On a Hockey Scholarship

by Mike McPartlin, Headmaster, Bridgedale Academy

We are proud to congratulate Bridgedale Academy grad Zack Sharp on his verbal commitment to play his Division 1 NCAA hockey at Western Michigan University. 

This season Zack competes for the Chicago Mission U16 team. He is also likely to see time in the USHL this season, having been selected by the Souix Falls Stampede in the second round, the 17th pick overall. A talented offensive-minded defenseman, Zack becomes the 21st Bridgedale grad to have earned his D1 scholarship.

(Click to see all Bridgedale's college commitments.)

Zack attended Bridgedale Academy for two years, making huge strides and developing not only athletically and as a hockey player, but also as a student during his time at Bridgedale.

"Zack has been a big part of our Mission team over the last few years," says Yanic Perreault, Zack's coach the last two seasons at the Chicago Mission. "He has great offensive instincts, tremendous speed and a really good shot."

by Mike McPartlin, Headmaster, Bridgedale Academy

Seven Bridgedale Grads and Counting

Bridgedale Academy grads Sean Behrens and Josh Lopina were recently selected in the 2021 National Hockey League Draft. This makes four years of Bridgedale grads (00s, 01s, 02s and 03s) to have been drafted over the last four NHL drafts, bringing the Bridgedale total to seven.

Sean was selected in the Second Round (#61 Overall) by the Colorado Avalanche, and Josh in the Fourth Round (#98 Overall) by the Anaheim Ducks.

Sean spent the last two seasons with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program and will suit up for the University of Denver in the fall.

Josh had a season for the ages last season as a freshman at UMass. First he captured the Hockey East Rookie of the Year honors and then capped things off with UMass's first-ever Division 1 NCAA National Championship. 

by Mike McPartlin, Headmaster, Bridgedale Academy

A Man of Many Firsts

Last Saturday, Bridgedale Academy grad Josh Lopina and his UMass teammates defeated St. Cloud State to win the NCAA Division 1 National Championship.

It was the first-ever national championship for the Minutemen, capping off an amazing season.

And Josh, as the team's second line center and top face-off man, was a major contributing factor in the team's unprecedented success.

And all this in his first season as a freshman with the team.

But by now Josh is used to being "first."

Visit and do some Classroom Observations

by Mike McPartlin, Headmaster, Bridgedale Academy

For obvious reasons, Bridgedale will not be hosting any Open Houses this winter.

Instead, we are offering Private Showings for interested families.

Your Own Private Open House Showing

And so we cordially invite you to have your own “Private Open House.” 

Take a break from the stress of your son’s e-learning and come to Bridgedale on a day of your choosing.

See first-hand what makes Bridgedale the perfect option for the serious student hockey-player.

Bridgedale Joins w/ K12 Private Academy to offer high school grades!

By: Mike McPartlin, Headmaster, Bridgedale Academy

by Mike McPartlin, Headmaster, Bridgedale Academy

What does it mean to be a nation?

The word “nation” comes from the root word for “birth.”

Compare the words natal, nascent, native and nativity; all relate to things being born.

A nation, therefore, is something that has come into existence - A Nation is Born.

The United States of America is unique in all of human history.

It is unique for many reasons, one of which is that, like a human, it has a birth certificate.

Our nation’s birth certificate is the Declaration of Independence.

Our character as a nation, imprinted on us at our birth, is embodied in the core principles, in the self-evident truths, stated in the Declaration of Independence.

These core principles include: 

that all men are created equal 

that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights

that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness

That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among Men

deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed 

That whenever any Form of government becomes destructive of these ends

it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it

Our Talented, Caring Teachers Crushed it!

By: Mike McPartlin, Headmaster, Bridgedale Academy

Parents ecstatic with Bridgedale's distance learning.

The 2019-20 school year at Bridgedale Academy was truly one for the ages.

When it became clear in early March that the COVID-19 pandemic was about to have a profound impact on how we do things at Bridgedale Academy, we began making our preparations.

We pride ourselves on the "dynamic engagement" of our in-person classroom instruction. And with our boys-only environment, and small class-sizes, we especially take pride in how well ALL our boys do academically, and how virtually all of them come to LOVE LEARNING.

But a mandated school shutdown meant that we would lose that in-person instruction.

So what could we possibly do to maintain that same high level of engagement?

It turns out plenty.

One of the Keys to Moving Up the Hockey Pyramid

by Mike McPartlin, Headmaster, Bridgedale Academy

A number of years ago I attended a spring AAA Minor Bantam game featuring many excellent players. 

It was, I knew, one of the very first “checking-allowed” games for both teams. 

As a longtime AAA bantam coach, I was expecting to see players who were more than anxious to “hit” - but without a clue about how to properly “check.”

But instead I was very pleasantly surprised.

Because this game featured two teams with very good checking skills.

What does this have to do with young athletes?

By: Mike McPartlin, Headmaster, Bridgedale Academy

"An orange is not an apple."

Hmm. Seems pretty obvious.

After all, an orange is an orange, and an apple is an apple.

So “what does this have to do with the development of young student-athletes?” you might ask.

It turns out plenty.

Plenty, that is, when the student-athlete keeps trying to convince himself that some things are other than what they actually are.

A thing is what it is.

One of the most common challenges I deal with as Headmaster at Bridgedale Academy, is getting young student-athletes to deal head-on with the realities they face each day.

The capacity for youngsters to evade and contrive, and at times even to deceive themselves, never ceases to amaze me.

Developing the Entire Student-Athlete

By Mike McPartlin, Headmaster, Bridgedale Academy

Most schools are doing a disservice to their students

It's a sad reality that most schools today are doing a terrible, and in many cases irreversible, disservice to the students they are entrusted to educate. Far too often their priorities are out of whack and the truly important things students need to learn end up being sacrificed on the altar of cultural fads.

And this is especially true when it comes to boys, and all the more important during the crucial pre-teen development years.

But you can enhance your son's athletic and academic performance

How valuable is a school for athletes that understands and deals straight up with the fact that boys need physical activity, on a daily basis, and that getting that physical activity improves their academics?

What if that same school offers its student-athletes an elite classical education?

What if that school actually encourages the boys to be competitive? Won't that yield benefits that go above and beyond just sports and academics?

Boys excel in such an environment. And the benefits last a lifetime.

So let’s get to it. Here are my 7 top reasons for boys to attend a school for athletes like Bridgedale Academy.