Exeter, NH: Seacoast Performance Academy is pleased to announce that it will be entering into a partnership with Total Package Hockey (TPH) to power up the athletic, academic, and life learning experience delivered to the 100+ student-athletes who are expected to participate in the SPA model for the 2021-2022 school year. TPH will provide operational, hockey, and academic support from its existing Center of Excellence (CoE) model, to the staff at SPA, to maximize the impact made on the individuals and teams who attend the program located at The Rinks at Exeter in New Hampshire.

“TPH is honored to play a role in positively impacting the lives of the hockey players who attend Seacoast Performance Academy,” TPH CEO Nathan Bowen said. “The Seacoast Performance Academy’s brand, reputation, and standards are already set. TPH is thrilled to simply step in and work alongside the entire team in Exeter, NH to raise an already high bar, add value and improve all-around quality, whether that be on the ice, in the weight room, or in the classroom. The goal here is to implement a structure that connects hockey, academics, and mentorship, and synergizes the SPA experience. Our Center of Excellence Study, Train, Play model aligns perfectly with SPA’s focus of improving individual hockey development, offering life skills and learning experiences, and growing each individual to become a more mature, well-rounded person.”

“I have been watching TPH’s growth and increased commitment to quality from afar for the past few years and have been nothing but impressed with what I have heard from respected people in the hockey industry, and what I have experienced first-hand in getting to know Nathan and his great staff,” says Travis Bezio, the co-owner of the SPA program and The Rinks At Exeter. “TPH’s Center of Excellence model has played a critical role in helping hockey players advance to the Junior ‘A’ and college levels, and have the opportunity to attend top universities, whether hockey takes them there or not. Most importantly, like our model, the CoE prepares kids for the opportunities that await them in life.”

The one area SPA families can expect to see some change is in the academic experience and operational structure delivered to all student-athletes. As part of this partnership, TPH will bring its completely individualized, customized, NCAA-accredited learning experience, delivered by its academic partner Edmentum, to the classroom at Seacoast Performance Academy. Middle school and high school-age students who study at SPA will do so through Edmentum’s school, Ed Options Academy, and will receive a private school level education within TPH’s blended learning environment, which Bowen says, creates a “best-of-both-worlds scenario.”

“Student-athletes complete their coursework online and have the option to take school home or on the road with them every day,” Bowen said. “At the same time, when student-athletes are on-site, they study under the direction of academic leaders who are focused on fostering a positive culture, maintaining accountability, and putting a learning plan in place for each individual based on where, when, and how he or she works best. Our layered academic approach ensures that when it’s time for our student-athletes to focus on hockey, whether it’s training at SPA or jumping on a plane to travel to games, they are on-pace or ahead in their courses.”

The TPH-Edmentum learning model offers students with live and on-demand lessons, accessible content-area instructors, and virtual tutors who are available during and after the academy day, to support students in their core subject areas. Like in TPH’s Center of Excellence model, all core courseware will be individually tailored to the student-athletes who study at SPA. Honors, AP, and foreign language courses are offered, and when not studying their core subjects, SPA

students will have the opportunity to choose from a bank of over 80 elective courses and will also have access to Coach FA’s Mentorship Program, TPH’s very own fifteen-week leadership series, built for aspiring-elite hockey players like those who attend SPA.

While Bezio looks forward to Seacoast Performance Academy taking what he calls “the next step in our evolution” in utilizing the TPH-Edmentum education model, he expressed gratitude to the U.S. Performance Academy (USPA) for helping SPA grow its internal program over the past few years.

“I want to thank USPA for helping us build a solid academic foundation at our academy,” Bezio stated. “They have been great partners who have provided a quality learning platform for our student-athletes to study on. We are excited about the holistic learning model that the TPH platform provides and we are confident families will be impressed with the new level of support our student-athletes will receive in the classroom and building overall, not just virtually, but on-site as well.”

Bezio went on to say that “TPH has devoted a lot of time to building an educational program that is specifically designed for student-athletes like ours. The TPH academic model allows for flexibility and freedom, but also maintains strong oversight and has accountability measures built-in so that our kids will be on track to perform to their highest standard. TPH also takes pride in creating social and real-world experiences within their Center of Excellence model that we will adopt here at SPA. Our students can expect guest speakers, community service projects, and field trips that will help expand their perspective and assist them in becoming future leaders. Take what TPH does and mix it with what we presently do to develop our student-athletes, and you have a better, more well-rounded experience for all.”

As part of “powering up” SPA, TPH will make all components of its Hockey-Athlete Development Model available to all Seacoast Spartans and SPA coaches and instructors. Current Seacoast hockey staff members will have access to TPH’s Hockey Development library, which includes over 6,000 CoE, junior, college, European, and NHL training clips, various player and team development presentations and resources, direct access to TPH’s Hockey Development Team and will be offered full participation in all TPH hockey staff development activities.

For Nathan Bowen, opening up “the TPH playbook” is the only possible way to create an experience that everyone involved in the TPH-SPA partnership will be proud of.

“Today, TPH and SPA become one family,” Bowen said. “We are an open book to Travis and his team, and we will provide access to anything and everything that they feel makes their operation stronger and makes their student-athletes and teams better. The TPH mission is to exceed expectations, and it is our hope that families will feel that Seacoast Academy, Powered by TPH, does just that.”