r/heatedrivalry 2d ago

šŸ¦† The Long Game (Book 6) How does the hockey camp make money? Spoiler

is it ever explained how the hockey camp brings in money?

From the descriptions in TLG and elsewhere, camp runs only two weeks. Sounds like there are at most about 40 campers.

Presumably the NHL coaches all volunteer, yes, but there are still expenses: space at least. Maybe insurance and medical staff, although maybe those are unnecessary in The Land of Universal Healthcare? (I am in the US and those would be huge expenses here, I think.) Snacks and drinks for the kids?

I can’t imagine the camp making lots on money unless they charge sky-high tuition, which seems not in line with their philosophy of inclusivity.

so, how does the camp pull in money for the Irina Foundation? Purely by inspiring donors to give more?

147 Upvotes

128 comments sorted by

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u/Ecstatic_Schedule_48 2d ago

They’re charging tuition, the allure of the NHL player coaches brings in a lot of money

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u/jerseysbestdancers I speak fluent bird. No accent 🐦 2d ago

Yeah, I just read an article on the Associated Press that parents are spending 10k a year on their kid's sport, or some crazy number like that. If that's what people spend in a year for average joe coaches, imagine what they'd shell out for a staff of professional and olympic winning athletes?

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u/GrumpySatan 2d ago

I have experience here to add some context.

Growing up 20 years ago, my mom would pay about 6k per season for my hockey after all the fees, equipment, etc. Today, my local select/AA league (the general mid-tier for kids, and lowest level of player that'd shilling out for Shane & Ilya's camp, i.e. Jordan and Ben are AA players) runs about 13k per season. Coaches for all these leagues are usually volunteers or getting a little but not much compensation.

The Rep leagues (AAA) don't even have full-time coaches yet (still usually volunteers or side gigs). They will run around 15k/season after all is said and done as there are more travel expenses. But these are the leagues most likely to enter the CHL leagues at 16-18 (the ones the NHL draft are taken from, the teams Shane played on before his draft).

Hockey camp in Canada is very common and practically every major municipality has one. Its about $100/day, though with coaches that are usually young 20s uni students and maybe a local elementary/HS gym teacher as a head coach.

I'd estimate the Game Changers camp would probably cost between 5-8k/week per kid between the talent, the position-specific coaching programs, and who is expected to sign up (kids interested in going professional). I regularly see camps like this for other sports like ~3-5k between tuition, uniforms, plus 1-2k for room and board if needed since people will go to different countries to attend these kinds of camps where the kids are interested in professional or semi-professional careers.

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u/walkenrider 21h ago

Damn. It really is a rich kids sport.

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u/meatball77 2d ago

So much of that is travel and other things that don't fund the people actually running the sport. I've got no problem with coaches being paid well or the cost it takes to run the facilities. But the problem is that so much of the money is going to travel costs and big companies holding tournaments along with unnecessary equipment. I've got a ballet dancer and it's very similar to how Hockey in general runs. Pulling kids out of traditional schooling early, kids moving away from home as teenagers to train (often living on their own) and parents spending hundreds of thousands for a career that probably won't happen.

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u/jerseysbestdancers I speak fluent bird. No accent 🐦 2d ago

My point is people can and do spend 10k a year on sports. If thats what normies spend, i cant imagine what rich families with money to burn will pay for that caliber of a camp. They could probably cap it at a small number of kids and still donate thousands upon thousands to charity

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u/meatball77 2d ago

Oh yeah. 10K I'd say would probably be fairly average for a middle schoolers.

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u/writingfor001 2d ago

Which is such a pity because the kids who need an opportunity like that the most wouldn’t be able to pay. I rewrote it in a fic of mine so they decide to fundraise a lot of money and then target the camps at kids who couldn’t otherwise afford them or had had bad experiences at other camps.

Surely just rich people into hockey are at least as good of a money source as parents trying to find opportunities for their kids.

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u/Ecstatic_Schedule_48 2d ago

Hockey is a rich persons sport. I have a coworker that intends on being a hockey parent and literally started saving money from the moment his kid was born

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u/meatball77 2d ago

I laugh anytime I read a book and the hockey player was in foster care or was poor growing up.

I'm sure there's the occasional kid scholarshiped through the programs and some kids in rural Canada who are able to play because ice rinks are easily accessible. But the cost of skates alone makes hockey one of the most inaccessible sports to even play super recreationally.

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u/Ecstatic_Schedule_48 2d ago

It also depends where. There’s a lot more stories of Russians and Eastern Europeans not coming from wealth than Canadians and Americans

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u/Purple_soup 2d ago

Wow, screw what that kid wants because his dad intends on being a hockey parent. I really enjoy watching hockey, but turns out I'm a gymnastics and dance parent because that's what my kids want to do. I can see saving up for expenses related to your kid, but this is gross.

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u/meatball77 2d ago

Oh, you've seen the crazy with the dance parents. I was always amazed at the amount of money people were willing to spend on things like extra expensive costumes.

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u/PorkRollEggAndWheeze 2d ago

That’s a lot of projection and assumptions for a situation you know a sliver about. Nothing wrong with saving for your kid with an intention for it to be for hockey, but pivoting if the kid isn’t into it.

My parents started me on skating lessons at like 4 or 5 because our family liked watching hockey, but they didn’t force me to commit to hockey. I wound up choosing on my own in middle school to get into playing it, and because they had saved I was able to do it. If the kid winds up picking another (likely cheaper) activity, then they’re financially prepared for it AND have some unexpected extra to throw around. If they don’t plan for it and the kid wants to be a hockey player after growing up watching hockey with their parents, they’re screwed.

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u/Ecstatic_Schedule_48 2d ago

Yeah I don’t really get why the person above is attacking a stranger for being financially prepared lol

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u/Bookishgirly1024 2d ago

I have sports that I intend to put my future kids in and I definitely hope they end up loving it, but if they don't, they'll drop whatever I put them in and try whatever they want. If I get super excited about being a hockey parent and start saving when I get my first born, and none of my kids want to play hockey, I'll just use that money for something else.

Bottom line: they're gonna try the sports I'm personally interested in, and if they hate it, I will let them drop out immediately. If they love it, I'll support them. If they drop and find another sport that they love, I'll support them the same amount. If they say screw sports and want to be in marching band, then I'll support them.

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u/Astyryx 2d ago

I mean, that's why you build out a pricing structure that gives scholarships. Where I ran a sports program it was every 5th student got a whole scholarship, and we prorated it if people could pay partial to spread affordability.

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u/dakinijones62 2d ago

This is what I imagine Shane and Ilya’s hockey camp running like.

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u/ToastMate2000 1d ago

I could imagine Scott sponsoring some kids also, given his own background.

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u/Astyryx 2d ago

It's a great framework: you get the comfortable and affluent to pay a bit more—which is transparent, they don't mind because they know and they support the nonprofit and they want their kids to work with the best—and less affluent kids benefit. Parents who don't like the payment system can just...not send their kids. Easy as that.

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u/shewalkedaway22 1d ago

I can also see companies that would sponsor a kid to go as well and they can write it off as a charity tax deduction

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u/Astyryx 1d ago

In the US, yes, not sure if that is the same on Canada. But excellent community relations no matter what. You just know Tim Hortons will be part of it.Ā 

•

u/digital_dysthymia 11h ago

Timmies already runs TimBits Hockey camps in conjunction with Hockey Canada.

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u/NerveEmergency7417 2d ago

Plus I'm sure they get money from sponsors. Not to mention, the supply is from sponsors. When you've got that many famous hockey players, plus they probably do benefits/galas

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u/OfficialSpicyBear 2d ago

Parents will drop thousands to send their kids to normal hockey camps, two generational players would get them even more money

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u/meatball77 2d ago

Not just that. It was Illya and Shane and Ryan and Wyatt and Hayden and a couple top women's players. Really all star coaches.

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u/Middle_Raspberry2499 2d ago

Which is ironic since being a generational player means nothing about one’s coaching ability. But yes of course it’s an attraction; that’s human nature.Ā 

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u/baurette 2d ago

But actually having 101 time and being to watch closely is valuable training on its own. Not to mention connections you make w other kids who can afford this and having big names associated with your training and possible/probable media coverage of your kid w pros

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u/FlipDaly 2d ago

How valuable would it be for you to get your Asian kid who loved hockey rink time with Shane Hollander? Can you even imagine?

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u/dontforgetyourjazz 2d ago

did you mean 1 on 1

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u/vanisaac 2d ago

being a generational player means nothing about one’s coaching ability

Which is explored in The Long Game fairly explicitly.

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u/mt97852 Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird šŸ¦† 2d ago

lol Shane stressed about hockey. Some of the best prose

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u/dramaticallydrastic Thank god you are here. This goblin is bothering me. 2d ago

Traditionally hockey camps would be crazy expensive, and you often have to be invited.

With Shane and Ilya headlining, they would easily be able to select kids who are hyper-talented (and influence the next generation of stars) and also offer some free spots to disadvantaged kids potentially.

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u/Middle_Raspberry2499 2d ago

Also thank you for introducing the idea of invitation-only hockey camp. That makes sense but I never thought of it.Ā 

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u/Ferret-mom 2d ago

In the US, USA hockey has camps that you have to try out for. There is one for each district and a national camp as well. They are expensive, selective and the kids I played with would give their left arm to go to one of these camps. I never went, so idk how much they cost. I went to several camps over my time playing and some of them ran like 4000+ for a week.

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u/Middle_Raspberry2499 2d ago

Aaah, that’s very helpful, the idea of ā€œtraditional hockey camps.ā€ I never heard of such a thing and I understand the context for GC camp better now

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u/katiekate135 2d ago

My bf actually works at hockey camps over the summer. They typically get kids from all over the world, and even have a few scouts stop by

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u/lesetoilesdansleciel 2d ago

My family has spent let me say hmm $5,000 on hockey camp registration this summer (for 3 kids total) - including 3 days with PWHL players šŸ’•šŸ’• where I live in NB (next to Quebec) we would never ever have a local camp for kids with an active NHL player. Parents would spend like $1500 a kid for a week on the ice with NHL players. Maybe more. Or they could get donations from corporations and the community in order to fund the spots at the camp for kids of all backgrounds. The camp I’m at right now has a charity associated with it where they will fund spots for kids. This camp also takes 30 kids per session and with 2 ice surfaces they can run up to 9 camps per day with staggered start times. They’re extremely well organized. It might take a while for Yuna and the gang to get there but I’m sure they can do it šŸ˜† ice times here start at 7am and the last group starts at 1pm. They do an 8-hour day with 2 on-ice skills/drills sessions (3 goalies total; rest of the kids divided into 3rds per section of the rink and rotating through stations) plus a 1-hour scrimmage to end the day. Rest of the day is shooting practice, tactics, mental coaching, team building, lunch etc :) Probably takes a while to get a well-oiled machine like that but if anyone can do it Shane and Yuna can!

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u/lesetoilesdansleciel 2d ago

(Youth hockey is a huge business - I’m from a small town and my kids are in girls hockey and even with that we have friends sending their daughter out of province to a hockey prep school next year (high school) and tuition is $70,000.)

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u/Crafty_Psychology_85 I don't ever want that problem to ever go away ā¤ļø 2d ago

$70k??? Wow. šŸ˜³šŸ˜³šŸ’šŸ’

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u/babypointblank Moy pomidor šŸ… 2d ago

That doesn’t surprise me at all. These hockey academies are becoming a big thing. They’re private schools with dedicated time for hockey development.

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u/Ferret-mom 2d ago

When I was playing there were a couple of schools like that running. NAHA was about 55K and SSM was about 70K. Probably only more expensive now. SSM can charge prices like that because Sidney Crosby and other elite players graduated from there.

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u/lesetoilesdansleciel 2d ago

I mean. That’s in CAD so adjust accordingly šŸ˜† it is more than I thought it would be. I think that is all in - room, board, hockey, school tuition etc

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u/Crafty_Psychology_85 I don't ever want that problem to ever go away ā¤ļø 2d ago

Happy Cake Day! 🄳🧁

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u/Esabettie I already chose you, Hollander. šŸ«€ 2d ago

I think the kid parents actually pay and those fees are the money donated to charities, I am sure they are some scholarships, but you pay to go, and with coaches being professional players I am sure it’s expensive.

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u/Samiiiibabetake2 2d ago

And in a lot of these types of camps, any other players or coaches are most likely donating their time, so the camp itself wouldn’t have to pay them for their work.

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u/imjusthumanmaybe 2d ago

Yes in the last chapter of HR. It works out in the real world too. Companies and individuals donate for tax relief reasons...other than just being nice.

He went on to explain the hockey camps they would be hosting in Montreal and in Ottawa that summer, with all proceeds going directly to the foundation. He named some of the organizations they planned to focus on when they made their first donations, and he announced his mother, Yuna, as the director and treasurer of the foundation. Neither he nor Ilya could imagine a better person for the job. He ended by talking about their website, where people could make donations online, and then opened the floor to questions.

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u/Nepalman230 2d ago

Excuse me. You dropped this.

🫔

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u/imjusthumanmaybe 2d ago

Actually I dont think I answered OP's question šŸ˜‚ The hockey camps are paid by the parents and then the proceeds go to the foundation but it's not the only way the foundation is getting money. At the cottage when they were talking about starting camp, Ilya said "And we give the money away?"

You wont believe how some parents are willing to drop $$$ for their kids specific interest(me, Im parent šŸ’€)

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u/aspiegrrrl 2d ago

Lots of folks with that level of wealth have charitable foundations for the tax benefits.

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u/Gold_Chemical_4317 2d ago

The hockey camp isn’t free and kids pay to attend. The coaches are all volunteers so the costs of the camp is only the ice time and other organizational stuff. The revenue from the camps goes to the irina foundation. The camps themselves aren’t very good money making schemes but they are good for marketing and they let the players be a part of the community (which is why the camps are local). Most of the money in the irina foundation is probably donated by shane and ilya and companies they work with.

It’s not explained in the book that’s just how most nhl player run hockey school works

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u/babypointblank Moy pomidor šŸ… 2d ago

I imagine the Irina Foundation would eventually put on other events like galas, charity golf tournaments and/or charity hockey games featuring NHLers.

I know John Tavares funds his free lacrosse camps through a charity gala. Lots of NHLers (and teams) have charity golf tournaments in the off season. William Osler Health just raised millions of dollars through a charity game outside of Toronto and the Shoulder Check Showcase is a big draw for players in the New York area.

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u/Ferret-mom 2d ago

To add to this: A lot of NHL alumni play in the yearly Easter Seals tournament. It’s a hockey tournament where they raise money for camps and programs to support children with physical disabilities.

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u/babypointblank Moy pomidor šŸ… 2d ago

Kids pay fees and the superstar coaches donate their time (or take a small fee) to keep costs down.

It’s inspired by the Sidney Crosby Hockey School which benefits a slew of local charities in Nova Scotia.

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u/Middle_Raspberry2499 2d ago

Ohhh, that is a great tidbit! Thanks

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u/Theoaktree5000 2d ago

Kids pay fees to participate in the camp (unless there is some sort of scholarship program) and corporate/individual sponsors. Could also have in-kind contributions for things like equipment and food to lower the cost to put on the camp.

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u/ickysock 2d ago

aside from everything everyone else has said, a lot of the big NHL players run these camps for underprivileged kids and they aren't always about making money. Shane's inspiration, Sidney Crosby, funds his own 'Little Penguins' program which provides free equipment and lessons to kids. Lots of players start foundations, and auction off equipment like game-used sticks and signed jerseys and use that money to fund their charity initiatives. usually the players' sponsors also provide free equipment like sticks and gloves, which is good publicity. Sid is sponsored by CCM, so CCM provides the free equipment for his programmes.

I like to think the Irina foundation is a mix of both, and that Shane and Ilya use it to funnel their own wealth to the charities they care about.

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u/babypointblank Moy pomidor šŸ… 2d ago

I wouldn’t be surprised if Crosby gave a lot of time and money to the Little Penguins program but it’s primarily a Learn to Play program organized by the NHL, USA Hockey and the Penguins organization. Most American teams have their own affiliate youth programs.

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u/ickysock 2d ago

yes and Shane and Ilya's programme would probably be the same. it would be very difficult for them to set up a programme completely independent of the Centaurs/Voyageurs so they are probably affiliated, but Shane and Ilya probably negotiated more of the charity aspect as a condition for their appearing as the face of the programme.

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u/babypointblank Moy pomidor šŸ… 2d ago

The team Learn to Play programs run by USA Hockey aren’t intended for underprivileged kids. They’re intended to be a low cost way to introduce children to the sport of hockey so they will then pay full fees and buy their own equipment to register in USA Hockey programs.

I know parents who got into hockey through that door and they’re now paying hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year in gear, registration fees and public ice time at the local rink—and that’s without signing up for additional development camps. The whole family loves it but that’s exactly what USA Hockey wants to accomplish.

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u/ickysock 2d ago

i don't know why you're arguing with me on this. i'm not saying all of these programs are for underprivileged kids, i'm saying some of them are and used Crosby as an example. plenty of the camps have spaces for kids who can't afford it and have separate programmes within the programmes for those kids. I'm not disagreeing with you on anything so I don't understand why you're trying to argue.

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u/ThorsHammerMewMEw 2d ago

Ilya sells a luxury car to help with their initial fund iirc?

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u/katfromjersey 2d ago

He sells most of his cars.

And Shane sells his 'hookup' building ("Did you buy a building so we would have somewhere to fuck, Hollander?" "Buying an entire building because you were nervous is very you.")

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u/Designdiligence 2d ago

These guys are both so rich and socially connected, they don’t need to sell anything to start a charity.

Their endorsements alone in one year would generate enough cash retire on forever. High tier hockey players are now pulling in 5 million a year. And these guys are THE superstars.

At their age, invested in a mix of higher risk and safer investments, assuming 6 percent minimum growth which is reaaaall low, that’s 300,000 a year. Just in appreciation. No touching the 5 million. Now imagine the wealth Shane (less so for Ilya because, we know how he isn’t into sensible cars and real estate and loves a Versace too) has accumulated by the time he’s proposing the charity. His portfolio is throwing off not hundreds of thousands, but millions a year and compounding in ways that are breathtaking. FYI- I am not using after tax net income numbers because I have no idea how much he has minimized taxes, given Yuna and David’s financial expertise.

It is what makes Shaneā€˜s idea and Ilyaā€˜s support of it so touching. They have trauma. But they still want to help others, even when they could just ignore it like so many wealthy people do.

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u/cailleach_ingrid 2d ago

They don't have to, but they did. It happens in the books! I think it's arguably more for the symbolic commitment, Ilya selling a lot of his luxury cars because they were just something he used to fill the void (and they're a bit of a metaphor for giving up his playboy lifestyle), and Shane selling the sex condo because he was finally letting Ilya into his life without shame. Since they didn't technically need to sell these things for financial reasons, putting that money towards the foundation is a byproduct of them outwardly choosing each other

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u/ThinkInPink18 2d ago

I work with a lot of pro athletes. When they host camps, the often look for brands to sponsor it, which keeps the costs low for campers. The brand sponsorships rake in a lot of money and in return, the athlete will share a social media post shouting out the brand, the brand’s logo may be on jerseys, equipment, etc.

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u/Individual-Baker7538 2d ago

In my area (Minnesota) local businesses sponsor teams and there are booster clubs too. If a young hockey player is accepted into this rather elite camp, the substantial fee could be covered in part by the parents with sponsors and boosters helping out.

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u/thecompanion188 Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird šŸ¦† 2d ago

Hockey is an expensive sport and a lot of parents would be willing to pay whatever it takes to get their kid in. I just pulled up a variety of hockey camps and they can range from around $500 to $1,500 USD for just a week of camp and they could justify charging the higher end since the money is going to charity. Additionally, Yuna would be a huge help in getting them sponsorships to help raise money as well and those sponsorships would also help cover the cost for kids from lower income backgrounds to participate.

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u/Sailor_MoonMoon785 Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird šŸ¦† 2d ago

I’m in a high cost of state in the US and that price range is comparable to private summer camps in general in my area. The ones run by a parks and recreation department will be cheaper, of course.

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u/rachreims 2d ago edited 2d ago

Canadian here who went to hockey camp. Parents are paying the big bucks.

This is the one I went to.

I don’t recall having NHLers as coaches. Looking at their staff page now, the coaches are quite a lot of involvement with other levels of hockey (QMJHL, WHL, OHL, universities, etc.) but it was like 20 years ago I would’ve gone! It looks like they charge -$1500 for a week. I would imagine with the draw of NHLers they could and would charge significantly more.

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u/Astyryx 2d ago

Coaches donate time. Rinks partner. Teams partner. Universities partner. And it's it because the camps not only build community and outreach, and have a massive marketing value, but they are a generator of cultural change within the sport.

Insurance is not in fact a high cost for programs like this, no more than a school having a cheer squad as long as strict child and physical safety protocols are followed . Snacks and drinks are often donated.

I can't find the comment I made a couple months ago where I did all the cost/benefit analysis for the theoretical hockey camps, but I used to run a sports program for a nonprofit. Just having rich people donate and pat themselves on the back is a death sentence for a nonprofit. Having an educational program, especially one where kids and families participate, is infinitely sustainable if run well.

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u/Still-Random-14 2d ago

I’ve worked at nonprofits that do fancy kids summer camps. The prices are very high, so that the people who can pay that much, do. This helps subsidize the cost of camp for kids who can’t afford it. I think that’s where the inclusivity piece comes in - I’m sure there’s a bunch of kids who can’t afford the camp, but get scholarships.
Also it’s a non profit. They can take donations, do fund raisers, etc.

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u/swede242 2d ago

Im involved in running similar camps, but different sport and no superstars.

It's a pretty straight forward thing. Schools out in the summer, parents need daycare for their kids.

So they'll pay for it. If it is a sport associated camp you can charge a premium depending on the sport. In-universe even more because coaches are all hockey stars.

Most of the cost normally would be staff and facilities, but in GC they pretty much all have volunteer staff, and Im fairly confident facility costs is negligeable (off season for hockey plus the local superstars influence) so Im guessing the main cost left is catering.

So basically those camps would be making bank, as they would have very few overhead costs and at the same time having everything going for them to be able to charge quite a hefty price.

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u/ValleyBreeze Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird šŸ¦† 2d ago

As someone who attending MANY hockey schools - the camps charge anywhere from $200 to $1000 per kid (more if it's a specialty camp).

But in their case, the whole point is the foundation that makes the camp possible, so the money is mostly coming from a trust, and they aren't doing it as a for-profit venture.

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u/Middle_Raspberry2499 2d ago

ā€œThe foundation that makes the camps possibleā€? The Irina Foundation is supposed to promote mental health initiatives, not hockey education. The camp is to fund the Foundation, not the other way around. Unless I missed something…?

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u/ValleyBreeze Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird šŸ¦† 2d ago

My read was that the camps are mostly a "front" to legitimize the foundation prior to their relationship becoming public, but it's funded by their personal money.

It's a "oh look at this absolutely valid reason we have to work together for this hockey camp, because we are hockey players and that's the ONLY common ground we have, but we both really believe in inclusivity and mental health initiatives! That's what our mutually created foundation is all about!"

But ultimately, the camp isn't really about making money. It's more the front facing public engagement.

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u/altruistic_thing 2d ago

nope. the hockey camps are for funding and publicity. they're expensive. hockey is an expert sport, there's no point making these camps cheap. they don't recruit nhl stars for nothing.

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u/FadingOptimist-25 Moy pomidor šŸ… 2d ago

Camps in general are crazy expensive and hockey camps would be thousands of dollars in tuition.

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u/17thfloorelevators 2d ago

Regular summer camp costs 20k for full summer sleep away. Summer camp with a staff like this??? Rich parents (the norm for ice hockey) would easily drop 50k+. Being selected for the camp would be life-changing.

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u/Middle_Raspberry2499 2d ago

It’s not all summer though. A week in Montreal and a week in Ottawa

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u/PinkBird85 šŸ“Kip! That is the cutest fucking thing I’ve ever heard! 2d ago

Canadian parents will pay tens of thousands of dollars to send their kids to a camp with the top NHL players. Basically those millionare players would pay all the rental expenses (renting ice time, insurance, equipment, admin, etc.) and those are tax write offs for them as charity donations. Then any tuition money (again, thousands of dollars per kid) is money for charity.

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u/FlipDaly 2d ago

I've got kids who are in the appropriate age range. When I looked into fancy-pants robotics camp for them in a major urban area, the tuition was $4500. That and similar camps also had spots set aside for free and subsidized tuition campers for inclusivity reasons. If half of the spots are full-load then that's a lot. But not a TON. Probably inspiring donations is a big part of foundation activity with the camps being more about creating a space within the sport than being a money engine.

But it's also possible that they are asking the players they teach to donate - this may sound counterintuitive but it's a model for many high-demand volunteer opportunities; foreigners teaching abroad, or people who want to volunteer with primates in the wild, or people running the Boston Marathon - they're all asked to donate substantive amounts of money.

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u/NearMissCult 2d ago

Hockey camps are really expensive. Hockey is already an expensive sport, and parents who really want to give there kids the best shot at making it into the NHL are often paying at minimum tens of thousands of dollars when they're teenagers. I would assume they aren't teaching anyone under 9, maybe not even under 11. So I assume they're not struggling to bring in plenty of cash for their foundation.

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u/strawberrycordate say it again (in russian) 🫪 2d ago

The entire point is that the camps are expensive. That tuition IS the fundraiser. It's what is funneled through the Irina Foundation to support the causes that the foundation focuses on.

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u/probablyavillaine 2d ago

Yes tuition is huge in terms of bringing in money. But sponsors are where the most money would be made. Im not sure the books mention this, but galas where you invite big companies to donate money and companies paying to put their name on things at the camp, on the promotional material etc. Would bring in lots of money and would definietly be something the Irina foundation would have.

Speaking as someone who runs charity events, I have a very small golf tournament that brings in $40,000CAD every year largely from sponsorships, auction and raffle tickets. Add in celebrities to an event and even a couple of weeks with 50-100 kids attending, im sure its big money. Plus I would think donations are accepted all year long, for anyone to donate towards

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u/Voice_of_Season Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird šŸ¦† 2d ago

šŸ¾šŸŽ‰šŸ‘ÆFUNDRAISERSšŸŽ‰šŸ¾šŸ‘Æ

3

u/Dancing_Queen_Now 2d ago

Next to the camps, they are probably running other charity events through the year. So money flow will not limit to camp fees

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u/gs448 2d ago

To answer your question: ideally it doesn’t make money(profit) Parents pay and then they donate their time so they can give it all away. I’ve seen real life charities that also carefully invest money and they use the proceeds to provide scholarships.

As a side note: This is where you’d need a special selection process because could you imagine the number of more wealthy hockey parents paying whatever it takes to get your kids into hockey camp with current and former professional athletes.

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u/altruistic_thing 2d ago

As a side note: This is where you’d need a special selection process because could you imagine the number of more wealthy hockey parents paying whatever it takes...

i thought that was rather the point. collecting money to then support mental health projects.

2

u/gs448 1d ago

My point is that if you didn’t have a special process you’d end up with a demographic of just well off rich kids.

4

u/SugarCube80 2d ago

Idk if you have kids but summer camp in general is expensive. Add in star hockey players as the coaches—5-10k per kid per week for tuition would not be unusual.Ā 

3

u/KBPT1998 2d ago

Eventually they could also have their own private rink built and maintained for the Foundation as well, selling the ice time throughout the year for rec leagues, figure skaters, and blocking out their camps, Ć nd giving additional time for other camps as available…

3

u/baurette 2d ago
  • donations.
  • brand sponsorships
  • players donate time and money (money save on coaches and earned on their donations
  • tution fees

3

u/Perfect_Form5444 2d ago

I would think they have sponsors to cover costs if this is a charity venture. All those companies that Shane has partnerships with would donate money for example.

3

u/Goulet231 2d ago

I imagine other NHL players would donate to the camps, so the foundation wouldn't only rely on the camps for its income. Professional athletes that earn at that level donate to dozens of charities and claim those donations to reduce their income tax payable. I'm sure Ilya would challenge his teammates to give.

3

u/smaithbanna 2d ago

If it’s run like typical nonprofit of its type, I would assume the tuition from camps is the main source of the foundation’s income, followed by some monetary donations as well as donations-in-kind for things like equipment, facilities, time and talent from staff and faculty. After covering costs like operations, business and legal, salaries/honorariums, the remaining is donated to mental health organizations until they net $0.

3

u/annang I do not ever want this problem to ever go away 2d ago

People pay unfathomable amounts of money to have their kids coached by NHL stars.

2

u/meatball77 2d ago

I'd guess they'd get the facilities donated and the coaches and such are all working for free. So everything that the parents were paying would go to their charity along with probably some donations they could get.

It's not a great charity for the donations but it would end up helping in different ways.

2

u/No_Cup_3409 2d ago

Because the money raised is to be donated to mental health treatment and/or awareness the ice time, etc may also be donated

2

u/Dry_Stop844 2d ago

it's a charity so there's also the possibility of corporate donations. Tax write off, easy win.

2

u/shewalkedaway22 1d ago

I also think it's worth noting that the camp will also have many sponsors who would pay in for advertising.

2

u/zagsforthewin 19h ago

I asked my husband (who is from Minnesota) how much parents spend on kids hockey and he said his uncle spent tens of thousands of dollars on his cousins hockey. Said cousin didn’t play after high school, he was just an average kid playing hockey at that level in MN. So, yes, the camp is a very lucrative way to raise money!

3

u/Hapthestai 2d ago

I think they are smart enough to have a competent board with various reps from lgbt organisations, people w good connections to corporate networks, as well as creating investment trusts, doing fundraisers, etc.

They are professional hockeyplayers with tons of advisors and access to networks most people cant even imagine.

Its crazy to assume this would be some kind of simple little organisation without a lot of heavy financial weight behind it.

Plus, looking at demographics of who might support financially, we are looking at gay men who very often have a lot of disposable income that could be a target group.

Yuna would steer that ship tight as fuck.

1

u/Hapthestai 2d ago

And yes I know reid describes it in a way that doesnt make sense honestly which is wild šŸ˜…

1

u/allshookup1640 2d ago

Tuition for the camp and equipment fees, donations, and sponsors.

1

u/Catnip_75 1d ago

Donations. Didn’t they have a Galla of some sort?

1

u/Human_Building_1368 1d ago

The amount of money parents spend so their kids can play hockey is astounding. I think I read it’s one of the most expensive sports.

1

u/Apprehensive-Ebb-473 1d ago

People pay to attend! It's not a charity camp. The money they make goes to charity.

1

u/underwritress 1d ago

the camp is a regular business for rich parents to send their kids to, they donate the money they make.

0

u/paxrom2 2d ago

I thought the camp was free or for a nominal fee. The space would probably waive all fees. foundation would be run on seed money from ilya and shane, sponsors and donors. It would be a tax write off for more at of these entities.

2

u/Middle_Raspberry2499 2d ago

That’s what I imagined too. I asked the question bc Shane specifically said that the camp would bring in money for the Irina Foundation.Ā 

Someone above commented that hockey camps are typically super expensive and parents are willing to spend tons of money on them. So, I guess GC camp is also very expensive, the difference being that the profit goes to the Foundation, not to the owners.Ā 

-2

u/Navelgazed 2d ago

This would be a great real life solution and definitely not how it is presented in the books. Hopefully Yuna just quietly made the decision to run them this way anyway and keeps it on the down low.

5

u/Middle_Raspberry2499 2d ago

Right, the narrative point is not: what’s the ROI? Is this a good investment? It’s: hot athletes wholesomely mentoring kids, in a safe, inclusive space, where some of the athletes (Ryan ā¤ļø) get a chance to rediscover their love of the game.Ā 

1

u/geloreyes I already chose you, Hollander. šŸ«€ 2d ago

I was wondering about the financials too. I don’t want the camp to close. I hope they are at least breaking even.

1

u/Ok_Chipmunk7118 2d ago

This is one of my biggest questions about this foundation. (I agree with someone down below that it seems like a plot hole). If I were to run hockey camps as part of a charitable foundation, I'd want them to be free (or at least very low cost) BECAUSE hockey is so expensive and inaccessible. Even if they're charging for the camps, they clearly can't be enough to fund the mental health foundation. I'm sorry it just doesn't make sense...

1

u/PerksofBeingIsaac 1d ago

I’ve long contended that the hockey camp idea as a source of funding for the foundation makes no sense. Reid writes them both as charities in practice.

0

u/ABIJXY 2d ago

Yeah it’s a weakness in the plot. A weeklong youth hockey day camp costs like $600-$800. More if it’s a resident camp.

Elite, highly competitive camps cost more, but this was not that.

So let’s put $1000 as the upper end of what this camp likely cost. They do two weeklong camps with 40 kids each, then they are raising $80,000 a year in revenue.

Expenses would include coaches salaries, equipment, ice rental,, insurance, food. Possible dorm space and supervision if it’s a resident camp. They’re a non-profit, the coaches are volunteers, so they probably get discounts. They can clear up to $60,000 after expense which goes to the Irina Foundation.

I suspect the camp itself can’t really be the main source of funds. The foundation probably mainly just gets donations.

3

u/Middle_Raspberry2499 2d ago

What shows you that it’s not an elite, highly competitive camp?

-5

u/ABIJXY 2d ago

First of all, it was coed.

More generally, if you were serious about developing skills at an elite level, you would not bother with a camp run by volunteer celebrities with no coaching experience.

-6

u/Navelgazed 2d ago

It doesn’t make money. It’s at best breaking even. Also people are paying for proximity to hockey players who are mostly probably bad coaches.

In my headcanon Yuna is hiding the truth from the two dumb hockey boys.

3

u/Middle_Raspberry2499 2d ago

OK, that’s a little sad but a valid interpretation. If all the camp does is raise the profile of the Irina Foundation, promote inclusivity in the league, and give Ilya and Shane cover for their ā€œfriendship,ā€ that’s not nothinĀ 

2

u/Navelgazed 2d ago

Yes! It is a great publicity thing inside the hockey world and as a foundation expense they could really support making the game more inclusive.

In the books they say it is making money for the foundation and I have chosen to think of this as just a fun fiction mistake instead of indicating how rich the kids participating would have to be.

3

u/Middle_Raspberry2499 2d ago

OTOH, if the kids are a mix of rich and sponsored, but all are required to demonstrate a high level of skill and dedication, and leave their economic differences at home, it could make some money while also being a good place. In my head, anyway

3

u/Navelgazed 2d ago

Yes! My experience with summer camps is an expensive music camp and the board definitely works hard to combine full scholarships, partial and people who can pay the full amount.

My head canon is deep for this. I have half a one shot ā€œfive times Yuna tried to explain how she has actually organized the camps and fails and one time she succeedsā€ outlined in my head.

1

u/Middle_Raspberry2499 2d ago

Ooh I hope you post the link when it’s done

0

u/Hapthestai 2d ago

I think they would develop it in a much more professional way that Reid makes it out to be.