TPH Academy Announces 2024 Impact Players of the Year
TPH Academy is honored to announce the recipients of the 2nd annual Impact Player of the Year awards. This year, TPH recognizes five exceptional student-athletes who truly demonstrate what it means to be an Impact Player—in and beyond the game—for their consistent academic and athletic excellence, dedication to serving their communities, and leadership and support of their peers.
Selected out of over 750 student-athletes across the United States and Canada, TPH Academy names Marie Colpean of TPH Academy Grand Rapids, Brody McClaine of Acceleration Sports Academy powered by TPH, Keslie Mustacchio of TPH Academy Denver, Mikey Tate of TPH Academy Detroit, and Taylor Van De Ven of TPH Academy London as the 2023-2024 Impact Players of the Year. This selection was preceded by a nomination process in which Academy Directors nominated over 30 top student-athletes across all TPH Academy campuses.
Each TPH Academy Impact Player of the Year award recipient will receive a scholarship for the next academic year, an apparel pack along with a custom letterman jacket, and a plaque to display their achievement. They will also be proudly featured on the cover of TPH’s annual Impact Report. The winners and their families are invited to celebrate their achievements with a video call with TPH Academy CEO Alan Keeso.
“We are proud to honor these outstanding student-athletes and celebrate their incredible achievements,” shared TPH Academy CEO Alan Keeso. “This recognition is a testament to their hard work in academics and athletics, and their commitment to servant-leadership. We’re thrilled to congratulate Marie, Brody, Keslie, Mikey, and Taylor on this well-deserved achievement and recognize their positive impact on their fellow student-athletes and their communities.”
Marie Colpean, nominated by TPH Academy Grand Rapids Director Taylor Keyworth, is a 4.0 student-athlete finishing seventh grade with Distinguished Honors. Marie excels in the classroom and never shies away from helping her classmates and teammates. Marie is known as an excellent mentor to younger student-athletes, and her teachers, coaches, classmates, and teammates recognize her energy on the ice and in the classroom. She works diligently at any task at hand, both academically and athletically. 
Marie’s hard work paid off this year. She assisted her FOX Motors 12U AAA team, which elevated from struggling at the start of the season to taking home Gold at the Michigan Tier 1 State Championship against top teams in the country while leading the team in points.
Off the ice, Marie is the lead in all TPH Academy Grand Rapids community service events. In honor of a former teammate who lost her battle with cancer this year, Marie and her fellow TPH Grand Rapids female student-athletes raised money for Hockey Fights Cancer at Southside Ice Arena by making bracelets and T-shirts. Marie is recognized for her heart for others, commitment to her craft, and dedication in the classroom.
Brody McClaine, nominated by Acceleration Sports Academy Powered by TPH (Blaine) Director and Head of Academics Kristy Shannon, is described as hardworking, focused, and motivated. In the classroom, Brody consistently sets personal goals for high academic achievement, and his outstanding work ethic has earned him a 4.0 GPA and the November 2023 Academic Impact Player of the Month award. His pursuit of excellence is evident in his recent request to be placed in more Honors-level courses next semester to continue to challenge himself academically as he enters the tenth grade.
Brody is a pitcher for the Midwest powerhouse team, the 15u Minnesota Icemen. Last summer, Brody accepted an invitation to join the Spects National Team, which offers the opportunity to play against the top 15u baseball players in the country. During his time with the Spects National Team, Brody put up impressive pitching numbers, posting a 9.2IP, 3H, 0ER, 15K with a batting average against of .110. Brody works hard to improve every aspect of his game, building strength, increasing his overall skill level and endurance, and taking a particular interest in how nutrition impacts his performance. He has inspired other student-athletes to implement new strategies as they observe his commitment to improvement. Kristy Shannon describes Brody as having “a contagious fire in him that raises the bar for his teammates.”
Brody is a servant-leader academically, athletically, and in the community. In the weight room and in the batting/pitching cages, Brody assists younger athletes, demonstrating proper form and technique. He humbly makes himself accessible as he mentors his peers. With the help of Brody’s leadership and initiative, Acceleration Sports Academy Powered by TPH (Blaine), was able to double their fall food drive goal, donating 122 pounds of food to a local food shelf. Brody’s leadership and initiative in community service events showcase his heart for others. Within the Academy’s walls, Brody is the first to step up to help out, whether through extra cleaning and organizing the space or personally showing around prospective student-athletes to make sure they feel comfortable and included.
Keslie Mustacchio of TPH Academy Denver, nominated by Director and Head of Hockey Jay Sprague, is a tenth-grade figure skater who showcases hard work and perseverance on the ice, in the classroom, and in her everyday life. Overcoming initial hurdles at the start of her academic journey, Keslie successfully completed all her classes and increased her GPA. 
Despite facing a profound personal tragedy with the loss of her father at a young age, Keslie exhibits remarkable resilience and determination in all she does. Her journey of healing through figure skating is a testament to her strength of character and embodiment of an impact player beyond the game. Keslie’s hard work on the ice has paid off, as she recently landed her double loop and took home the gold in a Pre-Juvenile Spin Challenge and bronze medals in skating skills and free skate competitions. In addition to her participation as a Denver Colorado Figure Skating Club member, Keslie spends her time cultivating her passion for flying and aerospace. She is in the process of becoming a pilot and recently completed her touch-and-go qualifications. She showed initiative and drive in her advocacy for herself, working with staff to receive credit for her pilot and aerospace classes.
Keslie is a compassionate and responsible TPH Academy Denver community mentor, particularly amongst her fellow figure skater classmates. This is evident in her leadership of one of the mentorship “buddies” groups and her involvement with the Angel Tree project over the past two years. She and her mother operate Grief Wear, a movement that allows people to honor lost loved ones through apparel, and The Mustacchio Grief Foundation, which provides support to those who have experienced loss with non-traditional services such as vacations, tutors, sports and extracurricular fees, headstones, and art supplies for local inpatient mental health facilities. Keslie’s commitment to helping others walk through grief is a testament to her strength and leadership. TPH is proud to honor Keslie’s hard work, determination, and resilience.
TPH Academy Detroit’s Mikey Tate, nominated by Director Dwayne Norris, is a dedicated and enthusiastic learner both on and off the ice. He has the highest attendance of any student-athlete, was awarded both the Academic and Athletic Impact Player of the Month awards, and has earned himself a 4.0 GPA. When Mikey’s 16U AAA team needed a defenseman, Mikey pivoted from being a forward to playing defense for the first time in two years, making a sacrifice for the betterment of the team – and ended up being one of the best defensemen on the team. His humble leadership is also evident in his mentorship of the younger student-athletes.
He co-leads the Big Brother/Little Brother program and enjoys connecting with the younger athletes to help them feel more confident and comfortable. Mikey is described by Dwayne as “the definition of lead by example.” Mikey helps coach his dad’s VH 2013 team and is consistently called on by TPH Academy Detroit Head of Hockey, Dave Sellin, to demonstrate drills for those who are struggling. TPH Academy Detroit student-athletes look up to Mikey for his pursuit of excellence in everything he does, his commitment to constant improvement, and his enjoyment of the hard work he puts in at the gym and on the ice. He has actively participated in every community service event this year. He is highly coachable and truly embodies the “TPH Way.”
Taylor Van De Ven, nominated by TPH Academy London Director Kevin Galerno, is a self-directed, driven, focused student-athlete. Early in the academic year, he set a goal to complete all of the grade 8 curriculum by April. Not only has he done so without sacrificing quality work along the way, but he is well-positioned to complete one to two grade 9 credits before the current school year ends. His time management skills are beyond his years, and he holds himself accountable for achieving his goals. Taylor has set the bar high for what is to be expected of students in the classroom, and he has positively influenced others to follow his lead.
A respected teammate on a local AAA team, Taylor has become a key member, particularly in the playoffs, as he helped to upset a higher-ranked team. Taylor’s development in his game this season has led to multiple AAA teams encouraging him to try out with them.
Taylor leads his fellow classmates through his work ethic and servant leadership. From helping lead an Orange Shirt Day campaign to being a key contributor in the holiday food drive and gift-giving program to helping prepare TPH Academy London Elementary students for their gymnastic meet, Taylor has organically become a leader amongst his peers. His work ethic and standard of professionalism are contagious across the Academy and have made a positive impact on the TPH Academy London community.
TPH Academy would like to congratulate Marie, Brody, Keslie, Mikey, and Taylor on their well-deserved awards and extend its heartfelt gratitude to their families, coaches, and supporters, who have played an integral role in their development. Their unwavering support and guidance have been instrumental in these student-athletes’ journeys toward excellence.
Additionally, TPH Academy would like to congratulate all of the nominees who demonstrated excellence throughout the year in the classroom, in their respective sports, and in their communities. TPH Academy recognizes:
Ernesto Acosta – TPH Academy Fort Lauderdale
Logan Anderson – TPH Academy Estero
Brady Anes – TPH Academy Grand Rapids
Hayden Bicknese – TPH Academy St. Louis
Max Bjorkman – TPH Academy Nashville
Nick Bogas – TPH Academy Detroit
Jacob Faith – Windy Storm Academy Powered by TPH
Aiden Hogan – Acceleration Sports Academy Powered by TPH (Plymouth)
Dylan Horton – TPH Academy Fort Lauderdale
Gavin Hughes – TPH Academy Huntsville
Kason Jones – TPH Academy Cincinnati
Ava Jovan – Acceleration Sports Academy Powered by TPH (Plymouth)
Nicholas Maffeo – TPH Academy Phoenix
Cruz Martin – TPH Academy St. Louis
Riley Michaud – TPH Academy Atlanta
Freddy Piasecki – TPH Academy St. Louis
Remy Pusateri – TPH Academy Denver
Avery Randall – TPH Academy Waterloo Region
Isabella Reese – TPH Academy Nashville
Eshan Sanjay – TPH Academy Waterloo Region
Keira Shin – TPH Academy Phoenix
Taj Smude – TPH Academy Atlanta
Beau Trizzino – TPH Academy Atlanta
Luka Vranic – TPH Academy London
Savannah Wolford – Acceleration Sports Academy Powered by TPH (Plymouth)
TPH is honored to have these nominees and the five Impact Player of the Year award winners as members of the TPH Academy family, and looks forward to continuing to foster the attributes of impact players in all of its student-athletes.
About TPH Academy:
TPH Academy is an academy-style, focused environment where dedicated student-athletes study, train, and play at their highest potential. TPH Academy’s core purpose is to lead the world in the holistic development of student-athletes, advancing – in and beyond the game – the next generation of impact players. For more information about TPH Academy, please visit tphacademy.com and check out the 2022-2023 TPH Academy Impact Report.
