Game On Magazine 2017 May 2017 | Page 5

OMG ’ s HOCKEY STORY OF THE MONTH

Pilot Mound Academy Set to Add Female Program

By Scott Taylor Photos courtesy Pilot Mound Hockey Academy
HOCKEY STORY
OF THE MONTH

Rod Collins has a right to be proud of what he ’ s done , creating a male hockey academy in tiny Pilot Mound , Man .

The first place team in the Canadian School Sports League ’ s Midget Varsity Division , the Pilot Mound Buffaloes finished their second season of competition with a record of 26-4-0 ( 33-19-4 overall ). It was such a successful campaign that three of the Buffaloes won CSSHL individual awards -- Tyrae Fountain was named the Midget Varsity Most Valuable Player ; Ben Hilhorst won the award as Midget Varsity Top Defenseman ; and Carson McConnell earned a spot on the CSSHL All-Academic Team and was named WHL Scholastic Player Of The Year .
These successes have come quickly for a small hockey academy located in a tiny community 60-kilometres west of Morden . However , for the academy ’ s founder , 70-year-old Rod Collins , it ’ s not a big surprise . After all , he knew how difficult the project would be , but he never thought for a moment that it wouldn ’ t be a success .
However , Collins has his sights set on expansion . Now that the boys program is successful – and is almost full for next season – he wants to add girls ’ hockey . He has the facilities . The local school is on board and the team plays out of the Black Jack Stewart Memorial Arena inside the Pilot Mound Milennium Complex . He and his investors have just purchased $ 500,000 worth of dorms and study space from an oil site in Alberta . The Pilot Mound Hockey Academy is growing and a girls ’ program is next .
“ The boys program has been quite successful and right now , boys are knocking down the doors to get in ,” said Collins . “ Our ultimate goal is to get girls into the program and because we ’ ve been approved by both Hockey Manitoba and Hockey Canada and have been accepted into the Canadian School Sports Hockey League , our goal is get the program started this coming season .”
Collins certainly has help , when it comes to developing these programs . His daughter , Delaney , is a former Canadian National women ’ s team player who is now coach of Canada ’ s U-18 team . Collins himself played senior hockey with the old Pilot Mound Pilots and went to coach at both Lord Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox , Sask ., and at Shattuck-St . Mary ’ s School in Faribault , Minn .
The annual cost for the 10-month boys ’ program is about $ 26,000 ( for Manitoba players ). That includes room and board , travel and most of a player ’ s equipment . It is certainly in line for what most student-athletes pay to attend other programs such as Pursuit of Excellence , Okanagan Hockey Academy and The Rink Hockey Academy .
“ The boys have been successful , but we now want to provide that option for the girls ,” Collins added . “ Our biggest issue in recruiting for the girls ’ team is just getting the word out . We ’ ve had one training camp ( end of April ) and we ’ ll have another on May 7 . The boys program has drawn athletes from all over the world . I ’ d love to have a large number of Manitoba kids in the girls ’ program . Our ultimate goal is to put these high school girls in a situation where they get university hockey scholarships .” n
Larry Finnson and OMG Candy of Winnipeg are outstanding supporters of amateur hockey throughout our province . Game On Magazine is proud to partner with OMG to select the Manitoba Player of the Month . Our Player of the Month will appear in every issue of Game On , Manitoba ’ s Hockey Magazine , in 2017 .
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