We hear over and over from parents about team overcrowding at OHA. From the OHA website, it seems the target number for each team is 24 players, three of whom are goaltenders. Is it acceptable to have 6 boys sitting each game due to overcrowding? With school tuition approaching 40,000 a year, is it okay for your son to sit on the sidelines?
How does OHA compare with similar programs in Western Canada in terms of roster size? Well, they are over full, or at least that is our assessment. The Edge School has three team and carries 19, 19 and 16, respectively. Banff Academy, also considered to be over full, carries 21 players and a whopping 5 goalies! POE, carries a more reasonable 19 boys, but they are over full with goalies at 4.
Our question is this........... Are OHA and Banff Academy
really focused on development or are money grabbers? It is possible, if not probable, that OHA has a sliding scale for tuition as it has been reported by bloggers. Is it true that families of lessor players pay full tilt while the top team enjoys all the travel, hockey development and exposure all at a discounted cost? How does a perspective player score a deal like that at OHA?
We would like to learn more about the other competing programs? Are the top teams lined with coaches kids getting all the benefits? Are these programs filled with father coaches, as is the case with OHA? We've heard good things about POE, for example, but what is the downside of this program? Is it true that POE has been beating OHA's top midget team? The Edge School has enjoyed recent success against OHA's top team, trouncing them by double digits. What if anything ails the Edge? Banff Academy cannot compete with the top OHA midget team, but they easily handle OHA Midget AAA. What are the negative aspects of Banff Academy?
We welcome your opinions.
At OHA they tell you that your son really has what it takes and its usually a lie. They show you their program including Junior B Summerland Sting and Junior A Port Alberni Bulldogs. They tell you they will handle your son's career and advance him through these steps, dangling Jr. B and Jr. A in your face. They announce at the yearly banquet that their goal is to advance your sons to Jr B and Jr A levels. They talk about college scholarships and they bring in a few chosen boys to rave about the OHA program.
A Parent's comments RE: Their OHA Experience:
We hear over and over from parents about team overcrowding at OHA. From the OHA website, it seems the target number for each team is 24 players, three of whom are goaltenders. Is it acceptable to have 6 boys sitting each game due to overcrowding? With school tuition approaching 40,000 a year, is it okay for your son to sit on the sidelines?
ation of their coaching staff resumes as the rationale for charging nearly twice to going tuition rates for comparable schools. Parents agree to pay top dollar to have the best and most experienced coaches; however, the coaches need to show up to practice on a regular basis, and preferably not hungover, to justify the nosebleed charges for tuition. When the "no-show" coach is an owner, the rules apparently do not apply.
