill is very poor. Regular evaluations of the players are basically nonexistent. These guys just need to learn how to run a business. It is clear that they DO NOT understand nor serve the customer (parents) at all. They have such an elevated opinion of themselves they think they are beyond that. In business school at Stanford we learned these type companies don't make it in the long run. Maybe they teach it different at "mail-it-in" university where Oakes went."

AT OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY: PERCEPTION IS REALITY

Letter Percent 

A+ 95–100 
A  90-94 
A− 85-89 
B+ 80–84 
B  75-79 
B− 70-74 
C+ 65-69 
C  60–64 
C− 55–59 
D  50–54 
E or UN or I  0–49 (temporary) 
F  0–49 (permanent) 

A parent's perspective:

"Here's the grading scale. No wonder they tell you 80 some percent of the players get on the honor roll which is 70% and above. OHA makes a big deal out of it, yet being an academy player is practically a pass on school up there. You make it through school just fine, yet when you are complete you aren't prepared to go to College. 

And they don't add 15 points like someone said it more like maybe 3 to 5 to transfer to the USA based on the College accepting it. Penn High is a good school with good teachers, but is nowhere near the top schools in the US. They claim to be one of the top high schools in BC which is probably right, yet its all relative. No offense intended but it's not like BC is recognized as a great place of learning."

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY NOT TRUSTWORTHY!

The following comment was posted this morning.  What a great post!

"Trust me a person who knows the program and each of these guys well (the exception being Blake and Kelly Wesley) they ARE NOT trustworthy. That is the worst part of the whole experience. No character whatsoever. You send your most prized possession off to them a good distance away and they don't deliver what they say they will. My son was the hardest working guy in their program and a high quality player. Never got in a lick of trouble ever. We got out a long time ago and everything on our end is perfect nowadays, yet these guys will lie to you, cheat you, and steal from you. My question was always "Why would you treat a good quality player who has a great work ethic and moves thousands of miles away from home the way you do?" They never had the courage to answer the question. They have poor character. 

These guys tell you things straight to your face and then fail to deliver. I wouldn't trust these guys for anything. They are now in it for the money."

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At Okanagan Hockey Academy, it seems like the only thing they deliver is your money right into their fat bank accounts!  We guess they never counted on a blog where people can openly discuss their distaste for the program without fear of repercussions, providing parents with valuable insight BEFORE they sign on the dotted line.

There are many very good programs in Canada that are far less expensive than Okanagan Hockey Academy with high quality coaches and players.  Don't settle for less than the best for such a significant investment. The OHA program ranks at the bottom of the pile at every level.  

As for Blake Wesley, they should give the man a raise!  There has been nothing but high praise for this coach on the blog and he is obviously the brightest spot in the program, and quite possibly the only bright spot left.  At the nose bleed prices OHA commands for tuition, you'd think they could kick a quality man like Wesley a few more of their big bucks.

Dear Yankees, You Have Company.......

This just in from a blogger. Decide for yourselves........

The current OMAHA League Standings:

(Click and go)   http://www.omaha.ca/standings.php

"I think Midget Tier I is the same as Midget AAA and Midget Tier II is the same as Midget AA.

POE AAA 1 Tier 1 (on stats page above) played the OHA top team (Major Midget - not listed on the above stats page) four or five times and the two were pretty evenly matched. Results were written about at OHA site.  OHA team 1 Tier 1 on above stats page is the OHA second midget team. OHA team 2 Tier 2 on above stats page is the OHA third midget team."

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Not to pile on, but the Sting (KIJHL) and the Port Alberni Bulldogs (BCHL) rounded out the bottom of their respective leagues as well.  If the OHA Major Midget were playing in OMAHA AAA, they would be dancing around top 3, in all likelihood, based on their evenly matched results against POE this season, making them a solid AAA team in the OMAHA league,but certainly not a Major Midget AAAA level. They need to give their collective heads a shake and get off the high horse they are riding, as they reach into your pocketbook.  

Are these the kind of results the Okanagan Hockey Academy owners can be proud of?  OHA was once a program with a lot of promise but has been backsliding in recent years, in some cases dramatically. Too much team fixing and too many political favors?  Top team spots negotiated behind closed doors in Alan Kerr's office and not earned on the ice? 

Parents who consider sending their sons to Okanagan Hockey Academy need to do their homework and not believe the hype or the $h*t they shovel.  This program has a long way to go and certainly does not warrant the high price tag they charge for tuition.  The results are in the numbers and the numbers do not support the OHA program at any level. (See link above; also visit KIJHL and BCHL sites)

A very important part of development is to play at the highest possible level.  For the time being, Okanagan Hockey Academy offers mediocrity at best ( generous statement considering their current standing at every level).  Our advice to OHA is to let these young men earn their team positions based on merit and stop promising spots to the boys of high rollers.   This is the only way to right the ship and save a once promising program from peril.