Mountaineer Minutes

Improving the Hockey Program

By Brittany Moorehead

Courtesy of google.

            National Sports Academy has been nationally recognized for its superb athletic programs. Although the recognition began with the incredible ski program, the school is beginning to attain a good reputation with its hockey program as well. The hockey program was introduced to the school in 1997 and since then has grown tremendously. The programs now include international students from Sweden, Finland, Canada, and the Czech Republic. With the growth of this program, improvements are necessary in order to help both the boys and girls hockey teams to be successful.

            Purchasing a portable skate sharpener would be extremely beneficial to the hockey program. They are relatively affordable and can be purchased for about $4,500 a piece. If NSA were to purchase one for each team, the cost would be approximately $9,000. This is a small price to pay that can be covered by the cost of tuition to the school. When traveling for games, the hockey teams can utilize this machine and not be annoyed with the hassle of finding a pro shop. Also, if a player happens to lose an edge in the middle of a game the skates can conveniently be sharpened in between periods.

            “I think a portable skate sharpener would be really beneficial for the team,” said Beth Hanrahan. “Having dull skates could be fatal.”

           Another way the program can be improved is by hiring a power skating coach. The coach would be hired to come out on the ice twice a month and conduct skating drills. He would be paid $80 an hour which would end up costing the school $1,920 for both teams to have power skating for the entire hockey season. The benefits of having a power skating program would tremendously improve the overall skating ability in the program. Incorporating this aspect is extremely important because even the best hockey players can develop more efficient skating techniques. This addition would make the hockey teams faster and stronger skaters.

           “Power skating is an essential aspect for a team to progress,” said Kaitlyn LaGue “there’s always room for improvement; nobody possesses a flawless skating style.”

            By purchasing a skate sharpener and introducing a power skating program, I think NSA will see a lot of success with the hockey teams. I believe that this will be a huge draw for the kids that are considering attending the school in the future. They know that they will save money in skate sharpening and won’t have to worry about finding a pro shop.  When parents hear that their child can receive instruction on how to improve their skating, they will be more confident when deciding to send their kids to NSA. Both of these aspects will entice more kids to attend school and play hockey at NSA, which is beneficial to the school.