Every winter when his kids were young, Allan Willms created a small oval pond in the backyard so his three sons – including his youngest Caleb – could play shinny after school.
“It was our family time,” recalled the hockey dad. “Caleb, at a very young age, became really passionate about the game … Because he was the smallest and the youngest, he was always trying to keep up.”
Fast forward more than a decade, and that love of hockey has transformed into a tangible and realistic goal for 14-year-old Caleb’s future. The left-winger is one of 16 teenagers enrolled in the new Cochrane Hockey Academy – a Cochrane High School program facilitated by P3 Sports that blends athletics and academics for those who just can’t get enough of the game.
“To this day, he’ll come home from school and go shoot on the net,” Willms said. “It’s just something that he loves to do.”
Hockey academies are an exploding trend across the country, with Hockey Canada estimating the sport is either part of or the entire curriculum at as many as 5,000 schools.
There are also dozens of blended programs in Alberta, including the newest one in Cochrane, which is made up of players mainly from Grades 9 and 10. Each is at his own level of play, from Tier 1 to AAA.
Coach Ryan Hilderman said the academy runs five days a week, with Period 1 of each school day dedicated to hockey. Sometimes the group does dry land P3 Sports training, while others they’re on the ice focusing on individual skills development.
By about 10:30 a.m., the students have their heads back in the books at Cochrane High, working on their math and English.
“Once they’re done with us, we get them back to the school and they just end up with their regular class schedule,” said Hilderman, adding the high performance program can earn up to 45 elective credits for athletes who stick with it from Grades 9 to 12.
Cochrane High School Principal Eddie Polhill was one of the driving forces behind the academy, and said he was inspired by a desire to keep young talented hockey players in this community.
“What I’ve seen … over the last number of years is students leaving to seek out opportunities like this,” he said. “So I thought, ‘Why don’t we offer something like that here and students could potentially be able to stay at home?’”
Staying at home comes at a cost, however: prospective players must apply for the Cochrane Hockey Academy, and if accepted, tuition is between $4,500 and $5,000 a year.
Willms said his son Caleb knows the family is making a financial sacrifice – but it’s worth it to see their son work so hard to succeed at something that not only helps improve the game he loves so much, but might earn him a college scholarship.
“I think it’s a great dovetail,” he said. “(They’re) creating not just a good hockey player, but a leader and someone who can contribute at the community level.”
Most importantly, the family mantra is still “school first, hockey second.”
“Our family contract is he’s committed to working hard in school and getting good grades and making sure his chores are being done around the house,” said Willms.
Both Polhill and Hilderman also stressed schooling is a critical component of the academy’s strategy.
“Academics are high up on the list of priorities,” said Hilderman. “They need to be on time for class. They need to be responsible. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t be in the program.”
Overall, Polhill said the high school is taking it “day-by-day” during this first year, and he hopes to continue offering the academy option into the future. That’s welcome news for dedicated players like 15-year-old academy member Alek Halwas.
“I want to play pro hockey,” said the goalie, adding his ambition is to play in the Swiss Elite League. “Everyone’s got that in the back of their mind.
“This will actually help get you there.”
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