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The Wildcats Column: Pride In The Okanagan Academy
With Swindon Wildcats running the show in SN5, many people may be forgiven for overlooking the nearby Okanagan Academy - the brain child of Steve Nell and others to create the best stream of talent to emerge through into the Wildcats' ranks of tomorrow. Ben Callaghan discusses...
Last weekend the stars of the future were in action at the Link Centre with the Swindon based Okanagan hockey academy taking on the Slough Junior Jets.
The Okanagan academy has been around for a few years now and the hard work behind the scenes from Steve Nell, Paul Kelsall and Coach Ryan Aldridge is really starting to reap rewards.
The vision from Steve Nell a few years back to create the academy is really paying off.
Last year the first graduates made their way into semi-professional EPL hockey. Glenn Billing and Luc Johnson followed former OHA head coach Pete Russell to Milton Keynes to sign on with the Lightning, while Michael Stratford and Toms Rutkis were signed to the Swindon Wildcats as full time roster members.
Other players have moved onto the Wildcats NIHL roster, the Bristol Pitbulls and even to college hockey in North America.
The game at the Link on Saturday finished 14-0 in favour of OHA, (who were missing a couple of key players through suspensions).
Whilst the game was incredibly one-sided it was a thrill to watch the young guys on the OHA side show off their talents on the ice. The tone was set when Mac Howlett scored on the opening shift with some lovely stickhandling skills to move around both defence and goalie.
The OHA has had its criticisms, with people not a fan of the cost elements but the simple factor is - the youngsters are the future of the game. They are the ones who will be selling our sport in years to come.
The OHA programme gives everyone nearly seven hours ice time each week, plus match time. A 50 game season, both domestic and European fixtures to get the team used to distance on the road and hockey in foreign countries. As well as all this they have a very thorough off ice training programme of strength, conditioning and dietary guidance and support.
The first set of graduates are showing the EPL what stars they can be at the young ages of 18/19.
With the support OHA gave them in the U18 leagues, and now the support they’re getting from the EPL sides, OHA is a key element to the development of players in the UK. The expense may be steep but for what you’d get out of it at the end it’d be a complete success.
Long may it continue, and long may the OHA continue their 100 per cent start to the season, they’re the best U18 side in the country and hopefully we’ll be watching them retain their U18 championships at the EPL finals weekend in Coventry at the beginning of April.
With so many Swindon ties, it’s something all Wildcats fans should want to see and be proud of.
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