We will outline:

• HPA Program Features
• HPA Application Criteria & Process

The 2025-26 HPA Application is available now! Head over to the Application page for full details. Families are encouraged to review the FAQ page on our site as well.

If you would like further assistance with the application process or would like to know more about the program features, please email us at holycrosshpa@ycdsb.ca

2026-27 HPA Application Dates:

• HPA Application Deadline: December 9th @ 2pm
• Acceptance Letters: December 15th, 2025
• Acceptance RSVP: January 5th, 2026

Shola had an exceptional year with York United in the Canadian Premier League. He balanced training full time with the pro team while maintaining his academic courses. Shola appeared in 16 games logging 594 minutes of play while notching 4 goals and 1 assist.

“He’s young and talented and can play the way that I like to play,” Marsch said. The Canadian Men’s coach noticed something we already know at Holy Cross – that Shola is a special talent. His dedication to everything he does and his desire to learn and improve are second to none. 

Shola has also been named to the Canadian U-17 roster. Canada will play Costa Rica on November 15th and Mexico on November 18th in San José, Costa Rica. These two games will give the players valuable experience as they begin their World Cup qualifying in February. FIFA announced that the U-17 World Cup will be expanded to 48 teams. Canada has qualified for four of the last six editions of the tournament.

We would like to congratulate three of our HPA students who have recently committed to NCAA schools. Their dedication to academics while training at the highest level is a testament to their character and determination. We are so proud to support them and wish them the very best in their post-secondary endeavors.

Emma Reda (Grade 11)

• US College: University of Nebraska-Lincoln NCAA D1 (verbal commitment)
• Sport: Soccer (Full scholarship)
• Current Team: NDC Ontario – League 1 Premier Division Champions 

Quentin Christey (Grade 12)

• US College: Syracuse University NCAA D1
• Sport: Soccer (Full scholarship)
• Current Team: Toronto FC

Olivia Francis (Grade 12)

• US College: Saint Peter’s NCAA D1
• Sport: Soccer
• Current Team: Markham OPDL

Joshua Nugent (Grade 12)

• US College: Syracuse University NCAA D1
• Sport: Soccer (Full scholarship)
• Current Team: Toronto FC

Alegra was the first female recruit for Rabun Gap Nacoochee High School. She is currently ranked 158th for save percentage (0.520) in the United States, and 9th overall is the state. In her junior year, she played 1230 minutes making 109 saves and conceding 8 goals against, which was a new school record. In her sophomore year, she played a total of 1440 minutes, making a further 213 saves to create another school record.

Alegra made All Conference in 2022 and 2023 and was a 2022 MVP. She helped bring the soccer program to the playoffs for the first time in 11 years.

She is an Atlanta Fire tournament champion and Impact tournament champion. She also spent time as manager of the Boys Varsity Soccer Team, which won the state championship in 2022 and 2023.

We are extremely proud of Alegra’s achievements in the US and are happy to see her fulfill her dreams of going pro!

Ivan recently played in Europe for Hungarian First Division team Puskas Akademia and trained with the first team. Upon his return to Canada, he attended Holy Cross’ HPA program, which allowed him to balance school and first-team training. His goal is to sign a professional contract in either Europe or North America, or earn a scholarship to a top Division 1 university in the United States.

Ivan was rostered by professional team York United in the first 4 games of the Canadian premier league season.

The Rexdale community has long been underserved by the various levels of government even with the area being deemed “at-risk” by studies and officials for generations. With over 70% of Rexdale’s population being visible minorities and over 50% being immigrants to Canada who face systemic discrimination and biases in political, economic and social levels of power, the time has come to provide the youth of this vibrant and diverse area with opportunities to excel. Access Football Club aims to be one of the many programs needed.

Children in inner-city areas are four times less likely to play organized sports after school when compared to children in more affluent areas. The benefits of these programs to these children and youth from lower-income families is profound. They are less likely to join gangs, get into physical altercations or carry weapons.  Studies have shown that they possess stronger executive function skills and therefore, higher academic performance. Moreover, they show lower signs of anxiety and depression which are factors that contribute to substance abuse and teen suicide.

In relation to Canada’s immigrant population, Statistics Canada states young immigrants are 32% less likely to participate in sport. This is primarily due to the cost of programming in relation to the cost of living and their families balancing their expenses required to survive. While families prioritize necessities of life, quality and affordable programming would help immigrant children to practice language skills, make new friends, learn about Canadian society, and enjoy meaningful social interactions while also allowing their parents to expand their own social networks, improve their mental health and connect with their new neighbourhoods

It’s matchday. The athlete is prepared, working hard all week for this moment. We all know how to train our body, but how do we train our mind or heart?

The athlete sits in the locker room before the match, thinking about the possible outcomes and consequences of their actions out on the field of play. Some show us we are destined for success, others scream failure and embarrassment. “What if I come up short?” or “Maybe I am not good enough” are just some of the passing thoughts. The mind is powerful, and as these doubts creep in, the athlete’s once-prepared body begins to feel tense and excitement quickly transforms to anxiety. The athlete throws on the jersey, like a superhero uses a cape, and powers ahead.

If you are a human, it is likely that you are this “athlete”. What makes us human is the self-talk we experience in response to stress. This is the expression of our thoughts, fears, and emotions. Our response to them has a profound effect on our physiology, and our ability to perform on whatever path we seek success. But what if we can silence that, and return to the present moment? Can we perform better? Can we better manage stress?

The Answer: When present in body, mind, and heart, we can find optimal experience in sport and life.

The traditional approach to high-performance is to have the athlete at the center, with a focus on skillset and physical preparedness. Mindframe places the human at the center, tapping into the mind and heart to enhance performance. With a focus of self-compassion, resilience, and mindful awareness, these athletes can manage the stressors of competition and find more enjoyment. We use this as the catalyst to grow, facilitating further motivation and success. We are, after all, much more than just athletes.

Matthew Arnone, is a professional soccer athlete who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Health Science, as well as an Applied Specialization in Mindfulness Meditation. His career has taken him to the USA, Italy, and most recently Canada. With a focus on growth and a holistic approach to sport and life, Matthew discovered he could achieve peak performance. 

Mindframe is very humbled to be working with the Holy Cross HPA program to elevate performance not just on the field or in the classroom, but to aid in the growth of young humans-wherever life takes them.

For more information on Mindframe, please email 
Or follow us on Twitter & Instagram @mindframefit

Josh Vogelsberg showed up at the Sarnia Sting’s training camp ready to make a winning first impression.

Author of the article: Mark Malone       Publishing date: Sep 16, 2021

Josh Vogelsberg showed up at the Sarnia Sting’s training camp ready to make a winning first impression. As a 13th-round pick in the 2020 Ontario Hockey League draft, he knew the odds of making the team weren’t in his favour.

“I knew that camp was going to be hard,” he said. “I knew there was a couple spots left, so I knew going in that I had to prove myself the first day, the first time I stepped on the ice till the last. I knew there was going to be a competition.”

The 17-year-old forward played so well in orientation camp and then at the main camp, the Sting signed him before playing an exhibition game.

“He was noticeable right from the first day we were on the ice,” head coach Alan Letang said. “He skates really well, he’s got a pretty good shot, quick release. He came in and he’s been consistently in the top part of our forwards.”

The Woodbridge native was confident he could land a contract, but that didn’t dim his enthusiasm when it finally happened.

“It was all excitement,” he said. “Me and my family were excited to start my new life as a hockey player. I’m just excited to prove that I was a good player and I can play in this league.”

The Sting announced the signings of Vogelsberg and defenceman Ryan Pryce on the same day. They’ve been reunited in Sarnia after playing four seasons together in minor hockey.

Vogelsberg has been a standout so far in the pre-season with goals in both exhibition games.

The Sting will play a home-and-home series with the Spitfires at 7:05 p.m. Friday at Progressive Auto Sales Arena and at 4:05 p.m. Sunday at Windsor’s WFCU Centre.

Vogelsberg was drafted after posting 17 points in 36 games for the Mississauga U16 AAA Reps in 2019-20. At the time, Nick Sinclair was still the Sting’s general manager and Derian Hatcher was the head coach.

Although current GM Dylan Seca was part of the Sting’s brain trust for the 2020 draft, Letang knew nothing about Vogelsberg when camp began last month.

“He came in and earned his spot out of orientation camp and then earned his opportunity,” Letang said. “We had spots open and he grabbed a hold of one. He’s played well these two games in exhibition and hopefully we’ll continue to push him and he’ll continue to improve and get comfortable playing in this league.”

The five-foot-11, 161-pound Vogelsberg arrived at camp eager to send a message to the teams that didn’t draft him.

“There was motivation for me because I’ve had talks with teams before the draft and they’ve been saying fourth round for me, fifth round, all that stuff they promised me,” he said. “So when I found my name to be picked in the 13th round, it motivated me to prove that I’m not a 13th-round pick and I can be a really good player in this league.”

Vogelsberg spent the 2020-21 season skating with the Toronto U18 AAA Titans and working out every day in his home gym.

He also stayed in contact with the Sting to know their expectations.

“They wanted me to play physical and play with the puck and know how to score,” he said. “I felt like I brought that to camp and I thought I did good.”

The Sting told him this summer to be ready for a position change. They wanted him to move to left wing from centre.

“I feel like that’s actually improved my game a lot more,” he said, “because I can get up the ice a lot faster as a winger than as a centreman and I can score a lot more goals as a left wing than a centreman.”

Vogelsberg said speed is his biggest asset. He’s set targets this season for 20 goals and more than 15 assists.

“I feel like I’m showing off well. I’m proving myself,” he said. “I feel like if I keep on playing like this, I will be (making) a good impact with the team throughout the regular season.”

Alessio Carbone

• School: Oakland University (USA)
• Committed to Men’s Soccer Team

Antonella Caro-Santander

• School: Lourdes University, Ohio (USA)
• Committed to Women’s Tennis Team

Angela Gennaro

• School: York University (Canada)
• Committed to Women’s Soccer Team

Hayley Perkins

• School: University of Alaska Anchorage (USA)
• Full scholarship

Carson Rehkopf (Grade 10)

• Drafted by Kitchener Rangers, 17th overall pick (OHL – Canada)
• Drafted by Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL – USA)

Khushi Srivastava 

• School: Ryerson University (Canada)
• Program: Aerospace Engineering ($9000 scholarship)

Cerrina Toromoreno

• School: Brock University (Canada)
• Committed to Women’s Soccer Team

Name: Angela Gennaro

Position: CB

School: York University, Canada

Name: Alessio Carbone

Position: GK

School: Oakland University, United States

Name: Cerrina Toromoreno

Position: ST

School: Brock University, Canada