As the game of hockey grows in Minnesota, more families are considering and eventually having their hockey players attend one of three schools that have a hockey emphasis. The three schools are Bauer-Emerson Academy in North St. Paul, Breakaway Academy in Chaska, and Gentry Academy in Blaine.
With the school year starting this week, YHH thought it would give our readers a sneak peak into each of these schools.
Located in North St. Paul, Bauer Emerson has roots tied to the old Northern Educate which was housed in Vadnais Heights, Eagan, and Eden Prairie. Under new ownership, Bauer Emerson has reinvented it's school into one location with a full classroom approach academically at the North St. Paul Community Center. Students at the school will also get the opportunity to play Tier I hockey for their school. The school teams will be called the Revolution. At the U14 thru U18 level, they will participate in the NAPHL.
With high-end and well known hockey instructors Steve Yurichuk and Brooke White the Bauer Emerson kids will be in good hands on the ice. Harvard grad Tony Lancette, Jr. is the school's Executive Director in charge of Education.
Breakaway Academy is run by Andy Brink, Dave Snuggerud, and Jesse Willis. Brink and Snuggerud are former Gopher greats and Willis played his college hockey at Mankato State. The school is located at the Chaska Community Center in Chaska. Breakaway offers a hands on learning approach lead by Dave Snuggerud who had nearly 20 years teaching experience prior to starting Breakaway. Snuggerud and his team of licensed teachers work closely with their students in a very intimate setting.
On and off the ice, Brink and Willis lead the charge with the players helping each improve their skills to become better athletes and hockey players. Breakaway has done a great job attracting top players from the South and Western suburbs in just two years of opening their doors.
The newest member to the hockey emphasis education terrain is the Gentry Academy. The school owned by successful business people Tami and Chuck Lucius is based in Blaine on the campus of the National Sports Center. The parents of top skaters Chaz and Cruz Lucius, started the school and hit the ground running by attracting top players from around the Twin Cities to attend in a very short time.
Offering a high end education to grades 5 through 8, with educators Megan Stone and Jennifer Kurth in the morning and great hockey training in the afternoon from the likes of Sean Skinner in the afternoon. Skinner is widely regarded as a premiere hockey teacher and trainer from Canada.
YHH expects Gentry to have a huge impact on the hockey community in the coming months.
All three schools have many similarities. The first and foremost is they are passionate about hockey and have been able to attract like-minded kids to their schools. Each is physically placed in an area that will allow for each to attract students from a specific area of the Twin Cities. Look for more families in the years to come to opt to have their son or daughter attend a school of this kind.
