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)."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"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.

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY LEMON LAW

Here's an interesting concept:

How about the Lemon Law? Does everyone remember the lemon law put in place to protect consumers for faulty product? Is there a lemon law for the folks at OHA when they lie about your son's and don't deliver on their

promises?

Just for fun, here's what we dug up about the "Lemon Law."

Do you think you’ve purchased a defective car, truck, mini-van, suv, recreational vehicle, camper, full size van, boat, motorcycle, jet ski or OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY? 

Learn more about your lemon law rights. Call or submit your information online to see if you qualify under the law. You could be entitled to cash compensation for your lemon.  99% of our cases settle without going to trial, we work to get your claim settled as quickly as possible.

Lemon law attorneys will handle lemon law claims for consumers. We stay informed of the newest legal developments so you can get the best results for your lemon law claim. We have handled thousands of claims for both lemon automobiles, consumers products and now Okanagan Hockey Academy.

There’s no reason you shouldn’t take advantage of the consumer protection laws. As you do have lemon law rights, it works to your advantage to find out if you do indeed qualify for some form of lemon law relief. 

If you are ready for help in pursuing your potential lemon law case and want to get rid of your lemon – call 1-800 OHA-LEMON toll free to reach an attorney for your FREE initial consultation! Or submit your information online for your free case evaluation.

We want to hear about your OHA lemon. Your stories can help others from purchasing a lemon.

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY FLEECING AMERICANS?

A parent posted good information RE: the history of OHA contract deadlines and advice RE: signing and payment for their exorbitant tuition:

"Here's the history of OHA contracts. Back in the beginning, OHA gave refunds until November. Then the date moved to Mid-October, then first of October. Now you have until Sept. 1 and they still take almost all of it. You have to be crazy to sign their contracts. It's as good as throwing your good money away. If you are an American, you are most certainly funding the Canadian boys and there is a high probability you will find your son placed on a lower team irrespective of his talent.

The only chance this lousy good for nothing program survives is due to the beautiful new facility in Penticton and not by the example these people set for your boys. 

Wesley is a great role model and it goes nothing but downhill fast from there. Anyone reading this has fair warning. Do not sign that contract. Also, paying in advance gives them free reign to eff- over your kid and they will laugh all the way to the bank.

OHA owners are scoundrels and low-lifes who want USA dollars to take care of their own."

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY BILLETING: A GONG SHOW

A parent's perspective about the billet system at OHA:

"At OHA most (not all) of the billets do it for the money. They don't support the players in that almost all of them NEVER come to the games or any events with the players. I know for fact there have been times when they keep up to three boys and limit the amount and kind of food the players get. It's not all the billets, but most of them. The billet fees are about 3 times what they are here in the states. We have billeted players here in the USA the last two years and it is a labor of love. We get $250 a month which wouldn't even begin to pay the guys grocery bill much less all the other expenses. Billeting should never be done for money, yet as a love of the game and player. Billets should provide the kind of environment for players that is a home, not just a place for them to sleep and occasionally eat a crappy meal. Their billet situation has been a gong show at OHA for a long time just like most all their organizational skills. For what they charge your player should be treated a hell of a lot better than what they get. The school is to blame for this in that they are ultimately accountable for it. The only reason my son had a great billet and had it good was because those guys thought they would soak me for a wad of money during the upcoming years and he would stay on. They weren't all that hard to figure out. I find it interesting there are quite a number of people who have been abused by these guys. I also think it good that people come out and make it known to others."

PENTICTON V'S BLOG SHEDS LIGHT ON PORT ALBERNI "SYSTEMIC" ISSUES

Thank you anonymous for sending the following link to our readers:

http://pentictonvees.podbean.com/2009/02/27/alberni-notebook-systemic-issues-bchl-broadcast-of-the-year/#comments

Bryant Perrier made this statement following Sunday’s news 

We hesitate to draw conclusions for our readers, but one cannot help but see a correlation between Alan Kerr's dismissal as GM, Perrier's complaints of having his hands essentially tied through early season (November timeframe), a lawsuit against Alan Kerr, James Kerr being traded immediately following the conclusion of the lawsuit and Perrier's mention in his press conference about the improvement regarding his freedom to make decisions (Line-ups, player ice time etc.) and the subsequent improved performance of the team (November timeframe).

There is definitely more to this story and our pursuit of the facts is steadfast.  If any of our readers could shed some light by providing inside scoop, we would greatly appreciate the information. 

Remember, your comments are anonymous!

Chew, Dip, Snuff, A-OK at OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY

Okanagan Hockey Academy President Andy Oakes goes to great lengths to explain the "rules" to the hockey boys at the kick-off banquet as parents proudly listen to his informative, if not inspiring speech.  At OHA, it seems there are rules to be followed and those put in place to impress the parents. Very quickly, the OHA hockey boys must learn to navigate their way as to which rule violation will get him expelled and which will earn him a pat on the back.  

Hint: They like Chewing Tobacco!  Be prepared to share. 

We've recently been enlightened by an ex-Okanagan Hockey Academy student and admitted chewing tobacco user about what OHA staff may say to your son regarding chewing tobacco use once the banquet is over and you've left your son in their care:  

"Addressing the dip issue, andy's exact words at the players-only meeting to start the 07-08 year were: 

"if you chew, we better not see it"

dixon ward once privately commented to his team: 
"don't chew, but if you do, you better give me a dip every time i see you"

they don't look very hard. as a dipper myself, i was caught fat-lipped a few times though, once by dixon and a couple times by alan. dixon took my tin for himself and alan just joked about it.

hell, the team jackets are designed for dipping. there's a pocket on the arm that a tin fits into perfectly, and pockets in the lining big enough to clandestinely hold a spitter (so they "don't see it").

no one dips on the bench, but the showers and study hall yes. go ahead and add in the academy vans and "in the gym" to that list as well. you can dip stress-free pretty much anywhere."

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At nearly 40,000 a year, at a minimum, shouldn't you be getting good role models for your son?