ASAD Durham

The Academy for Student Athlete Development works in partnership with Durham District School Board and Durham Catholic District School Board to integrate sport specific high-performance training directly into the student-athlete's timetable, creating a balanced school day for each individual.  

ASAD offers individualized classroom support and flexible schedule to support student competition schedule.

Student timetables are established in collaboration with the ASAD Guidance Teacher and home school guidance departments. 

Each semester full time students are enrolled in one (1) Physical Education focus course and one (1) course lead by an on-site DDSB or DCDSB teacher during their two periods at Abilities Centre. Students are then also enrolled in two (2) in-person learning courses at their home school, giving them a full course complement of 4 courses per semester.

• DDSB – Kevin Bagshaw, Ian Mcnee, Ben Walker
• DCDSB – Thomas Plommer

ASAD Durham currently offers the following technical sport streams:

• Hockey
• Soccer
• Baseball

Student-athletes will participate in two 75 min technical sessions and two to three 75 min strength and conditioning sessions per week with a qualified coach.

The purpose of technical training is to build a solid foundation of skill development to prepare athletes for competition at the next level (eg. post-secondary, provincial/national team).

The focus is on individual skill development to enhance tactical game play and understanding in order to build self-reliant athletes.
 
Over 85+ Strength and Conditioning sessions - Over 70+ Sport Technical Sessions
 
Coached and delivered by experts in the Canadian Sport System

Designed for individual sport athletes or sports that do not have a dedicated technical stream, such as swimming, figure skating, track, lacrosse, and race car driving and much more!

Student-athletes will participate in four to five 75 min strength and conditioning sessions per week with a qualified coach. 

Individual athletes engage in a variety of sessions including strength, flexibility, mobility, speed, etc.
 

Soccer: Colin Hoey

Colin’s certifications include Canada soccer’s license, youth license, and B license. Colin currently is coaching with the Pickering FC and in the Ontario Player Development League (OPDL) and League.

Hockey: Ben Davis

Ben Davis is the founder, president and director of all hockey operations at HYPERFIT HOCKEY. Ben was a professional hockey player in Germany and Italy. He is a multiple record holder in the OJHL and has a number achievements. Ben has coach many youth to high levels of hockey and success. 

Baseball: Kyle Fillier, Academy Baseball Coaching 

We create a positive, encouraging environment where athletes can have fun, build confidence, and fall in love with the game. Families have ongoing access to our coaching staff, and we maintain open communication to support each player’s development journey.

On September 2025, I made the deliberate decision to transition from the corporate sector and invest my experience, energy, and leadership into building something meaningful within our community.   Today, I’m proud to be focused on the growth and development of athletes as the Owner of The Yard, a multi-sport training facility and Academy Baseball serving the Durham Region. The Yard operates as more than a training space — it is a community-driven development hub designed to support athletes across multiple sports, including baseball/softball, soccer, lacrosse, and football. Our focus is on creating structured, high-quality development environments that build skill, confidence, and clear pathways for athletes at every stage.

Lead Strength and Conditioning Coach: Dylan Parson

Dylan is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). Dylan has a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and a diploma in Fitness and Health Promotion. Dylan is a rugby player himself, competing with the Oshawa Vikings Men’s Rugby team.

What is an IST?

ASAD leverages nationally and globally recognized experts in the delivery of Integrated Support Team sessions, ensuring optimal academic, athletic, and psychosocial benefits for participating athletes. Our integrated support team consists of Mental Performance Practitioners, Nutrition Specialists, Injury Management, Post Secondary Education, Guest Athletes/Coaches and much more!

Mental Performance

These sessions include lecture topics such as goal setting, motivation and intensity, self-awareness and more. These sessions also include practical exercises such as journalling, meditation, visualization etc.
 

Nutrition

These sessions include lecture topics such as defining and measuring energy, pre competition fueling, macronutrients, hydration .. and more! These sessions also include practical experience such as making recipes, grocery shopping, etc.

Step 1: Email to express your interest in the ASAD Program
asadadmissions@abilitiescentre.org 
You will be added to an email list and will be invited to ASAD Information Sessions and will receive communication regarding the application process.

Step 2: Information Session/Day in the Life     
It is recommended for all applicants, plus at least one parent or guardian, to attend an information night. The nature of the program involves coordinating many aspects of the student athletes life both academically and athletically. With a strong understanding of the program, athletes and families can make the best decision. The information session will provide an insight into the program (schedule, facility, staff/coach bios, financial terms, etc). If a parent/guardian is unavailable to attend the info night, we recommend that they schedule a time to come in and meet with the staff before the application deadline.

Day in the Life - Students will participate in a technical or S&C session, meet the staff and current students, and tour the facility. The ASAD coach will evaluate and provide feedback on the student's fit in the program. 


Step 3: Submit Application 

Submitting an application does not serve as final confirmation of participation in the program. The application allows ASAD to accurately project student enrollment for our school boards, confirm sport stream offerings as well as determine your eligibility and fit for the program. Therefore, we ask that you be thoughtful and truthful in your responses.

The admission process takes into consideration the applicant’s:

• athletic achievement
• athletic character, attitude and work ethic (coach references will be taken into consideration)
• Home School Guidance Counsellor recommendation

Step 5: Offers Letters Sent

Upon acceptance into the program, we will share details on registration, schedule and enrollment fees.  Payment of deposit will be due at of registration to secure your spot in the program.

There is no fee to apply to the program and we encourage families to speak with a member of the ASAD Team or attend an information session ahead of completing an application. 
 

As a charitable non-profit organization, Abilities Centre relies on our standardized program fees to continue to deliver the highest quality ASAD experience to our student athletes, remove barriers to participation, and to support our charitable mission of building more inclusive communities.
You have the opportunity to attend ASAD for the full year or for one semester (1^st or 2^nd):

• Full year (two semesters) of programming, the enrollment fee ranges from $5500 - $8500 per year, depending on the sport stream.
• One semester of programming (1st or 2nd Semester), the enrollment fee ranges from $3500 - $5500, depending on the sport stream.

ASAD is a fee for service model and all costs are to recover program expenses. Enrollment fees will be confirmed with the offer of admission.