TPH Continues Its Expansion With New Minnesota Center Of Excellence (CoE)

New CoE Campus Offers a Hybrid Learning and Training  Environment for Dedicated Student Athletes

TPH is excited to announce that it will be bringing its Center of Excellence (CoE) academy model to Minnesota, for the 2021-2022 school year.  The new CoE will be housed at the state-of-the-art Plymouth Ice Center in Plymouth, MN, where it will offer its academy-style, blended learning program and sport-specific training for students in grades 6-12.  As part of today’s announcement, TPH is also thrilled to share that it will be teaming up with the Minnesota Advancement Program (MAP) to provide hockey players from across the Twin Cities an opportunity to Study, Train and Play to their fullest potential.  

“We are ecstatic about supporting the personal and athletic growth of student-athletes in Minnesota, a hockey-rich state that has proven how effective a community supported model can help grow the game by offering so many more opportunities for young players to experience hockey,” TPH CEO Nathan Bowen said.  “We feel very fortunate to partner with Justin Johnson and the great mentors from the MAP team, who will enhance the hockey, academic and character-building experience for student-athletes who attend our TPH-Minnesota Center of Excellence. We are excited to have TPH and MAP working side-by-side in the game of hockey to make a positive impact on student-athletes, and prepare them for the individual journeys in sport, school and life.”

Much like the “selective” nature of the TPH CoE model, the MAP concept was created for driven, dedicated, aspiring-elite players who thrive on being challenged by coaches and like minded individuals.  While MAP programs have historically been fall, spring and summer-focused, MAP Founder Justin Johnson believes that now is the time to add what calls “another layer” to MAP’s impact on hockey players in and around the Twin Cities.

“Teaming up with TPH means that we can now provide Minnesota-based hockey players with a proven academic experience to go on top of the hockey training and instruction we provide,” Johnson said.  “The demand for flexibility and customization in both training and learning is on the rise, and TPH’s CoE model provides just that.  The arrival of a Center of Excellence means that MAP will be in a partnership that provides another avenue for hockey players in our area, specifically those in middle school, to experience the highest level of training and education.  We look forward to standing side-by-side with TPH to tell their compelling Center of Excellence story to hockey players, families and coaches from across the Twin Cities.”    

While TPH and MAP share similarities in terms of vision and purpose, the two hockey service providers also share common beliefs about training hockey players.  Like MAP, the instructional methods used at the CoE are geared towards what TPH calls “the parts”- the skills, habits, concepts and details that hockey players often wish they had more opportunities to practice and develop.  The Center of Excellence model is not an organized team, rather a school-year model available to the “right” student-athletes from across the Twin Cities, regardless of what team they play for.”  

Student-athlete alumni advancement as of May 11th, 2021.

Today’s announcement also marks a bit of a homecoming for TPH.  Its national academic partner, Edmentum, is based out of Bloomington, and its state-wide academic partner, Minnesota Virtual School (MVS), is housed in St. Paul.  In partnership with both Edmentum and MVS, TPH will deliver its completely individualized, customized, NCAA-accredited, blended learning experience to all student-athletes who attend the CoE academy. TPH’s blended learning CoE environment combines online curriculum and online learning with on-site infrastructure and academic support.  Coursework can be completed on-demand, with 24/7, fully accessible NCAA courseware, and full-time instructors.  CoE attendees have access to their instructors as well as a virtual tutoring service, in the event academic assistance is needed after-hours, or right on the spot during the CoE school day.  A full-time academic leader will be on-site daily, ensuring that all student-athletes are held accountable, are studying in a positive learning environment, and are receiving an experience that is tailored to when, where, and how the individual learns best.    

Student-athlete academic achievement since 2019.

“We know that quality education is a top priority for all families, especially Minnesota hockey families,” Bowen added.  “For close to four years now, TPH and Edmentum have been working together to create an academic experience where student-athletes are able to achieve positive academic outcomes and attend top universities, whether athletics or academics open the door.  We have also been working diligently to create applicable, real-world experiences that develop the student-athlete beyond the boundaries of the ice and classroom.  We are confident that Minnesota families will see that the Center of Excellence provides a better way to academic and athletic excellence for our student-athletes.”  

The “applicable, real-world experiences” Bowen referenced include going on field trips, participating in community service projects, learning from guest speakers, and experiencing “Coach FA’s Mentorship Program,” a 16-week series that provides student-athletes with direction on how to live an elite-athlete lifestyle both inside and outside of sport.  As Bowen puts it, all of this is done to “widen the individual’s lens” and “enhance perspective.”

“Hockey, and sport for that matter, is really only a tool,” Bowen said.  “It’s an important tool, but it’s only that.  What makes the TPHs and the MAPs of the world great for young student-athletes is how the lessons learned can serve as a mechanism for building character and teaching kids about life.  Our Center of Excellence motto, Study, Train, Play is designed to illustrate our ever-growing desire to teach our student-athletes about how to be successful in sport, in school and also in their communities.  The key is that after joining the TPH family, they ‘aspire’ to become elite, and they strive to do that in four areas: as a player, athlete, student and person.  We look forward to supporting Minnesota families who see the benefits of this model for their son or daughter.”

Interested families can learn more about how “the process” takes place by attending TPH-Minnesota’s first Open House, conducted virtually through Zoom webinar on Thursday, May 20th, 2021.  Reserve your spot now by clicking this link.

Families may also request more information by contacting us here, or you can begin the application process now, which is the first formal step in the registration process for the 2021-2022 school year.   

About TPH

Founded in 2001, TPH seeks to become the world leader in positively impacting the lives of student-athletes through sport. TPH platforms include association management, elite prospects programs, tournaments and showcases, camps and clinics, and its hallmark Center of Excellence academy model, serving over 10,000 student-athletes on an annual basis, throughout 16 U.S. based divisions. TPH prides itself on taking a holistic approach, one that emphasizes the development of the individual in four ways: (1) as a player within a team setting, (2) as an athlete, dedicated to reaching his/her physical potential, (3) as a student, working to achieve his/her academic goals, and most importantly, (4) as a person, striving to win the ultimate game, and that’s the game of life.