EVANDALE, Ohio — A sports facility outside Cincinnati, known for its ice rinks and basketball and volleyball courts, is now hosting a hockey high school for elite players. Total Package Hockey (TPH) opened its 15th academy and first in Ohio at Sports Plus in Evendale, north of Cincinnati.

“We teach you hockey IQ in a room full of elite athletes,” said Ryan McGinnis, the academy’s director. McGinnis played pro hockey and has worked as a coach and manager. He’s a believer in the school’s mission.  “We look to lead the world in the holistic development of student-athletes, advancing in and beyond the game,” McGinnis said. "We’re inspiring the next generation of impact players.”

McGinnis doesn’t mind sharing trade secrets he learned on the job working for pro teams.

“I know what it’s like to be a pro player,” McGinnis said.  “I was just there. I teach you what really matters.”

Kids with dreams of the NHL and Division I college hockey are attracted to TPH for its track record: 56 players drafted into the NHL and 321 committed to NCAA teams, including Brown and the University of Michigan.

Along with twice-daily skating sessions, students have access to a state-of-the-art weight room. They're also required to enroll in an online school and TPH built a variety of classroom settings upstairs at Sports Plus. They also brought in Jennifer LePore as head of academics, a full-time teacher who helps students with their assignments and adjusting to life away from home and on the road.

“For me, what I love about it is we see kids who are really passionate,” LePore said. “They want to excel in a sport and it gives them the flexibility to still do academics. To still compete academically at elite levels but also get their degree.”

“We’re more than just hockey skills. We also teach life skills,” McGinnis said. That includes coping with losses and setbacks.

“What matters to me is when you lose,” McGinnis said. “When you have adversity and when you get told ‘no’ - the hardships you have in life. Being able to talk about those things and teach those things in all the different platforms that we have - the classroom, the gym, the on-ice, the guest speakers that we’ll have, and we’ll tie it all in.”

“Coach McGinnis is really energetic and he likes to have a good time with us,” said Brady Moore, who left his high school in Eau Claire, Wisconsin to spend his senior year at TPH. “Coach (McGinnis) cares for us as an athlete and as a person as well.” Moore and another student live with a host family 45 minutes away in Oxford.   

Another student who grew up close to Sports Plus commutes each day from Milford.

“I’ve heard about this school before and I’ve always wanted to do it but I’ve never been close enough,” said Harper Sullivan. “I think it’s really cool they made one here.”