Ice hockey is not the most common sport in Southern California, but for Grant Gallo it has become a huge part of his life, taking him north across the border to complete his schooling.
Gallo started playing roller hockey at the tender age of 5, moved to the ice when he was 9 and hasn’t looked back. After attending the Edge of Excellence camp three times he decided that the best get to the NHL would be to get the training and exposure at the academy.
“I watched an NHL game on TV and really liked it. It was a choice between playing baseball or hockey, so I just joined a hockey league at the YMCA,” said Gallo. “I just took it one step at a time and ended up where I am now.”
The Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy is a program designed to immerse students in hockey while completing their high school educations from the city of Kelowna in British Columbia. Academy director David Roy has been coaching hockey for 28 years, including the NHL and both men’s and women’s Canadian National teams.
“He’s had some great coaches down here, mostly Canadians who have a lot of respect for the game. Players dress up with shirts and ties to go to games,” said Grant’s father, Paul. “The academy values discipline and character above all else. The players have a huge amount of respect.”
The academy strives to do more than just make the students better hockey players. It stresses service and takes annual trips to Mexico to build houses among other opportunities in Canada.
The academy’s staff feels the best way to build character in the students is to push them in all areas of their lives, forcing them to go beyond their comfort zones and develop as a whole person.
The camp is open to anyone between the ages of 12 and 17 with Triple A, Double A or equivalent hockey experience. Many of the students accepted have attended at least one of the Edge of Excellence Camps, which run in July and August. The application is 12 pages long and must be accompanied by game video, transcripts and letters of recommendation. Gallo received an award at the camp for most training time spent prior to camp.
Since most of the students do not live near the academy, the academy has provided options for housing. There is on-campus dorm-style living, but many students choose to live with a local host family. Gallo has opted to stay with a family, feeling that it will provide a good atmosphere for his studies.
The only real concern Gallo had about the move was being away from his family for 10 months. But the students do have time off for Christmas and spring break, and with technology he’ll be able to catch up with his folks often.
“I’ll be playing hockey with pretty proficient players and get much better exposure to people and coaches in Division I college hockey programs. That’s my goal,” said Gallo. “I’m most excited to play with kids that are more into hockey and take it very seriously.”
Gallo is serious about his training and intends to continue playing hockey, hopefully at a professional level in the future.
For more information about the camps or academy, call (250) 979-7440, or visit www.pursuitofexcellence.ca.