OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY: LICENSE TO WHAT?

Here's a few facts for you that people may be interested in. After the tragic accidents involving high school teams and 15 passenger vans, OHA decided to have their staff licensed to drive them. Prior to that, they had a handful with proper licencing and the rest were driving players without the correct classification. They have even had a coach driving players in a personal vehicle while he didn't possess even a full licence in British Columbia. That's the equivalent of having a 16 year old that just got his New Driver designation driving your sons and daughters. I played at OHA, no longer do, but still have close ties to some of the guys there, if you want the truth, ask any of the players. Yes it was a good time, I developed off ice in the gym, on ice was OK, we were out matched pretty severely which I don't think helped in front of scouts at showcases, but if I was a parent I'd be looking at things like who's driving your kids and the risk they are taking.

OKANAGAN HOCKEY ACADEMY: NOSE DIVE

Well, it's that time of year again. The packets are already being distributed to families to sign their sons up for another year at OHA. Sign on the dotted line early, and you lose all your negotiating power to get your son PRE-ASSIGNED to the top team.

The parents who hold out for a meeting with Alan and a guaranteed placement prior to signing fair the best. Gone are the days when OHA can strong arm families by warning them that the spots will be filled. No one need act quickly anymore. OHA's rosters are but half filled giving the perspective buyer (sucker) time to really think things over, and give the old head a good shake. The power of negotiation at OHA has shifted. It's no longer standing room only for admissions. The owners at OHA will be scraping for anyone to fill their rosters this August and they will promise the moon and the stars to get ahold of your money.

The turnover at OHA cannot be described as anything less than astounding. Boys come and go; dreams are lost, and parents hard earned money long gone. The program has gone successively downhill with each passing year. A perspective buyer needs to look no further than the results pages of their teams who grace the bottom of the barrel in the prep-school hockey world.