BUSINESS NOTES
TOP-SHELF SKILLS By Connie Mitchell | Top photo courtesy Getty, bottom photo courtesy of St. Louis Hockey Training
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hen the Rockwood Summit High School varsity hockey team took the ice for their first game of the season, fans filled the stands. Among the crowd were the coaches and staff of St. Louis Hockey Training, cheering for one player in particular – a freshman who made the team after three years of hard work and coaching at SLHT. “He’s a special kid who came to us with a goal: to play varsity hockey,” says Zane Truman, co-owner and coach. “We put together a plan, and he achieved his goal, so our whole group went out to support him.” That coach-player relationship and the satisfaction of seeing students improve are Truman’s favorite aspects of his work. Several years ago, he and fellow youth hockey coach Alex Switzer – both St. Louis natives who have played hockey since childhood – came up with the idea of establishing a one-on-one hockey coaching facility to help players of all ages, from those who never donned skates before to those who already have years of experience on the ice. During 30-minute training sessions, players divide their time between a 1,200-square-foot synthetic ice surface and a skating treadmill. Students focus on skating, shooting, stick-handling
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JANUARY 7, 2022 | LadueNews.com
and passing. “We really focus on fundamental skills,” Switzer says. “Some of our high-level players were making shots because they’re so athletic but not using optimal form, so we work on that. For instance, the treadmill is a great tool for working on proper stride.” The duo’s first SLHT location was in a 2,000-square-foot storefront in Kirkwood.
They recently opened a second location on Ladue Road in Chesterfield. In addition to one-on-one lessons with one of SLHT’s six coaches, SLHT hosts camps that hone specific skills. “Every kid who’s hit a puck around the driveway imagines themselves scoring a winning goal in the NHL,” Truman says. “At the end of the day, though, it’s about building a hockey family and about teamwork. I love running into my old teammates who are now dads and coaches themselves.” Since a pro hockey career is unlikely for all but a few players, Truman and Switzer focus on helping their students develop character as well as hockey skills. “We ask them what they want to do – besides play pro hockey,” Switzer says. The answers are wide-ranging. Truman is a former civil engineer and construction manager, and Switzer worked in the commercial insurance industry before opening SLHT in 2019. “The look kids get when they get their first shot off the ground – it’s really special,” Switzer says. “It’s great to see them grow into better hockey players, as well as just become really good humans.”
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St. Louis Hockey Training, 10202 Manchester Road, Kirkwood; 14278 Ladue Road, Chesterfield; 314-288-9084, stlhockeytraining.com
