It was all a dream…

I use to read USA Hockey Magazine…. just kidding. But that was fun, huh?

The Why

When people ask me ‘Why did you decide to start EVHC?’. The answer I like to give is ‘It’s my mid-life crisis.’ But the real answer is because it was needed.

Our story starts in San Jose, California. We were stationed in Monterey and driving the hour up to San Jose every Saturday morning. We were always the first one’s in the Solar 4 Ice building. So many skating lessons, public skating, hockey lessons, and brunches at Stanley’s. Coaching was top notch with some of the best college and professional coaching you could find. We learned so much about how to coach the sport, how to build programs, and how to develop players. The Jr. Sharks program was top notch, professional, and set the bar for how organizations should run.

We carried this knowledge with us to Biloxi, Mississippi, where we fell in love with the spirit of the Gulf Coast Aces. A tiny, grassroots hockey program on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Still hurting from their beloved SeaWolves closing down years before, the Aces was about 50 kids strong with parents who were dedicated to the values of the sport. Aaron helped Coach, our kids played games in Lafayette, Louisiana and Pensacola, Florida, and we just had a blast! It was in Biloxi that Aaron and I started discussing the ‘what if’s’ - What if we built a sheet of ice there? What would a program look like? How much does all of that cost? Is this a viable business plan for the area?

Fate had other plans for us and we returned to Hampton Roads, where we had previously been stationed two other time’s in Aaron’s Naval career. This is where we have called home for 12 years. Compared to other areas we were stationed at, hockey is quite popular here. We were thankful to come back to great programs with an easier commute. We found that while the programs were great, we were competing for ice time with several programs like adult league, figure skating, travel teams, public sessions, and more. There just isn’t always enough ice to do all the things you want. We found ourselves always at the rink, taking advantage of all the puck shoots, public skating, and skating sessions we could possibly be at.

It was during our endless hours at the rink that we found an amazing and supportive community. So many hugs. So many laughs. And so many conversations about how we could get our kids more training time. It was these conversations with that sparked the idea. The off-ice solution to having more options for development. This was how we could AUGMENT the programs. This was how we could help our kids reach their dreams.

So that is the real answer. That is the ‘why.’ We made the decision to give options, give results, and give kids a chance at fulfilling their dreams.

The only problem then was ‘how.’