North American Hockey Academy

Our goal is to provide an environment where young athletes are challenged to seek their personal best. The mission of this high performance program is to provide an experience that focuses on the physical, mental and emotional development of the athlete.

At NAHA we support two teams Tier I U-19 teams. The White Team is older and plays against many Intermediate and Senior teams in Canada and the top U19 club teams in the US. The Red Team is comprised of quality, very talented young players interested in developing and committing to a high performance program. It provides girls a steppingstone to the Elite levels while competing successfully at the same level in tournaments as the White Team and against many of the same teams. Developing as a hockey player takes time, and cannot be accomplished by simply signing on to a higher level team. Both teams receive the same coaching and resources, allowing athletes to develop skills and game sense to play at a higher level while competing and training at a level above any other alternative for girls of this age.

Mission:

The mission of NAHA is to provide female players with opportunities to develop and excel as athletes while maximizing their individual athletic potential in the quest to reach their goals of playing hockey at the college and elite national levels.

Consider:

• With each generation of girls, there has been a rise in level of play, development potential, and most significantly, in the interest and commitment to excellence.
• As competition rises to play at the most competitive levels (i.e. college), and as more scholarships become available for these athletes, girls with serious commitment will seek opportunities that foster individual growth and development.
• Because of a variety of constraints (population, regional rules, etc.), talented girls outgrow the support, coaching and competition that local organizations can provide- players stagnate.
• The search for opportunities leads girls to leave their homes and state programs in increasing numbers and at earlier ages than ever before. They join competitive Midget teams at considerable time and expense, sometimes negatively impacting their education or, alternatively, attend a prep school.
• The college recruiting process has become world-wide in search of the top players. The US College system has become the path to not only the US National programs, but also the Swedish, Finnish and several other countries. As high school players interested in playing at the most competitive college level, prospects are now competing against a world-wide talent pool. To do so, they must develop at the hightest level and measure themselves against their peers in both the US and other countries.
• The development of the female hockey athlete has changed considerably, even since the NAHA program started. As Canadian and European players commit themselves to training and developing at elite levels and competing at high levels from September to April, US players have to find a way to maximize their development in their high school years.

The Solution:

The principles that drive the solution are endorsed by acknowledged experts in sports, both in North America and internationally. The challenge is its execution.

The Principles:

• Players must have an increased opportunity to train and compete at a high level.
• The training and competition needs to be under the guidance of a qualified coaching staff.
• Quality players need to train with a homogeneous group in order to develop to their potential.
• The ideal schedule will allow these players to be evaluated by college and national team coaches.

Background:

• Ski academies are familiar in the Northeast, having revolutionized the development path for competitive skiers. The academy concept has been successful both academically and athletically and is now the premiere source of outstanding racers for the U.S. Ski Team.
• Sport schools, specializing in a variety of disciplines, have been very successful internationally.
• There are a handful of hockey-specific programs that integrate education and athletic development in North America and Europe, and they have been very successful.
• This solution is acknowledged by the USOC and USA Hockey as one of the missing links for the progression and development of our athletes in the U.S. In hockey, there is ample opportunity at the entry level and excellent elite and national team programs, but the steppingstones that bridge the gap are missing --- until now.

Our solution is the North American Hockey Academy, the first sports-academy program for female hockey in the U.S.:

1. A competitive sports academy specifically designed to provide a quality education for a select group of athletes with a strong interest in hockey.
2. A program that provides an enriching, healthy environment where young athletes are challenged to seek their personal best, in terms of academics, athletics and personal growth.
3. A program that offers a superior training environment and competitive schedule compared to high school and prep teams, allowing our players to practice and train more often and affording the freedom to travel and compete against the best teams and at the most prestigious tournaments in the U.S. and Canada.

Players who have participated in our program are viewed differently by college and national coaches. They understand the level of commitment required to play at high levels, how to prepare and train for competition, have received excellent coaching and training on and off the ice. They are prepared and committed student-athletes.

In the Classroom

NAHA's educational component is based a tutorial program, where students attend their home town school in the Fall and Spring, and spend the hockey season at NAHA. Scholastically, each athlete follows her home-town curriculum. The ideal teaching environment allows for individual teaching (one-on-one to small groups) that fosters responsibility while allowing for flexibility to adapt to the training and competition schedule.

The educational experience at NAHA has been compared to the top prep schools academically. For more information please look at our Academic Section or contact NAHA.

Our programs focus on the development of the 'whole person' in the context of athletic, academic and social development models.