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.
Originally published in the Oliver Chronicle:Article By: Lisa Joy
See Link Below
Meeting South Okanagan teenagers on their turf—the streets—it becomes clear that if there were an exam for illicit drug terminology, costs and effects, they would get an A+.
The teens know what’s available, for how much and the type of high it gives. The drug of choice is ‘BC Bud’ marijuana for $30 - $35 a gram and $150 - $220 an ounce. You can choose Hawaiian, white rhino, skunk, blueberry, California orange or banana. If you prefer ecstasy, for $25 a pill, there are green, red or ones with cartoon pictures. Then there’s GHB, a mellow ecstasy for $50 a baby jar. Crack cocaine is widely available and sells for $8 - $10 a rail and if you want to freebase it, just add baking soda. Hash is hard to find but the oil is easy to get. Mushrooms cost $10 a gram and acid is a bargain at only $5 a hit. Methamphetamine, which the teens say is a stronger form of speed, costs $15-$18 a point.
And there’s the prescription drugs sold on the streets like Tylenol 3s for $2-$2.50 a pill and Dexatrin for $2-2.50 a pill.
“There’s lots of candy on the table here,” said Mike Bell, a youth street worker for South Okanagan Integrated Community Services Society, who spends much of his time on the streets reaching out to the youth.
Access the following link for the full article:
http://www.oliverchronicle.com/archive/2002_48.htm
We would really like to get to the bottom of this story. Okanagan Hockey Academy has claimed Alan Kerr has returned to Penticton as part of their long range coaching plan to develop the younger age groups. Kerr was arguably the worst coach in Bulldog history for favouring his son, James Kerr, with copious amounts of ice time at the detriment of the development of other players. How many head coaches in the BCHL are permitted to coach their own sons? Shouldn't this nonsense end at PeeWee level?
