Craig Voakes is a life-long sports fanatic. He’s been involved in sports of all kinds, from golf in the spring to baseball in the summer, and hockey in the winter. That said, Craig has had a lifelong love affair with hockey in particular. He started out playing minor hockey in St. Thomas, then graduating to AAA Hockey, to being drafted to the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves. He then went on to play for the Laurier Golden Hawks, and continued on professionally in Europe. Craig knows hockey, inside and out.

Since leaving professional hockey, Craig has spent his time on the other side of the game, dedicating himself to training and coaching young athletes, including the local Special Olympics.

In addition to his love of sports, Craig has another passion: entrepreneurship. He’s always wanted to start his own business, and with Squad Box, that dream has come true.

As a coach and a trainer, Craig took note of a gap in the sports industry for young athletes. He’s watching the culture shift towards a healthier lifestyle- and nothing makes him happier! But there’s one key thing that’s being left behind in the conversation, game-day nutrition.

One of the most overlooked aspects of a young athlete’s sporting career is an understanding of how to fuel the body in the hours and minutes leading up to a competition, and the short window of time where the body needs to recover afterwards. This can impact the body greatly over the course of a long season, and it’s particularly important for children and teens to get proper nutrition before, during, and after their games.

With Squad Box, Craig takes a unique approach to address this issue, replicating the exact same treatment professional athletes get. “Prepare Like the Pros” is not just a turn of phrase, it’s the truth. When professional sports teams arrive at the game, they have all their pre- and post-game sports snacks waiting right there for them in their dressing room. This is the experience Squad Box provides, at any and all sporting levels.

Regardless of whether your young athlete wants to be a professional one day, or is just in it for the love of the game, Craig knows from personal experience what it takes to reach the highest level of competition.

His mission is to guide young athletes on the right path and give them a higher chance of success, all while making it convenient and affordable to stay nourished- “Just Like The Pros.”

Since childhood, sports have been a huge part of Mark Voakes’ life. He was fortunate to have a brother close in age who shared the same passion as he did. No matter what, you could find the Voakes’ boys shooting, hitting, throwing, or catching something. When one season ended, the next one began. And to this day, Mark hasn’t left the game.

Mark can currently be found playing professional hockey in Germany with Red Bull Munich of the DEL. After three years of playing in the AHL and the ECHL he went to Germany where he has had eight great years. He is now competing in his 12th year as a professional. Mark has spent his lifetime in the game and no matter what, he has always pushed to be the best he can be.

There’s another passion Mark happens to share with his brother: sports nutrition. Mark desires to help young athletes get the proper fuel for their bodies.

As a professional hockey player, Mark knows a very important rule: what you put into your body and when you put it there is critical to maximizing your performance. With that, Mark started Squad Box to play the role of making sure that no athlete begins the competition under fuelled.

And as a parent, Mark knows that so many of us have busy, busy lives. It’s difficult to keep young athletes nourished. With Squad Box, he wants to make life easier for parents like him, trying to get their kid (or kids) to their game or event on time, while not compromising their healthy food options.

With Squad Box, young athletes and their parents can show up to the game and have their sports snacks and sports drinks right there for them.
Mark thinks of it like this: Someone is bringing the jerseys, medical kit, water bottles, equipment bag and so on. Parents and coaches are already committed to this ‘volunteer action’ because they know how important it is! Squad Box offers them the next step, making it easy to bring nutritious sports snacks and keep the whole team fueled for the game.

Mark’s goal for Squad Box is to be dependable, convenient and—most importantly—healthy for young athletes. That way, everyone can show up to the game knowing they’ll be prepared — Just Like the Pros.