The Gentry Academy Thread

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bodyup88
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by bodyup88 » Wed Apr 07, 2021 9:50 am

Puck

Thanks for the info. I think you answered many questions although I still am unclear on who is monitoring Gentry. You indicate MSHSL but give no person or position who is doing this. I would think it would be more of a Dept. of Education issue now that you're dipping into state coffers to run your school.

The other item that I believe many have an issue with is the ice time during the school day. You indicate that any school in MN could do WIN time if they wanted to. Most schools in MN, however, were not built in the parking lot of an ice arena and simply do not have access to the same level of hockey resources during the school day as your son does. That is probably the main thing that differentiates Gentry from the rest of the schools in the MSHSL. To do some basic math, let's say you are on the ice even three times per week for 75 minutes for, say, 32 weeks during the school year. My Appalachian math tells me that is 120 hours per school year. If you commit to 4 days per week that is 160 hours. Again, that is on top of your after school practice time. I would submit most HS programs get between 60-80 hours of after school ice during their hockey seasons.

Even if they could provide this option during the day (I suppose MTKA, Centennial, Park and maybe a handful of others with rinks on site could offer this) would most large broad-based schools offer this during the day for just hockey players? You'd need to offer the same opportunity to basketball, football, baseball, softball, swimming, tennis, track, wrestling, dance and other athletes. Maybe that will be the norm at some time but it is not in today's world. So let's not be shy about calling it a hockey school. Embrace it. That's presumably why you and your son decided to attend there. That's what it was when the Lucius family founded it and that's what it is for the vast majority of students there today. And there's nothing wrong with that. But, please, let's be intellectually honest and not pretend that it's a level ice sheet.

O-townClown
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by O-townClown » Wed Apr 07, 2021 10:18 am

bodyup88 wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 9:50 am
But, please, let's be intellectually honest and not pretend that it's a level ice sheet.
Has anyone?

I think you'll see similar offerings to what exists at Northstar, Breakaway & Gentry.

I found out a crappy HS team practices before school. Is it any wonder the good players from their youth program left for Midget hockey in another state, attended private school, and open-enrolled to a not-crappy HS? I sure am not surprised.
Be kind. Rewind.

Puck8
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by Puck8 » Wed Apr 07, 2021 11:46 am

Yes, MDE and MSHSL monitor, just like any other school, as I said. The claim earlier was that Gentry didn’t belong in the MSHSL so I was responding to that directly. Sorry I don’t have specific names of individuals, not sure that specific names of MDE and MSHSL officials is all that critical to the discussion. I am not in administration (just a parent of a student) but have been with the school long enough to know that the administration does work closely with those departments.

Yes - there is an advantage to having ice during the day. Never said there wasn’t. I simply outlined the amount of time (due to erroneous claims on here) and the benefit, ie. not having to budget time and more $s to third party training as many do during the school year. I know for a fact that if we didn’t have WIN time, we would be engaged with third party training throughout the year. I know many HS players who do that, so while your math does show a large delta of hours, many players are closing that gap with third party training.

“Dipping into the state coffers to run your school”. Umm, I pay local and state taxes for the running of a school district that my kid doesn’t even attend. Those “coffers” have my money in them. When Gentry was a private school, everyone complained about that as well. As you can see, the successful generally can’t win in the eyes of the cynical.

Correct that not every school is situated to make a program like this work. But the fact is that it is possible. The fact that Gentry has done it within MDE and MSHSL guidelines shows vision, initiative, leadership and collaboration. I’ll point to that as an example to my kid all day long.

WIN time has had the availability to do other sports or just use the time as studying. During the season, the number of hours most kids spend on the ice dips due to the fact that they have practice. So the claim that it’s “3 hours a day” falls further off the mark.

One of the reasons the school is succeeding is that they are not trying to do everything for everybody. They have boiled it down to a focused curriculum and athletic offering. Again, that’s what makes it appealing but turns people off because it doesn’t have the same offerings as public schools. But it’s really no different than the schools that focus on theatre/arts or environmental studies.

I’ll say it clearly - Gentry has forged a program that offers benefits to those who want to incorporate their athletics into their electives. They have positioned the school and the curriculum to accommodate that while adhering to MDE and MSHSL requirements. Hockey is the key athletic focus and is what makes the school very attractive to those seeking an alternative when they are not satisfied with their current academic and/or athletic options. I give in - call it a hockey school if you’d like. A Championship hockey school.

I think I’ve done enough here. This could be a never-ending back and forth and no one wants a 70+ page thread. I appreciate the opportunity for discussion.

Slap Shot
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by Slap Shot » Wed Apr 07, 2021 11:54 am

Ice time during the school day is egregious imho rules or not. Whatever I guess that boat has sailed.

jg2112
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by jg2112 » Wed Apr 07, 2021 12:13 pm

Ice time during the school day is egregious imho rules or not. Whatever I guess that boat has sailed.


Come on. Is it egregious for a varsity basketball player to shoot hoops during gym class? What about athletes that lift weights in gym class? Egregious?

Complaining about successful disruptors has become a feature, not a bug, of modern American life.

bodyup88
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by bodyup88 » Wed Apr 07, 2021 12:21 pm

Every school (except yours, I guess) has a gym. Most don't have ice rinks.

Puck8
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by Puck8 » Wed Apr 07, 2021 12:36 pm

bodyup88 wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 12:21 pm
Every school (except yours, I guess) has a gym. Most don't have ice rinks.
That’s where the vision part of what I mentioned comes in. And it seems that you just blow by the fact that many HS kids do supplemental training with a third party during the school year. The total ice theory is a red herring in many cases. The angst is that instead of electives that garner moderate to little interest, the students can choose to participate in their passion. I see that as a good trade. Doesn’t matter if they never play past HS. It’s an invaluable experience.

Puck8
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by Puck8 » Wed Apr 07, 2021 12:38 pm

jg2112 wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 12:13 pm
Ice time during the school day is egregious imho rules or not. Whatever I guess that boat has sailed.


Come on. Is it egregious for a varsity basketball player to shoot hoops during gym class? What about athletes that lift weights in gym class? Egregious?

Complaining about successful disruptors has become a feature, not a bug, of modern American life.
Truth 😀

O-townClown
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by O-townClown » Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:02 pm

bodyup88 wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 12:21 pm
Every school (except yours, I guess) has a gym. Most don't have ice rinks.
I don't believe you are well equipped for the future. My guess is that a few established high schools mimic Gentry. Bounced this off a couple people I trust and they concur.

People can't have it both ways. Minnesota hockey can't be the be all and end all if kids are only playing a little youth hockey in the winter and moving on to baseball, football, golf, and fishing. Look what happens elsewhere, and (more importantly) what kids are willing to move away from home for and you'll see it is pretty intense. Northstar, Shattuck, Selects Academy, etc... In Minnesota Bernie McBain was considered the anti-Christ; now supplemental training at places like MAP is the norm. Breakaway was the "all hockey all the time" target for a while and it was easy to dismiss those parents as the crazies.

Gentry has figured out a way to offer what people want, within the existing MSHSL rules.

It's like people are demanding Minnesota HS hockey follow the path of Massachusetts where the level of play is low and kids don't get recruited to play for colleges.

Brace yourself for what's coming. If the Gentry business model is viable you'll see others follow.
Be kind. Rewind.

jg2112
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by jg2112 » Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:48 pm

bodyup88 wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 12:21 pm
Every school (except yours, I guess) has a gym. Most don't have ice rinks.
That's not correct. There's a gym in the basement, just like at 98% of other high schools. Now, it's nowhere near comparable to the publicly-financed monstrosities at Wayzata, Stillwater, Rogers or Minnetonka, but it does the job.

Stang5280
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by Stang5280 » Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:56 pm

O-townClown wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:02 pm
It's like people are demanding Minnesota HS hockey follow the path of Massachusetts where the level of play is low and kids don't get recruited to play for colleges.
I’ll push back some on that statement, because you start to get into chicken-and-egg thing with Massachusetts. There have always been tons of prep schools in New England, and they have long enticed higher end players to transfer into their programs for at least a year or two (with reclassification and/or post-grad years being common). Recently the exodus of players from the MIAA, even the Catholic schools, has increased significantly. It’s hard to pin down a single reason, but mainly the increased level of competition is the draw. Prep schools don’t play a significantly longer schedule, nor is year-round ice time a draw, since most of the players are involved in at least one other sport (many schools require it).

Minnesota doesn’t have an option comparable to prep schools, so the real threat would have to come from AAA programs, which haven’t gained much traction yet, either. I don’t see the Minnesota high school model being imminently threatened.

Schotzy
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by Schotzy » Wed Apr 07, 2021 2:23 pm

Stang5280 wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:56 pm
I don’t see the Minnesota high school model being imminently threatened.
It is not being threatened. It is adapting. As it should. I have no problems with what Gentry or anyone else is doing. It certainly is not going to stop. The only thing I would add here is that schools that are making it work, should consider moving up to AA if they have not already. Good on Gentry for getting up there as soon as they were able.

elliott70
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by elliott70 » Wed Apr 07, 2021 3:12 pm

The problem I see (not with Gentry) is that a third class of hockey has progressed in Minnesota.
The problem with it is how do you segregate this class to make things more even for finding a state champion at the various levels.

We currently have:
1. small schools
2. bigger schools and
3. those that 'attract' elite hockey players

Suggestions?

thefatcat
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by thefatcat » Wed Apr 07, 2021 3:39 pm

O-townClown wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:02 pm
bodyup88 wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 12:21 pm
Every school (except yours, I guess) has a gym. Most don't have ice rinks.
I don't believe you are well equipped for the future. My guess is that a few established high schools mimic Gentry. Bounced this off a couple people I trust and they concur.

People can't have it both ways. Minnesota hockey can't be the be all and end all if kids are only playing a little youth hockey in the winter and moving on to baseball, football, golf, and fishing. Look what happens elsewhere, and (more importantly) what kids are willing to move away from home for and you'll see it is pretty intense. Northstar, Shattuck, Selects Academy, etc... In Minnesota Bernie McBain was considered the anti-Christ; now supplemental training at places like MAP is the norm. Breakaway was the "all hockey all the time" target for a while and it was easy to dismiss those parents as the crazies.

Gentry has figured out a way to offer what people want, within the existing MSHSL rules.

It's like people are demanding Minnesota HS hockey follow the path of Massachusetts where the level of play is low and kids don't get recruited to play for colleges.

Brace yourself for what's coming. If the Gentry business model is viable you'll see others follow.
Love him or hate him...Bernie McBain was ahead of his time and probably the person that opened the floodgates for what you see today (MAP, MAP South, Velocity, etc). He basically took that group of '88's and was able to turn their success into MN Made.

WarmUpTheBus
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by WarmUpTheBus » Wed Apr 07, 2021 4:32 pm

Last year Gentry Academy had arguably the best U16 AAA team in the country. Late in the season I saw them beat then #1 rated Shattuck 9-0 at SSM. I asked the parents about their chances at Nationals and they said Minnesota Hockey would not sanction them so they would not be allowed to compete at Nationals. It looks like a few players moved on to Juniors or the USNTDP and the rest stayed and played for this years MSHSL A team. If MN Hockey would sanction them would they even be playing MSHSL?

Puck8
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by Puck8 » Wed Apr 07, 2021 4:39 pm

thefatcat wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 3:39 pm
O-townClown wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:02 pm
bodyup88 wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 12:21 pm
Every school (except yours, I guess) has a gym. Most don't have ice rinks.
I don't believe you are well equipped for the future. My guess is that a few established high schools mimic Gentry. Bounced this off a couple people I trust and they concur.

People can't have it both ways. Minnesota hockey can't be the be all and end all if kids are only playing a little youth hockey in the winter and moving on to baseball, football, golf, and fishing. Look what happens elsewhere, and (more importantly) what kids are willing to move away from home for and you'll see it is pretty intense. Northstar, Shattuck, Selects Academy, etc... In Minnesota Bernie McBain was considered the anti-Christ; now supplemental training at places like MAP is the norm. Breakaway was the "all hockey all the time" target for a while and it was easy to dismiss those parents as the crazies.

Gentry has figured out a way to offer what people want, within the existing MSHSL rules.

It's like people are demanding Minnesota HS hockey follow the path of Massachusetts where the level of play is low and kids don't get recruited to play for colleges.

Brace yourself for what's coming. If the Gentry business model is viable you'll see others follow.
Love him or hate him...Bernie McBain was ahead of his time and probably the person that opened the floodgates for what you see today (MAP, MAP South, Velocity, etc). He basically took that group of '88's and was able to turn their success into MN Made.
Correct on Bernie and MN Made.

Gentry has melded a very successful hockey program with a highly desirable academic environment/structure. I love the accusations of the school recruiting the “all stars”. Makes me laugh. With the exception of 1-2 players, I’m willing to bet that no one had heard of the vast majority of our roster before this year. And people can save the snarky out-of-state commentary as I outlined the structure of the team above.

SEC Scotty
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by SEC Scotty » Wed Apr 07, 2021 4:41 pm

thefatcat wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 3:39 pm
O-townClown wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:02 pm
bodyup88 wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 12:21 pm
Every school (except yours, I guess) has a gym. Most don't have ice rinks.
I don't believe you are well equipped for the future. My guess is that a few established high schools mimic Gentry. Bounced this off a couple people I trust and they concur.

People can't have it both ways. Minnesota hockey can't be the be all and end all if kids are only playing a little youth hockey in the winter and moving on to baseball, football, golf, and fishing. Look what happens elsewhere, and (more importantly) what kids are willing to move away from home for and you'll see it is pretty intense. Northstar, Shattuck, Selects Academy, etc... In Minnesota Bernie McBain was considered the anti-Christ; now supplemental training at places like MAP is the norm. Breakaway was the "all hockey all the time" target for a while and it was easy to dismiss those parents as the crazies.

Gentry has figured out a way to offer what people want, within the existing MSHSL rules.

It's like people are demanding Minnesota HS hockey follow the path of Massachusetts where the level of play is low and kids don't get recruited to play for colleges.

Brace yourself for what's coming. If the Gentry business model is viable you'll see others follow.
Love him or hate him...Bernie McBain was ahead of his time and probably the person that opened the floodgates for what you see today (MAP, MAP South, Velocity, etc). He basically took that group of '88's and was able to turn their success into MN Made.
I always liked Bernie. He understood that some parents dream is for little Johnny to play in the NHL.
My youngest did camps at MM and loved Bernie. He did Speed Academy as a bantam and the improvement was apparent right away.

7TIMECHAMPS
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by 7TIMECHAMPS » Wed Apr 07, 2021 4:53 pm

In the spirit of "adapting" and getting creative with solutions to compete with some of these super programs why don't more small programs follow the Rock Ridge model. They don't actually have to combine schools like that, but just for certain sports (keep the youth programs separate too). Look at the programs that have success. Either they have a ton of kids and then get some move ins on top or they are a private school. The theme I hear is that the community hockey ship has sailed anyway.

Roseau/Warroad have done crap the last decade (two trips to state between them). But combine and suddenly there are some dynamite teams. Teams would be deeper and talented. Think Huglen/Slukynsky or Shaugabay/Strand playing together. This one could play A still with a combined enrollment of about 600. Basically an instant favorite in 8A every year. Without it each has a decent chance of losing to a team that has goal scorers from somewhere in ND.

Others that could work would be any combination of Denfeld/Marshall/Cloquet/DE, Rapids/Greenway, Sartel/St Cloud, etc. There are several opportunities. None of those teams are doing squat for at least the next 7-8 years but combine and they may become favorites. People want to win and they want to be in state tournaments. Sure there is some tradition that is lost, and that is too bad, but beats the snot out of sitting home watching Gentry or large public associations that have added blue chips players to an already huge base win every year (see EP-Langenbrunner, EGF-Panzer, Hermantown-Pierce......you get the point there are tons).

O-townClown
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by O-townClown » Wed Apr 07, 2021 5:36 pm

elliott70 wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 3:12 pm
The problem I see (not with Gentry) is that a third class of hockey has progressed in Minnesota.
The problem with it is how do you segregate this class to make things more even for finding a state champion at the various levels.

We currently have:
1. small schools
2. bigger schools and
3. those that 'attract' elite hockey players

Suggestions?
Exactly. I think it is an adapt or perish reality at AA. You already have certain communities feeding a short list of private schools, rendering the public HS team irrelevant to all but family members. This isn't new, but it sure has expanded. There are more private schools focused on hockey in the Twin Cities than in past years.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Brainerd girls darn near won state a few years ago. Grand Rapids did on the boys side and was considered in the mix again this year too. I used to read about Roseau kids having ample ice time and scrimmaging against adults for competition. We'll continue to see strong hockey. The "solution" to whatever people see as a problem isn't a disincentive for actually being good at something.
Be kind. Rewind.

O-townClown
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by O-townClown » Wed Apr 07, 2021 5:42 pm

Stang5280 wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:56 pm
I’ll push back some on that statement, because you start to get into chicken-and-egg thing with Massachusetts. There have always been tons of prep schools in New England, and they have long enticed higher end players to transfer into their programs for at least a year or two (with reclassification and/or post-grad years being common). Recently the exodus of players from the MIAA, even the Catholic schools, has increased significantly. It’s hard to pin down a single reason, but mainly the increased level of competition is the draw. Prep schools don’t play a significantly longer schedule, nor is year-round ice time a draw, since most of the players are involved in at least one other sport (many schools require it).

Minnesota doesn’t have an option comparable to prep schools, so the real threat would have to come from AAA programs, which haven’t gained much traction yet, either. I don’t see the Minnesota high school model being imminently threatened.
HS hockey in Massachusetts is not good, and you just said you know why. It is because of Prep Schools, which (for Minnesotans not familiar) run similar to D3 college hockey around here.

Your categorization that they don't play a longer schedule is misleading because it is know that kids from schools form their Fall Midget teams, which isn't much different from our Elite League. I know a 93 who knew at age 15 (so that's almost 15 years ago) he would be playing for "Top Gun" to supplement the short season. Today top teams are Yale, Cape Cod Whalers, and so many others.

I don't see Minnesota's model being threatened either. Let me repeat - Gentry has shown that we have kids MOVING TO MINNESOTA to play HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY. Steeves at EP. Keller at Wayzata. Deekay at Edina. Hogg at Edina too for that matter. And on and on and on.
Be kind. Rewind.

Stang5280
Posts: 1955
Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2017 1:12 pm

Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by Stang5280 » Wed Apr 07, 2021 5:47 pm

Schotzy wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 2:23 pm
Stang5280 wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:56 pm
I don’t see the Minnesota high school model being imminently threatened.
It is not being threatened. It is adapting. As it should. I have no problems with what Gentry or anyone else is doing. It certainly is not going to stop. The only thing I would add here is that schools that are making it work, should consider moving up to AA if they have not already. Good on Gentry for getting up there as soon as they were able.
Is it adapting? We have a sample size of one so far, at least as the Gentry-type model is concerned. Perhaps others will follow, but we have yet to see anything else in the works.
WarmUpTheBus wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 4:32 pm
Last year Gentry Academy had arguably the best U16 AAA team in the country. Late in the season I saw them beat then #1 rated Shattuck 9-0 at SSM. I asked the parents about their chances at Nationals and they said Minnesota Hockey would not sanction them so they would not be allowed to compete at Nationals. It looks like a few players moved on to Juniors or the USNTDP and the rest stayed and played for this years MSHSL A team. If MN Hockey would sanction them would they even be playing MSHSL?
False. There were four players from last year's AAA team on the high school team this season. The majority moved on to other places.

rainier2
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by rainier2 » Wed Apr 07, 2021 6:01 pm

elliott70 wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 3:12 pm
The problem I see (not with Gentry) is that a third class of hockey has progressed in Minnesota.
The problem with it is how do you segregate this class to make things more even for finding a state champion at the various levels.

We currently have:
1. small schools
2. bigger schools and
3. those that 'attract' elite hockey players

Suggestions?
I think fixing Class A is relatively simple. If you are a Class A team from an urban area (TC, Duluth, St. Cloud, Rochester, Mankato, GF) and you win an A title, you automatically go up to AA for the next two years.

This allows for ANY team that has an A enrollment to win A titles and build some momentum for their program, while also curbing the city team domination we've seen in Class A the last 20 years.

Stang5280
Posts: 1955
Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2017 1:12 pm

Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by Stang5280 » Wed Apr 07, 2021 6:06 pm

O-townClown wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 5:42 pm
Stang5280 wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:56 pm
I’ll push back some on that statement, because you start to get into chicken-and-egg thing with Massachusetts. There have always been tons of prep schools in New England, and they have long enticed higher end players to transfer into their programs for at least a year or two (with reclassification and/or post-grad years being common). Recently the exodus of players from the MIAA, even the Catholic schools, has increased significantly. It’s hard to pin down a single reason, but mainly the increased level of competition is the draw. Prep schools don’t play a significantly longer schedule, nor is year-round ice time a draw, since most of the players are involved in at least one other sport (many schools require it).

Minnesota doesn’t have an option comparable to prep schools, so the real threat would have to come from AAA programs, which haven’t gained much traction yet, either. I don’t see the Minnesota high school model being imminently threatened.
HS hockey in Massachusetts is not good, and you just said you know why. It is because of Prep Schools, which (for Minnesotans not familiar) run similar to D3 college hockey around here.

Your categorization that they don't play a longer schedule is misleading because it is know that kids from schools form their Fall Midget teams, which isn't much different from our Elite League. I know a 93 who knew at age 15 (so that's almost 15 years ago) he would be playing for "Top Gun" to supplement the short season. Today top teams are Yale, Cape Cod Whalers, and so many others.

I don't see Minnesota's model being threatened either. Let me repeat - Gentry has shown that we have kids MOVING TO MINNESOTA to play HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY. Steeves at EP. Keller at Wayzata. Deekay at Edina. Hogg at Edina too for that matter. And on and on and on.
All true, and I guess I was just focusing on the actual NEPSIHA sanctioned season length. Off-season AAA seems like it is engrained into hockey everywhere, including here in Minnesota (though not to the same extent as elsewhere). The prep school season is about the same length as here in MN, while places like SSM or Northwood are grinding out twice as many games.

raidergrad72
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Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by raidergrad72 » Wed Apr 07, 2021 9:58 pm

7TIMECHAMPS wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 4:53 pm
In the spirit of "adapting" and getting creative with solutions to compete with some of these super programs why don't more small programs follow the Rock Ridge model. They don't actually have to combine schools like that, but just for certain sports (keep the youth programs separate too). Look at the programs that have success. Either they have a ton of kids and then get some move ins on top or they are a private school. The theme I hear is that the community hockey ship has sailed anyway.

Roseau/Warroad have done crap the last decade (two trips to state between them). But combine and suddenly there are some dynamite teams. Teams would be deeper and talented. Think Huglen/Slukynsky or Shaugabay/Strand playing together. This one could play A still with a combined enrollment of about 600. Basically an instant favorite in 8A every year. Without it each has a decent chance of losing to a team that has goal scorers from somewhere in ND.

Others that could work would be any combination of Denfeld/Marshall/Cloquet/DE, Rapids/Greenway, Sartel/St Cloud, etc. There are several opportunities. None of those teams are doing squat for at least the next 7-8 years but combine and they may become favorites. People want to win and they want to be in state tournaments. Sure there is some tradition that is lost, and that is too bad, but beats the snot out of sitting home watching Gentry or large public associations that have added blue chips players to an already huge base win every year (see EP-Langenbrunner, EGF-Panzer, Hermantown-Pierce......you get the point there are tons).
Add to your point is the real fact of Virginia-Mt. Iron-Buhl combining next year. That's going to make it tougher for Hibbing, Greenway to compete in the IRC. As far as Greenway & Grand Rapids combining, in the words of a former coach, "that'll never happen." Lol. I do wonder if Greenway & Hibbing could be a possibility although I think I got sort of got the same reaction from the same coach.

O-townClown
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Location: Typical homeboy from the O-Town

Re: The Gentry Academy Thread

Post by O-townClown » Wed Apr 07, 2021 11:23 pm

Stang5280 wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 6:06 pm
All true, and I guess I was just focusing on the actual NEPSIHA sanctioned season length. Off-season AAA seems like it is engrained into hockey everywhere, including here in Minnesota (though not to the same extent as elsewhere). The prep school season is about the same length as here in MN, while places like SSM or Northwood are grinding out twice as many games.
For sure. In helping families understand their options and determine what is best my starting point is to define terms we can use so there's a common language. "Prep Schools" are like Salisbury and Choate and play a Winter season. Kids moving away for hockey will undoubtedly supplement that with Fall hockey, just like Minnesotans who stay to play a 25 game HS season versus USHL are going to pick up 20 or so in the Elite League.

"Hockey Boarding Schools" are Shattuck, Notre Dame, Northstar, Selects Academy, etc... They play Sept-Mar and have way more games.

Think where Minnesota HS hockey would be without something supplementing that in the fall. It would look a lot different.
Be kind. Rewind.

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