Combining off-ice and on-ice training in one location, Training House Vernon is hoping to make Vernon a training destination for professional hockey players.
Initially opened in 2011 in downtown Vernon, the business moved into into Kal Tire Place north last fall. Now, owners are hoping to corner the hockey training market.
“The issue has always been that it’s hard to find a facility that has everything under one roof, so every summer my clients would be struggling to find locations for the on-ice development,” said co-owner and athletic director Rhonda Catt. “Now, with our facility, we have the ability to tie it all together under one roof in a way that it is condensed and efficient.”
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The training room overlooks the ice, making it a one stop shop. Training House is set to partner with Predator Ridge, making it a destination for high profile players and their families, who can vacation at the resort.
“We’ve met with Predator Ridge and because of their Hockey Canada affiliation, it’s a perfect fit for what we’re trying to do,” said co-owner and operations director Carla Rayner. “So over the next five years, we really want to promote Vernon as the place to train for pro hockey players. We want them to come here with their families, have their families vacation up at Predator Ridge and then shuttling them down here and training in-house so they’re getting the whole package in one location so it’s a pretty big draw.”
Launching the program this summer, Training House is also attracting high profile trainers like Stacy Roest, director of player development for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“It’ll be amazing to for Roest to coordinate the on-ice portion and he’s also pulling in more people who will help push the program forward as well. I think once we can get the first year under our belt and people start to realize what we have here, I think it’ll make a huge mark for Vernon,” said Catt.
“It’s pretty incredible. Once we get the word out with what is happening here, I think the excitement will really start to build,” added Rayner.
Though staff is excited about the opportunity to focus on creating the perfect location for hockey training, owners noted that they do train people not associated with the sport — whether that be teams for other sports or individuals looking for a hands-on, individually-focused training facility. Rayner said that it does not operate like a normal gym. Utilizing an education-based business model, Training House limits the general memberships base to a maximum of 200 people.
“Our goal is to deliver a trainer who is appropriate for them and can address their goals. Before we start, we ask our clients what they are trying to achieve and then set some goals and help them achieve success. That’s the goal,” she said. “We limit it to 200 because any more and we won’t be able to give them the proper attention.”
Currently Training House has 150 general members. Anyone interested can come in for a trial before signing up for a year-long membership.
“It’s $169 a month with one year commitment so we’re happy to give people trials to see if it fits their needs before they commit to a year. We know everyone’s name, what their goals are and what their limitations are because we keep the amount of memberships small.”
Catt also noted that they pride themselves on developing a trust with medical professionals to better accommodate client’s needs.
“We want to create an amazing, high quality service that helps to improve a person’s lifestyle,” said Rayner.
Kal Tire Place is located at 3445 43rd Ave., in Vernon.
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