NAHA/TPH Partnership Awarded with Top Program in Country Honors
Huntsville, Alabama, May 26, 2016
The North Alabama Hockey Association (NAHA) who is partnered with Total Package Hockey (TPH) placed first among all of the November, 2015 Try Hockey for Free sites in the nation for highest player conversion rate. Total Hockey and USA Hockey are recognizing NAHA with the Grow the Game Award for its efforts to convert more Try Hockey for Free kids to youth hockey players. Events were hosted in both the Huntsville and Decatur Ice Complexes in November.
| “TPH made this happen for us, they care about the long-term state of the game and their passion for teaching |
and introducing the game drove us,” stated former UAH Charger and NAHA President Ralph Drensek. “They are often known for working with high-end players, but what most people don’t know, is how much they do for the grassroots and how effective they are at growing the game. This hockey season and school year alone they were in front of over 25,000 students at gym classes introducing the game.”
NAHA will be recognized at the USA Hockey Annual Congress, June 8-11, 2016 in Colorado Springs. In addition, Total Hockey is rewarding NAHA with a “First Stride” event; essentially a Try Hockey for Free with a twist. They will provide the association with sets of hockey equipment for players that meet the USA Hockey Try Hockey for Free criteria.
Selection for the award was based on the below criteria:
- Hosted a Try Hockey for Free Day event on November 7, 2015
- A minimum of 30 participants attended the Try Hockey event
- Host sites with the three top conversion rates of Try Hockey participants becoming USAH members and claimed by that association for the 2015-16 season as of March 31, 2016
NAHA finished with a conversion rate of 48.9%, helping 44 out of 90 kids become new hockey players.
“We are so grateful to the North Alabama Hockey Association, as they gave us a chance back in 2004 to support the day-to-day operations for hockey and the growth has been fun to watch. Thanks to the NCAA DI UAH Chargers and the SPHL Huntsville Havoc, we have a lot of great coaches in the community. We are so proud of our outstanding team that is the boots-on-the-ground, doing the school visits and introducing the game to the next generation of players. We always have to maintain a focus on the grassroots” stated Nathan Bowen, TPH Managing Partner.
A real key has been the full support from the Huntsville Ice Complex and the Point Mallard Ice Complex. Both facilities clearly see the value and priority of the grassroots efforts. They have been good long-term facility partners with NAHA and TPH.
NAHA and TPH have worked together for over 12 years to grow the game in North Alabama. Known as the “Hockey Capital of the South,” the association has grown from 718 players in 2004 to 1,024 players in 2016.
NAHA, founded in 1973, is a non-profit member of the Southern Amateur Hockey Association of USA Hockey.
About TPH
TPH is one of the largest hockey service providers in the country, offering youth and adult programs from Detroit to Atlanta. TPH provides programs, which are staffed by world class elite hockey coaches and professionals, to more than 4,000 players each year. With programs in 18 total U.S. cities, including teams in the NA3HL and T1EHL, TPH specializes in skill-based player development and has a track record of growing programs while moving players to junior, college and professional hockey.