Bridgedale has made a huge difference
By: Ryan Ostrowski, Bridgedale Dad
Anthony needed a change.
It was early 2016 and we weren't happy with our son Anthony's school. Something was missing and, like for a lot of boys, Anthony just wasn't thriving like we knew he could.
He was really passionate about hockey, and so he was very excited when we told him we were going to Bridgedale Academy's Open House.
It was all so positive. We were able to talk to a number of Bridgedale student-alumni parents. We were very impressed by what they said about Bridgedale's classical academic curriculum.
And of course we loved that Anthony would be able to improve his hockey skills by being on the ice every day.
We knew this would be a good investment after he shadowed at Bridgedale and loved it.
He started Bridgedale in the third trimester of fifth grade and by the following fall we saw significant progress in him both wanting to push himself at school and to challenge himself on the ice to become a stronger and more skilled player.
Anthony now plays at a higher competitive level.
We have been very proud to see him play at more competitive levels during his pee-wee major and now his bantam minor year. We know this has been because of the on-ice and off-ice training he's received at Bridgedale.
Bridgedale also helped him get exposure to some amazing events, such as participating in the CCM Selects program held by 200x85, attending their Selects training camp at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and playing in the CCM Selects Euro Invite in Bled, Slovenia this past year.
Anthony was recently accepted into Benet Academy.
When Anthony arrived at Bridgedale as a 5th grader, he told (Bridgedale Academic Dean) Mrs. Di Pauli that his dream high school to attend was Benet Academy, but that he didn't know if he was strong enough academically to get in.
He is now in 8th grade at Bridgedale, and in December he took the entrance exam at Benet. And all his hard work and preparation paid off because he recently received his acceptance letter from Benet.
We are so proud of Anthony that he set and then achieved his goal.
Seeing Anthony excel in both school and hockey is so rewarding.
Bridgedale helped Anthony advance on so many levels, and we are thankful and grateful to Mike and Christina, and the Bridgedale teachers and coaches for motivating our son to success these past 4 years.
The environment at Bridgedale is highly competitive with so many brilliant student-athletes, and has really inspired Anthony to set his sights high.
Thank you Bridgedale Academy from the entire Ostrowski family!
Ryan Ostrowski appears by permission. He is a Research Chemist at INX International Ink Company in Romeoville, IL. His son Anthony is a 8th grader at Bridgedale Academy and plays for the Huskies Hockey Club.
Bridgedale Academy is honored to have Ryan Ostrowski contribute his family's story on our blog page.
At Bridgedale we are committed to the development of our young student-athletes, helping them to develop their physical and mental skills so they can perform at their best when it matters most, no matter the arena of life that challenges them. If you would like to learn more about Bridgedale Academy, please click the button below so we can schedule a time to chat.
Mike McPartlin, Headmaster, Bridgedale Academy
And what do Bridgedale teachers say about Bridgedale?
"This is such a special place!! It is life changing for these boys as it centers around strong relationships that encourage strong academic growth. It’s a hockey school, but so much more than that.
"It’s a pleasure to come to work everyday. Thank you for creating such a positive, caring environment."
Kristi Florey, Bridgedale Math Teacher
Enrollment for the 2020-21 school year at Bridgedale has already begun.
Bridgedale Academy is an all-boys school for athletes, a prep school for serious youth golfers and hockey players, offering grades 5 through 8 each school year. In addition to our winning combination of sports and academics, we focus on leadership training. We use a classical academic curriculum and our graduates go on to attend some of the most prestigious high schools in the country, including Lake Forest Academy, Culver Military Academy, Shattuck St. Mary’s, Northwood School, Benet Academy, Fenwick Prep, St. Ignatius Prep, Marmion Academy, Latin School and Providence Catholic. We pride ourselves on being the top youth hockey prep school in the nation and look forward to the same success in golf as we begin admitting golf athletes during the 2019-20 school year. Our hockey successes are many: Eighteen (18) of our former or current students have already received their NCAA Division 1 college hockey commitments, with many more sure to follow soon. Seven (7) of our grads have competed for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. Two (2) now compete for the University of Notre Dame. One just signed his entry-level contract with the NHL New York Islanders. Several other Bridgedale grads are now playing junior hockey, including in the USHL, the OHL and the NAHL.
