The players making up the RINK Winnipeg's U15 team are the new kids on the block on South Landing Drive this year. A new program offered for 2011 birth year students, the RINK has adopted the Grade 8 curriculum and serves in partnership with St. Ignatius School to offer its student-athletes quality education, while providing a Prep-style travel schedule over the course of the school year.

A Full Day, Every Day

"All our kids go to school at RINK here," says U15 head coach Jon Carlson. "We have two full-time teachers from St. Ignatius that are here working with the kids. They get dropped off at 8:00 AM and we hop in the boardroom. We do some team builders, video work, classroom stuff, chalk talk. From 8:30 to 9:45, the kids are in school, up in the classrooms. From 10:00 to 11:00 we are on the ice for practice. At 11:00 they hit the gym for a workout. 12:00 to 12:30 is lunch. Classes are then back in session from 12:30 to 3:30."

Talk about a day!

"Yes, it's a very full day, and it happens every day," Carlson added. "It's very demanding, but at the same time, it's nice that they can cram everything into just an eight-hour window. When kids leave at 4:00 PM, it's nice to know that they've already got their daily workout in, got a practice in and they've had time to study and learn in class."

The Idea Behind the Expansion

The idea behind the new U15 program is to offer under-age U15 players (2011-born) an appropriate spot to play. Historically, RINK's U15 Prep teams have generally been filled with true-age players, serving within the youngest classification within the Canadian Sport School Hockey League.

"The big idea behind this new expansion team is to, No. 1, start these kids off on their early development plan, and then No. 2, climatize them with what we do here at work," Carlson shared. "Oftentimes what we found with our U15 Prep players, just because all of this is new when they're coming into the program, is that it takes them a little bit of time to settle in and get used to the day-to-day life."

"So, now the idea with this younger team is to climatize the boys and get them into this environment," he added. "We want them to understand that skating, working out, nutrition and sleep are all very important factors in their hockey development. Getting them into this environment and teaching them how to take care of their bodies, how to prepare for games, how to prepare after games, how to manage their time both in school and athletics, and as they move into U15 Prep here in their WHL Draft year, they are used to the routine. Their time management skills will have improved, and all of these skills that we teach and preach throughout our program, they're going to be familiar with that coming into their U15 year."

School at the RINK: The St. Ignatius Partnership

On the schooling side of things, the U15 players will attend most of their studies right at the RINK's training facility, while reporting to class at St. Ignatius here and there, as needed in order to fulfill their Manitoba education requirements.

"The two St. Ignatius teachers work here with our kids every single day," Carlson said. "They are obviously still affiliated with St. Ignatius, but they're here and working with our kids in the mornings and afternoons. But in looking at the school day cycle, every Day 4 our kids will get bused over to St. Ignatius for a few courses that we don't have the facilities or infrastructure to run. So, they'll spend some time on Day 4s at the actual school with different teachers and other classes that we can't offer here. Sometimes it's music, sometimes religion, or other hands-on stuff."

Not only are the players receiving their day-to-day education from trusted professionals, they are also getting their gym sessions and on-ice practice under the tutelage of some of the very best educated coaches living in Manitoba. Carlson, a former Winkler Flyer and Portage Terrier, holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sports Management with a minor in Athletic Coaching and has a Master of Science Degree in Sports Administration.

Built on Speed and Skill

"We've got an awesome group this year," he smiled. "They are built on speed and skill. That's going to kind of be our bread and butter, if you will, this year: speed and skill. But really, when it comes down to probably the most admirable trait of our players, it's just their work ethic every single day. Obviously, our sample size has been relatively small, but I have worked with a lot of these kids in the past through spring hockey and various camps. Their work ethic is unmatched. They show up every single day and they throw on their skates and really give it one hundred percent to the coaching staff every time. I am really excited for what this season brings with these players."