Hockey Development Center opens in Scripps Ranch
By Hector Trujillo
With the goal of providing hockey players specialized training to help them develop, the Hockey Development Center (HDC) has opened in Scripps Ranch to meet the needs of those interested in the sport.
Ken and Kelly Baker are the owners of HDC San Diego, which had its soft opening in September. It welcomes all levels and age groups, with the facility currently open Mondays through Fridays at 9865 Businesspark Ave., Suite A.
“We’re specifically designed for teams as well,” Ken said. “We have a number of teams that are currently going through with us already. The idea is to be able to have entire teams come and work on skills together, or private or semi-private skill training sessions as well.”
After having played college hockey at Sacramento State, Ken is currently on the coaching staff of the San Diego Saints Hockey Program with his 12-year-old son, Quinn, as one of those enrolled.
Ken and Kelly decided to partner with Hockey Development Training Systems based out of Slovakia to bring its patented technology for use within the 7,200 square foot HDC San Diego facility.
“We exist to grow the game in the area,” Ken said. “Our stated goal is to make sure that players who reach a certain skill level don’t have to leave San Diego as they currently do. Our goal is to grow the game here and to keep our players local.”
HDC San Diego has a gym and skating treadmills for players to work on balance and stability.
The facility is an off-ice training center, meaning it uses synthetic ice, allowing for the use of ice skates as they would on an ice rink.
“San Diego does not have a lot of ice opportunities, we don’t have very many rinks in the area,” he said. “So, we’re offering an extra opportunity for players who have a tough time finding ice time. With our synthetic ice set up and our gym, it allows players to work on specific skill sets that they can carry with them to their respective clubs and rinks.”
HDC San Diego is also an official partner of the San Diego Gulls professional hockey team which plays in the American Hockey League.
Visit hdcsandiego.com.
