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."
26 comments:
Contracts should be a two way street with both parties benefitting. I looked over the contract and its one-way with the school getting all the benefit with the power to expel with no refund, put your kid on the lowest teams. Even their higher teams are lousy. I am perplexed as to how anyone with above grade 8 education level can sign the contract.
OHA intentionally wrote the contract to have complete control over the parents and players. It is blatently unfair and again shows their lack of character in having the power to expel your player with any trumped up charge and not pay a refund. These guys are crooked. I agree that I can't imagine anyone who reads the entire contract and understands it would sign it. I would suspect based on so much now coming out about their shady dealings they will be forced to make some changes if they expect someone to sign. You are right in that their teams are lousy from bottom to top.
My son went to their summer camps for a few years. Fortunately for us we have good hockey where we live although we were approached about the year round program at the time. Firstly, it was out of our price range but mainly we were not willing to send our son away to school at age 15. We stayed in hotels with our son each year at camp.
My son liked the camps at OHS and I think its a good solid camp experience. I doubt with the economy as bad as it is right now you are going to see very many parents footing the bill for any year round hockey school let alone one with so much bad press.
One more point is that I am surprised to learn how bad the hockey academy is and the poor performance of the teams since they run a decent summer camp.
That's odd, just a day after i make a comment about this being anonymous there is all of a sudden a post with a name..not a name that's verifiable in any way shape or form, but a name. Way to change up how you monitor and write your blog and comments.
Don't give yourself too much credit there pal that anyone is even listening to you and your silly talk about the anonymous comments on the blog. People have a right to make comments and not disclose their identity. Just because they choose to remain anonymous doesn't make their remarks any less credible. Many times it actually brings out the truth. Next thing you'll be accusing the blog host of some sort of international conspiracy to bring down OHA single handedly. OHA is doing a pretty good job of bringing themselves down.
Again, what point did you just prove?? You could be someone outside this blog, but most likely your not. All this anonymous stuff does is lead things to be less valid. There is nothing on here that shows that this is anything but one person. In fact every topic is taken from a comment left by "a parent". So you didn't disprove what i just said.
The veyr fact that the comments all need to be approved goes a long way to showing that this is not a legitimate forum at all.
Sounds like a blogging 101 lesson is in order. These OHA folks don't have blog experience and they sure need it now.
Blogging 101 indeed. There are thousands of blogs on the net topic related such as this one that people make anonymous comments. Why don't you start your own blog that specializes in the validity of anonymous comments on blogs. I'm sure many people would find that facinating. LOL
On another note, many blogs review comments before posting. Its common practice. Your point is disproven in that the blog master still posted your silly assed remarks. LOL
Let's stick to the topic at hand. OHA. Nice try though trying to divert the discussion in another direction.
Dear #7, anonymous I mean.....as your post went on you started slurring and misspelling words. Are you tipping one, or two, or three or four?
Signed,
A frigg'in parent of an ex-academy player with no refund and guess what I don't even know the blog boss.
a few mis-spelled words..wow. I have no issue with people having opinions about OHA. Everyone has their own and can think any way that they want about it. Not a big problem. My issue is that I've attempted to post comments before had them not put up. Kind of odd. They were not vulgar or anything other then a comment on the topic at hand, yet still not posted. So explain how censoring some comments but not others is a legitimate way of running something?? No diversion at all, back to the contracts, read your contract, make sure your son follows the rules and you have no problem. If you let your son head out drinking on numerous occassions and he gets tossed out of the academy, then maybe you should take a look at his actions.
Going to need blogging lessons? I highly doubt that. One rouge website about issues that are "valid" won't impact anything for a business. If you think that these are all valid issues, then take a look at a few prime examples: Lawsuit against Alan Kerr filed by a port alberni parent for favoritism. (last I looked there is no law against playing someone to much) A porn ring that leads back to Penticton (Again last I check this was an incident that happened in Port Alberni before OHA bought the team). I think that's enough for examples of how there is no factual basis for any of this.
Oh, you left off a few of the topics off including their one way contract, keeping peoples money, lying to them about the team they will play on, the marginal academics, drug problems in Penticton, drunk coaches not showing up for practice, no promotion of players, lousy teams, outdated training program and on and on and on. All this for a mere 40K a year. What a deal!
Typical "bury your head in the sand" behavior in turning your head and hoping it all goes away. If I refuse to accept it then it just doesn't exist. Blame it all on those unruley players. OHA Koolaid with that shot please!
The majority of the players all follow the rules, yet this doesn't keep Alan and his henchmen from putting the screws to them anyway. You act like players are actually rewarded for making good grades, working hard at thier on ice and off ice development. What a laugh. Not in this marginal program.
One way contract, then don't sign it. Its very simple. If you read it and signed it and then got pissed about it..who's issue is that?? It's very clearly drawn out. Marginal academics? Probably need to look into that one in a little bit further detail, call up the academic advisor and ask him his take on it. He'll give you a brutally honest opinion.
Drug problems are everywhere. If you think they aren't then your blind and probably are using the bury your head in the sand approach yourself. Penticton is no different then Kelowna, Calgary, Denver, Phoenix, etc etc.
Drunk coaches not showing up for practice..obviously your refering to Dixon, not sure where the drunk part relates to not showing up to practice...more likely the Kelowna to Penticton thing for 7 am practices would contribute to that one. And everyone will agree that wasn't a good decision, and its clearly been fixed.
No player promotion? Might need you to take a look at where the alumni are now. And why if they need help finding a place to play, they still call. Why half the staff works every contact they have to move players on.
You are clearly bitter about some experience with OHA, where you felt your son didn't get what he deserved, most likely he got tossed from the academy. Chances are no one was willing to put their name out there to help him move on. Might need to take a look at your son, and wonder why that would be. Chances are your one of 5 people that have either been asked to leave or left under bad terms, and if you are and don't think you or your son deserved it, maybe time for you to take your head out of the sand.
Another OHA groupie living in a fools paradise who has all the answers to SOMEONE ELSES problems. Alan is that you or Andy? HAHA
Actually we aren't bitter towards OHA in that they didn't get to us like they did so many others. We dropped them like a rock. It wasn't all that hard to figure them out. You simply refuse to see these guys for what they are. They damaged a lot of players and parents in recent years and are now paying the price for it. They deserve all the bad press they get.
Okay Alan/Andy aka OHA owner: If you say the Dixon Ward no show issue has been fixed, does that mean the families of the AA team 2007/2008 received some type of compensation? In my mind, if you buy a product and its not delivered, or only partially delivered, that warrants a refund, does it not?
FIXING the issue involves more than moving him to some other part of the program. It most definitely should involve compensation for families who paid top dollar for something that was not delivered.
As for the alcohol issues, it is neither here nor there. Most coaches at OHA are moderate to heavy drinkers but they manage to get to practice. What happened with Ward last year was totally unacceptable and Oakes did jack shit to rectify it. Your so-called "FIX" is not really a fix at all.
In their world no one would ever have the gaul to question them or hold them accountable. The issue with Dixon is a good example. I think that is what this blog is about. Why do those guys think they are above be accountable to their customers? The best way to hit these guys is getting the word out on them and hit them in the billfold where it really hurts! That's the one thing they love even more than hockey.
Well My son had better follow the rules, if he wants to be there is all I can say. If your son is committed and wants to be there then what is the problem. You get more ice time, a trainer, door to door service 55 plus games, a trip to a big tournamnet which I really enjoyed in the US......And fablous coaching. What they do on there own time is there business. Does your boss care if you had a drink after work?
I personally don't appreciate the heavy drinking going on at the hotels during travel trips. In this case it is not a drink after work. These coaches are responsible for the boys. Suppose there was an emergency? If the coach is 3 sheets who is going to manage a crisis? They are also responsible to enforce curfew violations. Again who does this responsibility fall to when the coaches are over the legal limit at night in the hotels? This is a pervasive issue at OHA.
The sad part about all this, is that this doesn't hurt Alan Kerr, Andy Oakes, Dixon Ward. Any fall out from this hurts the rest of their staff. Do you think if times get tight, they are going to hold onto an assistant coach, trainer,receptionist, etc. They do have some really great people in their office. I dealt with a few in the last few years, and they were very good people. That's what's sad about all this.
What is really sad is the dishonest way in which the OHA conduct their business and how they cheat people. They are getting exactly what they deserve.
I didn't disagree with that. Its like any corporation, the guys that control what happens with a company control what happens with its employees. So at the end of the day, its good people getting hurt.
I agree. The little people at OHA are good people. How do all those enormous egos all fit in one office space?
by squeezing in one head at a time.
No what is really sad is the people behind this blog. Bitter because they didn't get to play where they thought they should?
Whining because they didn't get there money back. OHA wrote the contract the way it is because of people like the blog master. If there was a lunitic around wouldn't you protect yourself?
DOH!!!
Post a Comment