My son Aaron put on skates when he was about three at our local rink for a birthday party! What it would lead to we could have never imagined! One of his friends wanted to play hockey so they began lessons together that same winter. Two years later he played his first game in the house league. A year later he was asked to play travel! Hockey would take him to Omaha, NE for his last two years of high school while he played for Omaha AAA.Then on to Canada to play for the Alberni Valley Bulldogs of the BCHL. Next was Waterloo, IA last year playing for the Waterloo Blackhawks in the USHL where he earned a commitment to continue his hockey dreams at UMass/Amherst. Although there have been a lot of people in his corner through all these years to help him get to where he is I will never forget a conversation I had with a fellow Dad many years ago. He told me if our son wanted to be a good skater take him to Erik Nates, he’s a great skating coach. That’s an understatement!! Erik is the single most influential person in our son’s skating ability! But it’s much, much more than that! Erik is a tremendous skills and skating coach but he and his staff bring it to another level!! They teach discipline, work ethic, accountability and positive attitude!! Erik is a incredible mentor as well!! He believes in his students and genuinely wants them to be successful! He gets to know your child and what makes them tick and how he can push them to be their best!! We are forever grateful to Erik, Tim and his great staff for the work they have done with our son!! They are the best and our son certainly wouldn’t be where he is today without them.
John Bohlinger, Dad
