Chew Dawg Hockey Academy was born out of the Quercia family’s love for the sport of hockey. More importantly, it was born out of the belief that the lessons you learn on the ice become game-changers for your life off the ice. 

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On the ice, Matthew Quercia and his father Greg Quercia are experienced players and coaches with impressive hockey IQ—Matthew plays for the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) for the Wheeling Nailers, and he and his father have been junior teams coaches for years. They get the game.

 

Off the ice, the Quercias have seen and experienced how the values they bring to players are transferable to life outside the arena—through the sport, players learn the importance of respectful listening, hard work, and how to be a good teammate (among many others). There are four pillars to support this learning: Have fun; listen, watch, and pay attention; work hard; and be a good teammate.

 

Oh—and they learn how to have fun while doing it.

 

The name Chew Dawg comes from a nickname for Matthew, originally “Matt Chewy”—the name his Uncle Steve gave him. ‘Chew’ happened to become representative of his on-the-ice spirit, which is gritty, scrappy, and physical. Then, it became Chew Dawg. 

 

This is Chew Dawg Hockey Academy.