Their goal is to play college hockey.
Our goal is to make sure they are successful when they get there.
Welcome
At ALG Hockey, our mission is to prepare athletes for peak academic and athletic performance in college by strengthening player development in academic engagement, mental performance and leadership development throughout their junior hockey experience.
“What a gift Jo and ALG Hockey is in helping with our son’s junior college experience and guidance on classes and enrollment. It’s a maze to figure out but with her leadership, we were confident we were doing the right thing for our son. He also had the privilege of enrolling in her leadership class and thoroughly enjoyed and found the course highly applicable to everyday life. Thank you, Jo, for your wealth of knowledge. We are grateful for you!” ~ Parent
Our Programs
“These are such new experiences for players. Our son is dealing with his hockey advisor, talking and even negotiating with multiple coaches, and trying to distinguish between what is real and what is not. Jo has been absolutely fantastic at guiding him through all, offering counsel, the “why” behind her advice, and also tailoring to his personal situation.” ~ Parent
Our Story
Supporting student-athletes, particularly in academic and leadership spaces, has been a passion of mine throughout my career as an NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative and physics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. While at Stout, I created both a leadership development program and an academic support program for Blue Devil Athletics. Through these programs, I came to understand the struggle that many hockey players experience when they make the transition from junior hockey to once more becoming a full-time student in college. It was apparent that players did not have the support they needed to stay academically engaged throughout their junior hockey experience. This became even more personal when my son began his own junior hockey journey. I appreciated his primary focus was to excel on the ice, but I knew the value of staying connected to academics from the beginning. I found a way to provide him the support, expertise, and advice he needed to learn how to balance his commitment to play hockey while also maintaining some academic engagement. I realized I wanted to provide this support to other players and families. The services we provide at ALG Hockey help athletes recognize their academic needs, guide them on their academic journey through junior hockey, and support them as they effectively balance hockey and educational experiences. As a result, ALG Hockey players are ready to enter college with the skills, mindset, and confidence to be successful in the classroom and make an immediate and positive impact on their team. It has been an honor to work with these elite athletes and to watch them prepare for their next adventure.
View Jo Hopp's Bio
Dr. Jo Hopp has been involved with college athletics since 2011. She was an NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) at the University of Wisconsin - Stout, where she was also a professor of physics. In addition, Jo served as an academic advisor and started a number of academic-based programs for Blue Devil Athletics, including a leadership development program and an academic success program to support low-performing student-athletes. She holds a Certificate in Mental Health in Elite Sport from the International Olympic Committee and is a Mental Performance Mastery certified coach. While an FAR, Jo was President of the NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative Association, a member of the DIII NCAA FAR Advisory Group, and a facilitator and planning team member for the DIII NCAA FAR Fellows Institute, a leadership program for DIII FARs across the NCAA. Upon departure from UW-Stout in 2021, Jo continued to support Blue Devil athletes as a Student-Athlete Success Services Associate. She also serves as a community educator, collaborating with local high schools on educating athletes and families about playing college sports, initial eligibility requirements, and the NCAA Eligibility Center. Jo believes in the power of college athletics and the amazing opportunity it is for students. She greatly valued her own experience as a college gymnast at Miami University.
In addition to her work in college athletics, Jo was the developer and lead facilitator for the BOLD STEPS Leadership Program, a leadership development program for high school and college-aged women in STEM. Most recently, she worked with Science from Scientists, a non-profit organization bringing impactful, hands-on science and engineering lessons to elementary and middle school students, where she was a member of their Senior Leadership Team.