ABOUT PLAYER ACCELERATION
Hockey Development Programs Designed To Create High-Level Hockey Players
Hockey Development Built From the Inside Out
Every player who steps onto the ice has potential. The question was never whether the talent is there, it's whether the right environment exists to bring it out.
Player Acceleration was built to be that environment.
Founded by Josh McEwan in Kelowna, BC, Player Acceleration is a high-performance hockey development program rooted in one belief: the players who make it aren't just the most skilled they're the most developed as human beings. Skill without character has a ceiling. Growth without identity doesn't last.
That's why everything here is built around one philosophy: develop from the inside out.
More Than a Hockey Camp
Most hockey training programs focus on the hands and the feet. We start with awareness of the mind, the body and the power inside.
Through high-performance hockey camps across BC. In Kelowna, Summerland, Lake Country, and Kamloops. Hockey players don't just sharpen their skating, puck handling, and shooting. They develop who they are when the game gets hard. They build emotional intelligence to handle adversity, leadership habits that make a team better, and on-the-spot problem-solving instincts that separate good players from great ones.
We've worked with players at every level, from athletes fighting for ice time to those chasing elite opportunities, and the pattern is always the same: the ones who break through are the ones who grow as people, not just players.
Player Acceleration exists to accelerate that growth.
The Four Foundations of Hockey Training
Everything we do is built around four core areas of development:
Skill & Skating Development: Elite technical training across skating, edges, puck control, shooting, and game intelligence in an environment where players are challenged to their ceiling, not just coached through the motions.
Fitness & Athletic Performance: Strength, conditioning, and sport-specific athleticism built for the physical demands of high-performance hockey at every level.
Mental Performance & Mindset: The mental skills that determine outcomes — focus, resilience, competitive drive, and the ability to perform under real pressure when it counts most.
Character Development: The emotional intelligence, leadership qualities, and integrity that define the kind of athlete and person your player becomes long after the season ends.
Learn More About The Four Player Acceleration Hockey Training Foundations:
About Player Acceleration
Players develop from the inside out
Skill without character has a ceiling. Players grow sharper skills, a hockey-ready body, and a mindset that holds up when the game gets hard.
Book Free Coaching CallWhy it exists
More than a hockey camp
Every player has potential. The question is whether the right environment exists to bring it out. Player Acceleration, founded in Kelowna, was created to provide that environment for players, regardless of their background.
Players come to sharpen their skating, puck handling and shooting. They also learn who they are when the game gets hard: handling adversity, building leadership habits, and solving problems in the moment. Players at every level who break through are the ones who grow as people, not just as athletes.
What players build
Three pillars of every player
Sustained Skill Development
Skating, edges, puck control, shooting and game intelligence, broken down and sharpened until they become instinct.
Hockey-Specific Training
Strength, speed, conditioning, mobility and injury prevention built for the real demands of the game, not generic gym work.
Mindset & Personal Development
Focus, resilience and composure under pressure, plus the emotional intelligence, leadership and integrity that last long after the season ends.
Game intelligence
Hockey IQ
Read the ice, anticipate the play and make confident decisions under pressure.
Hockey IQ is how a player reads the game: where to look, when to move and which option to take before the puck arrives. Skating, skills and fitness pay off most when a player makes the right read at game speed.
In Hockey IQ sessions, Josh reviews on-ice video with players and draws the play out with telestration, showing spacing, support and the options a play offers. Players learn to scan early, recognize patterns and choose the better play with more time and confidence, then carry those reads into practice and games.
Next level
Player advancement
With over 15 years of selecting teams and running tryouts, we help families understand the process so players show up prepared.
Josh brings experience from the selection side of top-level U15 and U18 hockey. That shapes how we prepare players for tryouts and selection: what selectors look for, how a player can show it, and what the next step in their pathway can look like.
Parents are part of the conversation. We talk the pathway through with families, and both parents are welcome on the free parent call. No program can guarantee a roster spot; we focus on what your player controls.
Founder · Head Coach
Josh McEwan
Josh has spent his career helping hockey players become the best version of themselves, on the ice and off it. He has coached at one of North America’s premier hockey academies and helped players move on to the WHL, college, university programs and professional hockey.
Player Acceleration was created because most programs develop players, and very few develop people. Josh currently coaches in high-performance programs in the Okanagan and leads Player Acceleration’s camps across BC.
Helps players grow on and off the ice, building relationships and a clear sense of purpose.
Experience across CSSHL, JPHL, private hockey and minor hockey.
Player Testimonial
“I've tried lots of different camps and lots of different programs, but Player Acceleration has been the program where I've improved consistently and taken my game to the next level.”Kyla Johnson — Medicine Hat Rattlers, ACAC
Coaching staff
Meet the coaches
Jens Kieling
- Has trained NHL, NBA and Olympic athletes
- Professional kinesiologist · Bachelor of Kinesiology, University of Regina
- Designs hockey-specific training that replicates the demands of the game
Supports performance, fitness, mindset and off-ice development, and the relationships that help players keep progressing.
Jens designs Player Acceleration’s hockey-specific training so the strength, speed and conditioning players build carry onto the ice.
Tessa Kosec
- Assistant Coach, Female AAA Lakers
- Nipissing University (U SPORTS): OUA East All-Star · Physical & Health Education degree and B.Ed.
- Skating, shooting and fundamentals on and off the ice
Works on the ice and off the ice. The work she especially loves: building relationships with players and supporting returning players as they keep growing.
Tessa coaches skating, shooting and fundamentals on and off the ice. She played U SPORTS hockey at Nipissing University, where she was an OUA East All-Star, and now coaches with the Female AAA Lakers, so she knows what it takes for players to keep improving season after season.
Assistant Coach, Female AAA Lakers. Physical & Health Education degree and B.Ed., Nipissing University.
Matteus Reis
- Assistant Coach, Grand Forks Border Bruins (junior)
- Played junior for the Kelowna Chiefs and Grand Forks Border Bruins, then college hockey in the ACAC and in Kelowna
- Leads on-ice, off-ice and private sessions
Works on the ice and off the ice, keeping the game fun. The work he especially loves: building relationships with players and supporting returning players as they keep growing.
Matteus leads on-ice, off-ice and private sessions. He played junior hockey with the Kelowna Chiefs and Grand Forks Border Bruins and college hockey in the ACAC and in Kelowna, and he now coaches with the Grand Forks Border Bruins, so he brings a recent player’s view of the path players are on.
Assistant Coach, Grand Forks Border Bruins (junior).
Taro Kurokawa
Runs hockey schools in Kobe, Japan, and brings players to train with Player Acceleration.
Taro connects Japanese and Canadian hockey: players from his hockey schools in Kobe travel to train with Player Acceleration.
Founder/representative of TK HOCKEY. Coaches Japan Select junior teams, including at the Québec International Pee-Wee Tournament.
Nutrition
Make hockey fueling easier to plan.
Nutrition support helps players fuel training, recover between sessions and build habits that hold up through a full season.
Why it matters: players train hard on the ice and off it. What they eat and drink before, during and after training shapes their energy, how well they recover and how consistently they can show up. The goal is simple, repeatable habits families can plan around, not a strict diet.
The Hockey Fuel meal-plan resource includes meal options, hydration guidance, and schedules for training and game days. Its parent preparation guide and grocery list offer a practical structure for planning meals around hockey.
Alan Dyck builds Player Acceleration’s nutrition program and created the Hockey Fuel meal-plan resource. He is a fitness and nutrition coach at Next Level Performance, and works with NHL players and coaches, and with pro athletes.
Brandon McCallum is Player Acceleration’s nutritional coach. He works with high-level athletes and has lots of experience working with youth across multiple sports. He is the founder of HDC Performance, and a strength and conditioning coach and practicing kinesiologist.
Learn more about the coaches
Jens Kieling
Taro Kurokawa
Matteus Reis
Tessa Kosec
FAQ
Questions parents ask
Top Prospects questions
What is the Top Prospects Program?
Top Prospects is a customized, 12-month development program built around your player’s season. It brings together mindset, skills, hockey-specific fitness, Hockey IQ and nutrition to support the whole player.
Who is the program for?
It’s for competitive players who want to keep developing between camps and through the season, and who are ready to work on mindset as well as skills. A parent call helps you explore whether it fits your player’s goals and availability.
How is it different from a camp?
A camp is a focused period of in-person training. Top Prospects provides a year-round development plan alongside team hockey, starting with an individual assessment and tailored 90-day blocks. The 12-month program also includes three in-person camps; ask about dates and locations on your parent call.
How does it fit around the season, and what is included?
Training is organized around your player’s season and schedule. The 12-month program includes an individual assessment, tailored 90-day plan blocks, live group coaching, skills and fitness content in a training app, nutrition guidance and three in-person camps. It supplements team hockey rather than replacing it.
How do we get started?
Start with a free 20-minute parent call with Josh about your player’s goals, development gaps, program fit and availability. Both parents are welcome. If it’s a fit, Josh explains how the program would work for your player.
Camp questions
Who are Player Acceleration camps for?
Our camps welcome AAA, AA, academy, prep, Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3 and rep players, plus motivated house players who want to move up. We work with players from the CSSHL, BCEHL, HPL, HSL and BC Hockey programs, as well as other leagues across Canada and internationally. Age groups and program fit vary by camp; check the camp page for details.
What does a day at camp look like?
Kamloops High-Performance camp days include two on-ice sessions plus dryland fitness, off-ice skills and a classroom session. On the ice, players work on skating, game-like situations, competitive drills, puck skills and position-specific training. Off-ice work develops skills, fitness and tools for handling pressure. Daily activities and schedules vary by camp; see the individual camp page for the program and schedule.
What should my player bring?
For camp, bring full hockey gear with sharpened skates, dryland clothes and indoor runners, a packed lunch, snacks and a water bottle. Check your confirmation email for the full list and any program-specific details.
Is lunch provided?
Please pack a lunch and snacks for camp, plus a water bottle. Players have breaks between sessions to hydrate and refuel. Check your confirmation email for details specific to your camp.
What if the camp I want is full?
Check the camp page for current availability and any waitlist details. You can also explore other weeks and camps with space. If you have questions about the right fit for your player, use the contact link to get in touch.
Discover Your Player’s Next Step
A short conversation to identify gaps and find the development path that fits your player — camps, year-round training, or both.
Prefer to talk it through? Book a free 20-minute parent call.
Book a free 20-minute callPLAYERS INCREASE OVERALL SKILL DEVELOPMENT BY 300%
BREAKTHROUGH PLAYER's CONFIDENCE GAPS IN THIS Free 1-On-1 COACHING SESSION
13+ Years of Experience Working With Thousands of High-Performance Youth Hockey Players
CONNECT WITH US
OUR COACHES
Josh McEwan - Program Director & Head Coach
Josh McEwan has spent his career doing one thing: helping hockey players become the best version of themselves, on the ice and off it.
With years of experience coaching at one of the premier hockey academies in North America, Josh became recognized as one of the top skating and skills coaches in the game. He's coached at the highest levels of youth and amateur hockey, and has worked with players who have gone on to compete in the WHL, college and university programs, and professional hockey.
But what sets Josh apart isn't his experience, it's his philosophy. Josh built Player Acceleration because he saw a gap: most programs develop players. Very few develop people. He believes that the mental, emotional, and character growth of an athlete is what determines how far they go and he's built every camp, every session, and every coaching conversation around that belief.
Josh currently coaches in some of the top High Performance programs in the Okanagan and leads Player Acceleration's camps across BC. He brings the same level of intensity, care, and attention to every player, whether they're chasing a roster spot or a professional contract.
If you want to know whether Player Acceleration is the right fit for your player, start with a free 1-on-1 call with Josh.
Jens Kieling - Head Fitness Trainer
Jens Kieling has trained at the highest levels of sport, working with professional athletes from the Olympics, the NHL, the NBA, and across nearly every level of competitive hockey. He's a professional kinesiologist who brings a rare combination of elite performance science and genuine human understanding to every player he works with.
What makes Jens different is his approach. Rather than generic fitness programming, Jens designs training that puts the body in situations that directly replicate the demands of hockey, the explosive movements, the recovery demands, the body control that separates average athletes from elite ones. He knows exactly what it takes to get a player to their next level, and he's built a reputation for challenging athletes in an environment that's as nurturing as it is demanding.
Over the years, Jens' work has expanded beyond performance training into a deeper understanding of how the body and mind connect. He integrates holistic performance techniques that help players recover, reset, and grow in ways that are sustainable, not just for a season, but for a career. His players don't just get in better shape. They learn to understand their bodies, build real athletic foundations, and develop the kind of physical confidence that carries into every area of their game.
Jens' depth of experience and commitment to each player's growth makes him an invaluable part of the Player Acceleration coaching staff.
SKILLS & SKATING DEVELOPMENT
Great hockey players are built, one rep at a time.
Skill development isn't about doing everything at once. It's about breaking the game down into its core components, isolating each one, and sharpening it until it becomes instinct. At Player Acceleration, every drill, every session, and every piece of feedback is designed with one goal: to make your player a more complete, more dangerous hockey player.
Every athlete has strengths and weaknesses. The ones who make the jump to the next level aren't always the most talented, they're the ones who were honest enough to work on what was holding them back. That's the environment we create here.
Skating Development
Skating is the foundation of everything in hockey. No matter how skilled a player is with the puck, if they can't move efficiently on the ice, their ceiling is limited. At Player Acceleration, skating is broken down into its core technical components. Each one trained deliberately, because every edge, every stride, and every transition directly translates to a player's ability to compete at a higher level.
Edge Work: Edges are everything. A player who truly owns their edges can accelerate, decelerate, cut, and change direction with control and confidence. We train inside and outside edges across a full range of movements, helping players develop the balance and body control that make every other skating skill possible. Better edges mean sharper cuts, quicker adjustments, and the ability to maintain speed through situations where other players slow down or lose their footing.
Forward Stride: The forward stride is the engine of a hockey player's speed. All players skate, very few skate efficiently. We break the stride down into its technical components: knee bend, hip extension, full blade push, arm drive, and recovery mechanics. A properly developed forward stride generates more power with less energy, meaning players who refine it don't just skate faster, they skate faster for longer, which matters enormously late in a period or late in a game.
Backward Stride: Defensive positioning, gap control, and the ability to transition seamlessly all depend on a strong backward stride. We train players to move backward with the same confidence and power they have going forward. Developing the hip mobility, blade engagement, and posture mechanics that allow them to maintain tight gaps on forwards, protect the defensive zone, and set up explosive transitions when the puck changes hands.
Tight Turns: The ability to execute a sharp, powerful tight turn at full speed is one of the most game-changing skating skills a player can develop. Whether it's turning sharply, winning a race to the puck along the boards, or cutting back through the offensive zone, tight turns allow players to maintain momentum in spaces where most players are forced to slow down or straighten out. We work on weight distribution, edge depth, and upper body positioning to help players execute tight turns without losing speed.
Crossovers: Crossovers are how players generate speed and maintain it through curves and around the ice. Clean, powerful crossovers require coordination, edge confidence, and hip mobility. When they're done right, they allow a player to accelerate through turns rather than simply carry their speed through them. This is a skill that separates players who look smooth and effortless on the ice from those who look like they're working too hard to keep up.
Transitions: The ability to transition forward to backward, backward to forward, quickly, fluidly, and without losing speed is one of the most undercoached skills in hockey. Players who transition well can read and react to the play faster than their opponents. They don't telegraph their movements.
They flow between directions naturally, which makes them unpredictable and harder to defend against. We train transitional footwork extensively because in a game that moves as fast as hockey does, every tenth of a second matters.
Explosive Quick Starts: A player's first few strides are one of the most valuable assets a hockey player can have. Whether it's a winger beating a defender to a loose puck, a centre winning a zone battle, or a defenceman closing on a rush, the player who gets there first almost always wins the play. We train explosive starts from a stationary position, from a wide stance, and out of turns, working on weight transfer, initial push mechanics, and stride rate to help players generate maximum acceleration in minimum time.
Hockey Skating
Hockey Skills
Shot Power & Accuracy
Puck Protection
Stickhandling
Hockey Sense
Game Knowledge
Shooting Mechanics
A powerful shot means nothing without accuracy. An accurate shot means nothing without the ability to release it under pressure. At Player Acceleration, we break shooting down into the mechanics that actually move the needle: weight transfer, blade contact, wrist snap, and body positioning. Players develop the ability to generate real power from both their forehand and backhand, hit their spots consistently, and release quickly in game situations before a defender closes the gap.
Stickhandling & Puck Control
Stickhandling isn't just about moving the puck. It's about moving the puck with your head up, at full speed, under pressure, in tight spaces. We train players to develop soft hands and a wide range of motion so they can protect the puck, create separation, and make plays in situations where other players would lose possession. The players who can stickhandle confidently in traffic are the ones who get more puck time and more opportunities to make things happen.
Game Sense & Hockey IQ
Hockey sense is often described as something you either have or you don't. We disagree. While some players pick it up faster than others, game sense is absolutely trainable and it's what separates players who react to the game from players who read it. At Player Acceleration, we develop hockey sense through video, repetition, and deliberate in-game decision making practice.
Players learn to anticipate plays before they develop, understand where to be without the puck, and make faster, smarter decisions under pressure.
FITNESS TRAINING
Hockey is one of the most physically demanding sports on the planet and the standard keeps rising every year.
Generic gym work no longer cuts it. Today's high-performance hockey player needs a training program built specifically around the demands of the game: explosive acceleration, edge-to-edge agility, the endurance to compete at full intensity from the first shift to the last, and the physical resilience to stay healthy through a full season.
At Player Acceleration, fitness training isn't an afterthought it's a pillar. Jens Kieling and the coaching staff design every training block to replicate the real physical demands of hockey, building athletes who aren't just strong but hockey-ready.
Hockey training is growing and evolving every year. Gone are the days when you can go to the gym pick up weights and call that your "training". Now more than ever, players are required to have a hockey-specific training regiment. If they don't they will fall behind.
Physical development areas include:
Explosiveness & Power
Power & Agility
Core-stability
Strength & Endurance
Balance & Coordination
Flexibility
Focus & Confidence
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Leadership isn't a trait you're born with. It's a skill you build through self-awareness, consistency, and the deliberate choice to show up a certain way every single day.
The mental and emotional demands of competitive hockey are significant. Players face pressure from coaches, teammates, parents, and their own expectations. The ones who navigate that pressure well, who lift a room when it's hard, who compete with composure, who lead by example, aren't just valuable on the ice. They're the players teams fight to keep.
Hockey needs more leaders and this comes through intention enhancement of the individual. At Player Acceleration, leadership development is woven into everything we do. We help players understand themselves, strengthen their mindset, and build the emotional intelligence that separates good teammates from great leaders.
Leadership skills developed through Player Acceleration's camps and programs include:
Mindset Training
Enhancing Beliefs
Emotional Intelligence
Character Development
Confidence Building
Self-Actualization
Expanding Creativity
Player Personal Development
The best players in the world don't just train hard. They take care of themselves and they've learned that true performance starts with balance. The game is demanding, mentally, physically and emotionally. It can take a toll on most individuals. That's why it's incredibly important to include a wellness routine in your life. Being able to find balance and have tools and processes when things feel out of balance are vital for moving through difficult moments and coming out the other side stronger.
Hockey takes a real toll. Mentally, physically, emotionally. The grind of a season, the pressure of tryouts, the weight of expectations, without the right tools and practices, it catches up to every player eventually. That's why the world's top athletes, from NHL pros to Olympic competitors, have embraced wellness practices like meditation, visualization, breathwork, and mindfulness as core parts of their performance routine.
This is essential to enhance the quality of anyone's life and especially in hockey. Mental health is becoming more openly talked about and we all need resources to support our path in life.
Player Acceleration includes a comprehensive, integrated approach to your development. Players are shown things they do and perspective to take one which create a lasting effect on their life. Some of these are included in the items listed below.
Personal development practices include:
Breath Work
Nutrition
Mindfulness
Personal Wellness
Visualization & Meditation
Creative Flow Activation
Mind, Body, Spirit Connection