I used to think THA would sink after a few years, but it’s only getting better/stronger.
I know lots of THA kids and their parents, and know the program well.
There a lot of kids with big hockey dreams, and parents willing to spend big $ to send their kids to a program geared strictly for hockey. Lots of players go there because they want a better hockey experience than they get with their current clubs. THA is like Jr Hockey for HS kid. The coaching staff and program are great, and the kids love that hockey lifestyle. I don’t blame them for joining the THA program. It sounds fun! That’s probably what I would do if I was that age.
In the first couple of years, THA was giving away big scholarships to get kids there. Now THA is able to get more $ from the parents and give out less $ in scholarships as there is more demand. I think THA will be around for a while. They have backers with big $, a great program, and more people are sick of their current club and seeing that THA is a great alternative.
One of the problems with THA is that the dorm is far from town or anything else, and sometimes the kids get bored hanging around the dorm. I’m not a fan of the education THA provides, but I won’t get into that because I’ll get flamed for hurting somebody’s feelings.
My son had no desire to go to THA. He wanted a great HS education which prepared him to transition straight into an awesome Private or UC college. He’s realistic in the fact that he has no desire to go play junior hockey after HS, then hoping he gets one of the few D1 ice hockey scholarships out there. My son will be starting his master’s degree while a lot of the THA kids are just getting done with their junior hockey careers and starting their first year in Junior College or state college year & playing ACHA hockey.
Reality check – Check out these links showing the realities of the D1 rosters & the lack of D1 hockey scholarships. Most played USHL, NAHL, BCHL, or other Canadian league.
http://www.scholarshipstats.com/hockey.htmlhttps://bceagles.com/roster.aspx?roster=399&path=mhockeyhttps://www.collegehockeynews.com/almanac/funfacts-ageavg.phphttps://www.neutralzone.net/mens/2016/06/25/college-hockey-landscape-study-21-year-old-freshman/(from 2016)