Dear TPH Student-Athletes, Coaches, Volunteers and Parents,

What a past week it has been for all of us!  You are receiving this message because of hockey… because hockey has connected us with you in some way at some time.  But this message really has nothing to do with hockey.  It has to do with being a team and taking care of one another– our family, friends and the people in our community, to beat this virus, and win over the challenges it is laying out in front of us.

The formal message is below.  Please read it and please use it as a resource if you need it.  But today, we want to talk directly to you.  

We have cancelled tournaments, training and all TPH events over the past week, and will do so for at least the next 30 days.  All of this has been done to be proactive and to take precautions. Our heart goes out to all of you who will miss out on a chance to compete for a national championship, play your last game as a senior or compete in that end of the year tournament you were so looking forward to competing in.  This is extremely tough to accept, but with each door closed, a new one opens up to us, so take this time to think thru the next door, to look for that next opportunity, and when it opens up, maximize it and take advantage of it to the fullest.  You never know when that door may close.  As coaches, we always preach to play the game like its your last, train in the spring like its your last season and see opportunity and a chance to grow in all you do!

My good friend Brandon Walker who works for the Nashville Predators, recently posted this on his Facebook page:

“One thing to remember today – we are in charge of our kindness and attitudes.  We are gearing up for some weird and tough times.  No idea how long – days, weeks, months.  Either way things will happen that we have never experienced before.

To you it may just be an overreaction.  It may just be “the flu”.  To someone else it may be much more.  They may have a love one effected.  They may have financial implications with their employment.  They may not have the resources to be in their homes for several days or longer.

We never know what each other are going though and that needs to be respected.  Think before you speak.  Think before you post, none of us are experts.

Our compassion, staying positive together and showing kindness to others will help make today better.  We got this.”

Walks, you could not have said it any better, and thank you for sharing this with the world.  You are so right. We absolutely got this, together!  One team!  We got this!

Nathan Bowen

Chief Executive Officer

Additional Information:

TPH is committed to the safety and well-being of all our student-athletes, their families and our staff.   In the past 24 hours we have made decisions to physically close our Centers of Excellence (CoE), temporarily, and have cancelled the Jr Predators/Tri-State Spartans AAA Tournament scheduled for the weekend of March 13 – 15, 2020.  This is an unprecedented time and situation.  We felt that this was the best method to safe-guard our student-athletes and those who participate in, anddeliver our programming.  

The TPH vision is to become the world leader in positively impacting the lives of student-athletes through the game of hockey.  Because of the virtual and on-demand nature of our business, specifically our Center of Excellence model, there is no reason why we will not be able to execute our vision moving forward, despite not having ice to execute it on.  In short, it’s business as usual for TPH, with a few necessary tweaks, alterations and additions on the way starting Monday.  

In reaching the decision to cancel tournaments, training and all TPH events for 30 days, we relied on information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization and other health officials.  It was apparent that one of the most effective means of reducing or slowing the spread of the virus was to take mitigation steps that keep people further apart.  The decision was not made because we had received notification that an infected person was in direct contact with anyone associated with any of our CoE’s or other programs or teams.  If we learn that someone in our program has had contact with an infected person, we will notify those who could be impacted.  We are in close contact with the facilities we operate in and gain information and guidance from them as to how they are responding to the situation.  Prior to making the decision to temporarily shut down the CoE’s, we had instituted a protocol in each of them that had a number of components.  Those included education of the students on the nature of the virus, symptoms to be aware of and to stay home if they exhibited any, heighten emphasis and awareness of the importance of frequent hand washing and other hygiene habits, increased sanitation of surfaces in our classrooms and other facilities, having a plan for continuing to support and monitor academic performance in the event of a temporary closure, and increased communication.  The source of this guidance and recommendations was the CDC.

We will continue to monitor the recommendations of the CDC as well as that of local health officials in the various communities in which we operate and keep you updated of relevant operational decisions as they occur.  Because the safety and wellbeing of all who participate in our various programs isour top priority, we have been recommending the following precautionary guidelines from the CDC to help keep peoplehealthy and prevent the spread of the virus:

If you have symptoms or if you or your child are feeling ill, it is recommended you contact your doctor. You may need to be tested and told to stay home for up to 14 days to prevent the spread of the virus, even though you may not show immediate symptoms. Additionally, if you have traveled to affected areas, please be sure to follow the CDC guidelines and recommended quarantine protocols.

We encourage everyone to stay up to date about this information – See the resources below for the latest developments from the CDC.

 

Because this is a fast-moving and ever-changing situation, we want to assure you that we will be diligent in monitoring updates and following official recommendations from the public health authorities. Please stay tuned for further information from our team on this matter as the situation warrants.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.