Posts by Colleen Lynch
Help Keep University of Alabama Huntsville Program Alive
The University of Alabama-Huntsville (UAH) has a special place in many of the TPH coaches and staffs hearts. Additionally UAH provides 18 Division I scholarships and 20 Division I roster spots to aspiring young hockey players. Please help support the UAH Hockey program by contributing to their GoFundMe, or by sharing it with friends and family through social media. To donate please use the link below.
DETAILS
UAH Athletic Director, Cade Smith, announced last Friday that the University would be eliminating the UAH Hockey program effective immediately. This was a shock to everyone and obviously very disappointing for the current student athletes. The hockey community is known for its grit and the Charger Hockey program has been built on that grit and determination for the last 41 years!! We have been given an opportunity to show our grit as the University has asked us to raise 1 million dollars by COB this Friday, May 29th. We have already had alumni, booster club members, and life-time supporters setup with large individual donations and commit to donating annually to make sure the program is self-sustaining for the long-term. For short term we are looking to raise $500,000 of the 1 million via this Go Fund Me account. If the required funds are raised, UAH has agreed to create an advisory board consisting of hockey alumni, local business leaders and major donors to help turn UAH Hockey into a world class hockey program. Please help us save the great tradition of UAH Charger Hockey program and keep 28 more opportunities for Division l Hockey players alive! NOTE – if the program is not re-instated all donations will be fully refunded. We are confident with your generosity and the grit of Charger Hockey that we will not be sending any refunds. Thank You and Stay Safe!
One Team… We still got this!
Dear TPH Student-Athletes, Coaches, Volunteers and Parents,
All of us are itching to get back on the ice, in the performance training rooms and back to the game we all love. At TPH we have been spending a lot of time planning for this; what it will look like depending on what state, city and county we are in and how we best ensure it’s as safe as possible for you and our team members. We have been so fortunate to have strong relationships with all of the facilities we work with. We are consistently in touch with them and understanding what their protocol is or will be when they open up. We will adhere to all policy and protocol in each facility. We are so thankful for all the work that they are putting into this preparation, training staff and implementing a new normal for all of us to come back to the rink safely.
We are grateful to the Nashville Predators organization and the entire coaching staff led by John Hynes, Dan Lambert, Dan Muse, Ben Vanderklok, Lawrence Feloney and David Good who spent time with our coaches, sharing insight and providing some continuing education over the course of a few weeks to the group. Our coaches have been using this time to learn, improve and get ready for the upcoming training opportunities, along with how we can maximize training and development this summer and in our TPH Center of Excellence to support the student-athletes if we have a delay in full training and games.
TPH Colorado Director of Hockey Operations Jordan Pietrus created “Shield Our Communities” along with TPH team members and student-athletes raised over $10,000, thanks to a generous match from our partner Maynard’s Industries, to provide face masks for local healthcare providers in Atlanta, Denver, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Huntsville, Indianapolis and Nashville. Mentoring and messaging to our student-athletes that when times get tough, we get tougher and we help those who need help and take care of others. This is deep in the fabric and culture of our game, and is part of what makes hockey so special.
Special thank you to our COO Francis Anzalone and Frank Anzalone, along with the rest of our TPH Team members who quickly built out the TPH Virtual Hockey Development platform so players at our CoEs and across the country could continue to train and put the necessary work in at home. We are now prepared for any future potential closures or pauses that may come up when school starts back this fall, to ensure our student-athletes can continue their development and be mentored at home.
We have seen an increase in parent participation at home and support on academics and virtual training which is great. Thank you for your patience, many of you have sent in emails of encouragement and support for coaches, academic leaders and we really appreciate your positive notes.
We have experienced some unique support from many friends in the NHL. Several positive role models have taken time via Zoom calls with our CoE student-athletes including Quinn and Jack Hughes, Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris, Aaron Volpatti, Scott Laughton, Brandon Naurato, Angelo Ricci, Eric Lacroix, Colton Parayko and Torey Krug. We are so grateful for their time and what an amazing opportunity for our aspiring elite student-athletes to learn from each of them.
Finally, a HUGE thank you to our Academic Directors and additional education team members who never missed a beat supporting and holding the student-athletes accountable over the past 2 months. Just over 70% of TPH Student-Athletes will have all A’s and B’s, as the Edmentum platform allowed them to quickly transition from the classroom to home without interruption. Although our physical CoE locations have been closed, our academic progress, mentorship and off ice training never missed a beat. Our 5th grade class in Nashville finished up two weeks early and graduated into middle school and we have seen a number of students finish their studies for the semester 2-6 weeks early. We are so grateful for the incredible support from EdOptions Academy, Michigan International Prep School, Brighton Area Schools, GlobalEd, Mount Vernon, Athens Renaissance School, McNairy County Schools and especially our academic partner Edmentum who have provided the platform and support team to keep our student-athletes on track and able to successfully complete the semester and school year during this crisis with no interruption. Lastly, we want to congratulate the TPH CoE senior class of 2020 as we celebrate the graduation of 41 student-athletes across all 7 CoEs as they take their next step in their academic and hockey marathon!
We still have a long road ahead of us, but it is key we focus on the positives, celebrate the wins, even when they are not back up on the scoreboard yet. It’s been awesome to see so many people, programs, teams and players from all across the country step up in their own way to contribute to staying positive, the hockey community is ONE team and we still got this!
Enjoy your memorial day weekend, please take a moment to remember all our service men and women who gave their lives while serving and please thank those that have served and are currently protecting our freedom.
Take care,
Nathan Bowen
Chief Executive Officer
Total Package Hockey, LLC
Goal Achieved.
Total Package Hockey is excited to announce, with the support of 75 donations, we achieved our goal of $10,000 to Shield Our Communities. In surpassing our goal, Maynard’s will be providing their promised match of $2,000 and the bonus of $5000. Combined we reached a total of $12,570 which will be utilize to produce and ship face shields from Sparx Hockey. The order has been placed and Sparx Hockey will completing production of over 1,000 masks to be evenly distributed and shipped to the following locations:
- Atlanta | Emory University Department of Public Safety
- Colorado | Elizabeth Fire Station 271
- Detroit | Dearborn Heights Police Department
- Grand Rapids | Emergency Care Specialists and Life EMS
- Huntsville | Huntsville Hospital System
- Indianapolis | Eskenzie Health of Indianapolis
- Nashville | Metro Nashville Office of Emergency Management
We would like to thank Sparx for this partnership and Maynard’s for their generous match. Most of all we would like to that those who shared this campaign and donated to help support front line workers in our local communities. Thank you to the following donors:
Tom Winkler
Tony Diganci
Jeffrey Peterson
Jordan Pietrus
Sergio Gasperoni
Aaron Stewardson
R Scott Jentz
Tph Nationwide Family
Sheldon Wolitski
Mario Mazzuca
Taso Sofikitis
Chris And Mandy Lipsett
Karen Pease
Seven Cooper
Sunsea W.
Martin Kubaliak
Tr Mason
Indy Center Of Excellence
Alan Loewenstein
Mike Suzuki
Francis Kearney
Emily Bourgeois
Jeff Miller
John Coots
Judi Kremer
Steven Mattes
Thomas Elsensohn
Tara Shaikh
Mike Mcintosh
Candice Neisen
Dominic Vincent
Randy B
Jay Henry
Scott Truchan
Nichelle Simon
Adam House
Tom Stenglein
Devin Timberlake
Scott Van Der Linden
Tamme Mellenthin
Finn Kilbride
Heather Lambert
Henry Wineman
Michael O’neil
Sheina Dixon
Larena Burnett
Cassie Ramsay
Cameron Shaw
L’kita Smith
Dyron Givens
Emily Keller
Kristin Nabozny
Nicole Koring
Tiernan Keith Grandmother
Anthony Golio
Jared Bussard
Jordan Pietrus
Rich Mackanos
Denise Schmidt
Tiernan Keith
Phyllis Long
Annie Malafa
Audrey Forman
Dean Gartelos
Michael Mcever Family
Max Lacroix
Taylor Keyworth
Jamie Lynn Frank
Leah S
Paul Evans
Hanna Hill
Mac And Bailey Bowen
Tiffany Silverberg
Tri-State Spartans Join the NAPHL for the 2020-2021 Season
Rotenberger Joins TPH Nashville
TPH-Nashville and the Nashville Jr Predators are pleased to announce the hiring of Teddy Rotenberger. Rotenberger will be joining the team this summer coming after recently graduating from the University of Alabama – Huntsville (UAH). In his time at UAH, Rotenberger competed four years with the UAH Chargers Hockey Team (NCAA DI).
Prior to his collegiate career, Rotenberger was an alum of the Jr Predators program. As a player, Rotenberger exemplified the student-athlete credo; he was a team captain annually as a youth hockey player and an outstanding student in the classroom. He captained the Thunder to appearances in the 2013 and 2014 USA Hockey National Championship Tournament, winning a Bronze Medal in 2013 (U16 AAA). His junior hockey career had multiple stops in the North American Hockey League including Topeka, St. Louis and Shreveport before beginning his NCAA career in Huntsville.
Rotenberger is no stranger in coaching with the Jr Predators and TPH; he has been involved in the Spring Prospects for the last few years and has received very strong feedback from the players and families he has worked with there.
Within TPH-Nashville, Rotenberger will serve as the Assistant Director of Hockey Operations – scheduling, coordinating and executing programming for the Center of Excellence and other Nashville based events. In the Nashville Jr Predators Organization, Rotenberger will be the Head Coach for the U14 and U16 AA teams and will also be the Assistant Mite Program Director.
“I’m so excited to have Teddy joining our team! His Character, work ethic and hockey experience will make him a valuable add for our student athletes and their families” said Steve Jennings, Director of Operations for TPH Nashville.
Jordan French, Jr Predators Tier II Program Director added “Teddy will be a great add to our coaching staff and will help us grow our AA teams and the Mite Program, continuing to strengthen the organization from top to bottom. I look forward to working with him in the coming season.”
Please join us in welcoming Teddy to our team! The Nashville Junior Predators just announced the rescheduled tryout dates for the 2020-21 season.
The TPH-Nashville Center of Excellence is also taking registrations for the coming academic year.
Shield Our Communities goes into Overtime
We are excited to say that we are over a quarter of the way to our Shield Our Communities goal. With the support of our many donations as well as the match from Maynards we have a current total of $2,643.
Our lofty goal of $10,000 dollars would supply 1,500 face shields, provided by Sparx, to front line workers in our local communities and we are not there yet. There is still time to donate. We recognize the importance of distributing these shield in a timely manner and we will be closing donations on Friday May 15th at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Help us send shields, distributed evenly, to the following local organizations:
- Atlanta | Emory University Department of Public Safety
- Colorado | Elizabeth Fire Station 271
- Detroit | Dearborn Heights Police Department
- Grand Rapids | Emergency Care Specialists and Life EMS
- Huntsville | Huntsville Hospital System
- Indianapolis | Eskenzie Health of Indianapolis
- Nashville | Metro Nashville Office of Emergency Management
TPH Training App Now Available
Total Package Hockey is proud to announce the release of the TPH Training app powered by MaxOne. The TPH Training app will offer free access to our Virtual Hockey Development content through May 31st. This app will support all your training needs on-demand. We are excited to provide a better training experience for our student-athletes, families, and hockey players.
The TPH Training app will house all of our growing Virtual Hockey Development content on-demand which consists libraries that house all our Skill Development, Strength & Conditioning, and Education Materials. Assigned workouts will be available for student-athletes log their workout. The app includes a leader board which allows Student-athletes to compete with others across the nation!
The TPH Training app is now available for download in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
After downloading, create a profile using the code “tphathlete” to start. Parents of registered athletes will receive an email which will provide access to connect to their student-athlete’s account. Parents will be able to download the app and connect to their student-athlete’s account to see the workouts and progress. No more logging into Facebook!
TPH wants to help our student-athletes develop and grow on the ice, in the classroom, and the ultimate game… the game of life! The TPH Training app is now free through the end of May, with plans on launching a more in depth and exclusive paid experience. Stay tuned for those details, it’s not something you’re going to want to miss out on.
Jared Bussard Joins TPH-Colorado Family as Player Development Coach / Mentor
Total Package Hockey is pleased to announce that Jared Bussard has joined TPH-Colorado as a full-time Player Development Coach/Mentor. In his role, Bussard will assist Director of Hockey-Operations Jordan Pietrus in all aspects of the TPH-Colorado operation. A Western Pennsylvania native with a passion for mentoring athletes and a non-traditional path to success in the sport, Bussard brings a unique level of playing, instruction and coaching experience to the TPH-Colorado family.
“We could not be more excited to have Jared join our team in Colorado,” Jordan Pietrus said. “Jared has a passion for the game of hockey and a passion for mentorship. A hard working player, Jared had to earn everything he achieved as a player, and we are excited to have him on our team to help lead our student-athletes in exceeding not only the expectations of others, but themselves.”
Bussard’s path in hockey would certainly be labeled as the “road less traveled.” He started playing hockey at the age of 9 and within five seasons, captured a Midget ‘AA’ state championship before advancing to what is now the USPHL level with the Richmond Generals, where Bussard spent two seasons and was a captain for the team. After two seasons of junior hockey, the now 26-year-old, attended Lindenwood University-Belleville. Bussard was once again a team captain, letterman, and Academic All-American for all four years with the Lynx. He helped guide the Lynx to an impressive 93-24-9 record during his four seasons. Bussard earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Management, as well as a Master’s Degree in Business Administration while attending Lindenwood. After graduating with an MBA, Bussard returned to Richmond where he served as an Assistant Coach for the Generals during the 2019-2020 season.
Prior to his first official full-time coaching position, Bussard served as a camp instructor, assistant youth hockey coach and assistant high school hockey coach, all while still in his teens, playing the game. This is something that caught Jordan Pietrus’ eye when he interviewed candidates for the position.
“Jared is someone who, throughout his life, has exhibited a willingness to serve and give back to the game. Jared is extremely bright and comes to us with a deep desire to impact the next generation of hockey players in Colorado. We firmly believe in having high character people lead our student athletes and Jared will set a great example day in and day out for our students to follow. On behalf of all of us with TPH, we welcome Jared to our Colorado family.”
- Click here to download our Center of Excellence brochure.
- Click here to request more information on the CoE model.
- Click here to apply for the TPH-Colorado Center of Excellence, which is the first formal step in the registration process for the 2020-2021 school year.
Bruce Racine to Mentor Goaltenders at TPH-St. Louis Center of Excellence
Total Package Hockey is pleased to announce that Racine Goalie Academy will provide all goalie instruction for its St. Louis Center of Excellence, housed inside the Centene Community Ice Centre in Maryland Heights, MO. St. Louis goaltending staple Bruce Racine will lead the way in providing instruction to all goaltenders who attend the CoE.
“Bruce is the perfect fit for the Goaltending Coach position with TPH-St. Louis,” Director of Hockey Operations Philip McRae said. “His playing experience, coaching experience and passion for mentoring and guiding young goaltenders is a complete combination. In addition, Bruce’s track record speaks for itself when it comes to his ability to develop and help young aspiring elite goaltenders reach their goals. I am excited to see the positive impact Bruce will have on the goaltenders that come through the Center of Excellence here in St. Louis.”
Racine, a former St. Louis Blues goaltender, has been instructing goalies in the Heartland of Hockey for over 14 years. A Northeastern University graduate and 2001 inductee into the Northeastern University Hall of Fame, Racine played professional hockey for 15 seasons, across various leagues, including the IHL, AHL, Finnish Elite League and the National Hockey League. The Cornwall, ON native has won professional championships on two occasions, in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and in the IHL as a member of the Muskegon Lumberjacks. In addition to his successes on the ice during his pro career, Bruce was a five-time recipient of the Community Service Award in both the IHL and AHL.
While Bruce’s on-ice accomplishments are certainly impressive, perhaps he is best known for his role in assisting in the development and advancement of various St. Louis area goaltenders since he retired in 2003. With a philosophy of “dream, train, achieve,” Racine is excited to play a role in the development of goaltenders at the Center of Excellence.
“The CoE concept is one that I believe will be a great benefit not just to goaltenders, but all hockey players across the Heartland,” Racine said. “The amount of hands-on, individualized time dedicated to the student-athletes that train in this model will maximize the impact we make as mentors. The CoE allows a coach like me to dedicate time to the skills and details that often don’t get enough attention due to limited ice and resources. Most importantly, the time spent at the CoE allows coaches to build relationships with the student-athletes under their direction, so each individual can be in a position to reach their goals, on and off the ice. I am very excited to play a role in this unique model.”
Goaltenders and all players for that matter who have interest in the TPH-St. Louis Center of Excellence are encouraged to visit the links below.
Maynard’s Joins Us to Shield Our Communities
Total Package Hockey is proud to announce that Maynards has decided to join the Shield Our Communities effort to support front line workers across the nation! Maynards has generously committed to lead our donation efforts with a donation matching campaign!!! Here’s what how it’ll work:
- Maynards will donate $1 for every $4 dollars given (up to $2000)
- BONUS – If our students reach the lofty goal of $10k raised Maynards will donate a bonus of $500!
This could bring our total amount of face shields donated to over 1500 nationwide, in our local communities! We are excited for this opportunity for our students to lead the way locally and have the chance make a difference in their home towns! Thank you Maynards for joining us in the support of our students to SHIELD OUR COMMUNITIES!!