Chew Dawg Hockey develops full-experience training

When Matthew Quercia, now 25, took the Brooks Academy ice at 3 years old for North Andover Youth Hockey’s learn-to-skate program, his father, Greg Quercia, had him agree on four rules to follow.

Have fun. Listen, watch, and pay attention. Work hard. Be a good teammate.

Matthew has used those rules to flourish through a winding path in hockey that currently has the former Boston University and Michigan Tech forward bouncing between the ECHL and AHL affiliates of the Pittsburgh Penguins. More importantly, though, it’s those rules that have influenced both Greg and Matthew in life outside of hockey – which they feel is an area that many clubs and camps don’t exactly focus on as they develop the next waves of elite talent. For the most part, it’s all about the game.

With the Chew Dawg Hockey Academy they started two years ago, Matthew and Greg bring something new to fill that void.

“We always talked about doing something different,” Greg said. “The (purpose) … as Matthew says, ‘(Is) making great players great people.’ And for me, it’s learning life lessons through hockey and through our four rules.”

“Those rules have gotten me so far in life,” Matthew added. “The inspiration for me is, first and foremost, just giving back.”

Still in its introductory stages, Chew Dawg Hockey Academy is a one-week camp in the middle of the summer. It’s a versatile experience geared around unmatched education – good habits, opportunities in hockey, skill development, nutrition, etc. – which is something players got a good taste of this past summer.

It won’t be this way moving forward, but last year’s camp was free – courtesy of an anonymous donor. Forty players – aged 13, 14 and 15 – went to Bentley University, where they got five days of a college-like experience in a top-notch facility. There was a different theme each day, with special guests joining each one to help players grasp all the potential avenues they can take in hockey.

One day saw Bentley hockey’s coaching staff coach players on the ice, and talked about the college hockey scene off it. Arlington boys head coach John Messuri, Waltham boys head coach John Maguire, and former Andover boys head coach Chris Kuchar joined a different day to elaborate on the public school path. There was also a day the prep hockey route was talked about, and the Chew Dawg Hockey coaches – comprised of Matthew and other active collegiate or professional hockey players – discussed their paths to where they are now.

A Q&A followed each one as part of an interactive experience.

“Everyone’s path is very different,” Matthew said. “There’s so many different paths to teach these kids about.”

That commitment to educating players on what paths are available stands out to Messuri, who has often stressed the importance of it over the years.

“Both (Greg) and (Matthew) are just really good people and I trust my kids with them all day long,” Messuri said. “They’re educating the kids to what their choices are, and there’s no bias in what they’re telling them because they’ve only got them for a week. They’re not trying to bait a kid in so they can fill their roster out. … This is unique in the sense that it’s truly an educational school to tell the kids, ‘Hey, we’re going to teach you some hockey for a week, but we’re also going to educate you on what the landscape is.’”

Matthew has prior coaching experience before starting Chew Dawg, and he told a player of his – Harry Jackson – about the camp he was about to start up with Greg. Jackson, who’s now playing for Brooks Academy, has been a camper for both years.

“You kind of just know that they’re trying to make you a better hockey player, and not only a better hockey player, but a better person,” Jackson said. “I really haven’t (come across something like it). (Matthew) is really the first coach I’ve had that I’ve been close with. And hearing from him, the stories he tells of how it is, playing professional. What you have to do, and the journey. It’s just really cool.”

The off-ice education is meaningful, but that’s not all of the camp. It’s still very committed to coaching the game, and the last day is reserved for a showcase.

Having Matthew and other successful players on the ice with the kids during the week is a major bonus.

“My buddy Mark Gatcomb just played two preseason games with the Islanders, and kids get to hang around (him) all day and ask him questions,” Matthew said. “I think we did a good job of having guys around that kids were able to pick their brains and relate to.”

“You can see them doing the drills too, and it’s kind of cool to watch,” Jackson added. “These guys are at where you’re trying to go to. So, it’s like, they’re helping you. They’re teaching you. It’s a really cool experience and it’s kind of unique because you’re not always on the ice with professional hockey players that are playing right now.”

As the camp gets bigger, which Greg and Matthew hope will draw 60 elite players next summer, the two plan to make the final day of camp a four-team, round-robin tournament that’s an elite showcase of talent for coaches to scout.

But that’s far from the only big dream Matthew and Greg have an actionable plan for.

As part of the financial makeup of fees, Greg looks to fuel a donor fund to be allocated toward giving back to the community. That means funding free learn-to-skate programs, one of which they’ve already run for 20 kids in Waltham. It also means providing need-based financial aid to potential players in Chew Dawg Hockey, and making hockey more accessible to inner-city and minority communities that can’t afford the sport.

They want to grow from the ground up, bringing in youngsters for learn-to-skate and keeping them in the program for learn-to-play. Greg talks about starting a Mite team, a Squirt team, a Peewee team. Matthew envisions Chew Dawg Hockey Academy to be a lot like Shattuck-St. Mary’s (MN) on the east coast as far as its level of hockey, while teaching kids the core values he and Greg believe in off the ice.

Both have big plans for this academy, and both have said they wish it was available to them when they were growing up playing hockey.

Now, they get to provide it together.

“I don’t think there’s a day we don’t (talk),” Matthew said. “It’s really cool to be partners with him and finally do something kind of together. He’s always been coaching me, mentoring me. It’s kind of cool to be partners with him and have some say. … It’s awesome.”

“It’s so cool doing this with him,” Greg added. “Doing something unique, not doing it (by) yourself but doing it with your son, has been special.”

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/NToKDZQ