Our Philosophy

We didn't start TOP Sports to only produce better hockey, soccer, or lacrosse players. We started it because we believe sport, when it's run the right way, is one of the best environments you can put a kid in to learn valuable life skills and develop strong character. The habits, values, and sense of accountability that come from being part of something bigger than yourself, learning to win and lose, learning to become a leader, learning to battle through failure, that is true success.

The conditions that sport creates, the pressure of competition, the friction of working alongside people you didn't choose, the experience of failing in front of others and having to show up again the next day, are almost impossible to replicate anywhere else in a child's life. These moments build character, highlighted by the environment we intentionally create to bring them out.

We intentionally weave character development into the fabric of our competitive programs through a Monthly Character Theme. Each month, every Head Coach across all our sports focuses on the same theme, whether that's grit, teamwork, work ethic, or leadership, and it shows up consistently in how coaches talk during practice, what they recognize after practice, and the one-on-one conversations they have with players throughout the season.

The Chain Award

In 2018, we introduced The Chain Award as a way to reward what we actually care about. After every practice, one player receives The Chain, a physical award handed out by the Head Coach along with a brief explanation of why the player earned it and how it connects to that month's theme. This isn't an MVP award. It never goes to whoever scored the most goals or performed best that day. It goes to the player who best demonstrated that month's value, regardless of skill level.

Why It Matters

The Chain goes home with the player and comes back the next practice. Of everything we've run since 2018, it's the one kids remember most, even years after they've graduated from the program and moved into their teens. They still remember what it meant to be recognized in front of their teammates.

Hockey, soccer, and lacrosse are all invasion games: success comes from scanning, reading the play, and making fast decisions, not repeating an isolated technique in a static drill. That's why we built a coaching framework around game-based learning instead of lining kids up for drills with no pressure and no opponents. New skills are taught inside game-like situations, so they transfer straight to competition.