Someday, I’ d like to play hockey at Balmoral Hall and I believe this program is helping me with both academics and hockey
STARBUCK HOCKEY ACADEMY time helps me develop as a player. I want to take the game of hockey as far as I can and the extra time on the ice, rather than in the gym, is better for me. I feel it’ s developing my skills and sharpening my senses.”
Jayna Veldhuis is a 13-year-old Grade 7 student who plays with the boys Macdonald Pee Wee Silver team. Her bus trip every morning takes about 15 minutes and she can barely wait to get to school.
“ I like it here because the academics are really good( she gets 90’ s in her classes) and the on-ice program is very well run,” she said.“ Someday, I’ d like to play hockey at Balmoral Hall and I believe this program is helping me with both academics and hockey.”
Someday, I’ d like to play hockey at Balmoral Hall and I believe this program is helping me with both academics and hockey
Curt and Cliff Ketchen are the gentlemen who deliver the skills instruction and they take their roles very seriously. In fact, no two men in Manitoba are more proud of their alumni than Curt and Cliff. From Madison Bowey of the Washington Capitals organization to Jenelle Kohanchuk of Canada’ s National Women’ s Team and to NCAA Division I players Kurt Keats of the University of Massachusetts and Tess Bracken of Dartmouth College and to Nick Henry of the WHL’ s Regina Pats, the Ketchen’ s have helped Starbuck Hockey Academy turn out some great Manitoba hockey players.
“ It’ s a pretty special spot here,” said Cliff.“ This goes back many years for us. It’ s the 17th year of the program and it’ s actually my second time around. When I was in high school, playing for the Triple A Midget Warriors, I scheduled my course load so that in the first year of the program, I could help my dad Curt get the program up and running.”
“ I carried on with my playing career and Curt continued to grow the program every year. He’ s had instructors come on like Jake Gnidziejko, a goaltender with the Winnipeg Blues, who love to get out on the ice and work with the kids.”
“ There is definitely a focus on building student-athletes here,” continued Cliff, who is a CPA and has an accounting degree from Niagara University where he played NCAA Division I hockey himself.“ Academics is number one and hockey is a close second. The kids understand that if they aren’ t putting their best foot forward on the academic side, they’ re going to miss out on their ice time.”
As for the kids in the academy, it would appear there is no place they would rather be.
“ It’ s a good experience,” said Grade 7 student Peyton Bateman who plays for the Pee Wee A1 Stonewall Blues and travels about 45 minutes a day to Starbuck.“ The schooling is great and the on-ice
Avery Pickering is a 10-year-old, Grade 5 defenseman from St. Adolphe who travels about 45 minutes each day to attend Starbuck Hockey Academy. She is already considered one of the top Grade 5 players ever to enter Starbuck.
“ My parents gave me the choice,” she said.“ I could have gone to my local school or come here and I felt I’ d have an advantage both with academics and with hockey if I came here. I think this has been very helpful for me.”
And isn’ t that the point? Starbuck Hockey Academy helps. It provides a great classroom experience with 100 hours of extra ice time. If you’ re a young aspiring hockey player, it doesn’ t get any better than that. n
The Starbuck Hockey Academy is accepting applications for grades 5, 6, and 7 in the 2017-18 school year. For more information on enrolment, please contact principal Mark Wiehler at 204-735-2779.
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