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by Holly Arend
From the rink to the field, Philippe Lapointe’s journey is as diverse as it is inspiring. After making waves in the BCHL with Trail, Philippe took his talents to Michigan, where he not only sharpened his hockey skills but also dabbled in meditation, real estate aspirations, and even some high-stakes pickleball battles with his teammates. Today, we catch up with Philippe to dive deep into how Trail shaped his career, what keeps him grounded off the ice, and the wild NIL deal of his dreams (spoiler: it involves pickleball and grass-fed beef).
Reflecting on your time with Trail in the BCHL, how did that experience contribute to your personal and athletic development,
Yeah, so my time at Trail, I was fortunate enough. My head coach, there was an alumni at Michigan, and we had a couple of commits there. So being able to join that team and that staff kind of prepared me to come here because he knew the style of play. So, being able to learn from a guy that played here and had success here was really important for me. And obviously, the time at Trail was so special – just being able to fully immerse myself in their community and, the people there were so welcoming. I felt like I was a part of their family.
So you're a graduate student. What are you doing outside of this that's helping you kind of de-stress, mentalize, and understand that maybe how you can develop yourself personally in your game?
For me, you know, the mental side of the game is 80% of the battle. So being able to have tactics that you have throughout the week is really important. Every morning I get up and do a little meditation.I really try and focus on my breathing and try and get centered just to be able to, you know, attack the day and have a purpose with my day. So I usually like to get up and go sit on the porch when it's warm out. It's Michigan, so you've got some cold days. But, yeah, especially when it's nice out, get outside, either go for a walk or just sit on the porch and reflect on the day before and kind of set myself up in the right headspace to have a great day.
We've talked about post-grad life a little bit. Tell us what sparked your interest in what you want to do post-grad and the ideas you have.
Yeah, so what sparked my idea in real estate was a professor here. His name is Mark Rosentraub, and he has a lot of literature and has done a lot of research on the intersection of real estate, sports, and economic development. So when I was in his class, I fully immersed myself in it and asked him a lot of questions. And it was a really interesting class, and that kind of sparked my interest. Just talking to him and utilizing his network was able to reach out to a lot of cool people in the industry and just learn more about the intersection of sports and real estate.So hopefully in the future, you know, do something where, there's a sporting development and they need market research or help plan development with a sports arena or stadium at the anchor of that. So I don't know exactly what I'd be doing, but just being able to get my foot in the door there would be really cool.
Has there been a person or an event that's inspired you and kind of helped you throughout your time at Michigan?
Two come to mind. So luckily at Michigan, there are incredible donors and people that want to help you. So, one year I went to Chicago on a career venture, and then the next year I went to New York on one as well. So on these career ventures, you pretty much meet high-up executives who went to Michigan and learn about their company and their industry. So usually you go to ten different companies, and they're all kind of in different industries and sectors because obviously we have a big blend of student-athletes, et cetera, that are going on these trips. So being able to see what you like, what type of industry you like, and what you don't like is super important to kind of understand what you want to do in the future. And it sets yourself up to, start to build that network of Michigan alumni. And it's crazy the amount of pride that those people have, and it really shows how truly special Michigan is.
So speaking kind of on these things, career development and everything, what advice would you give future college athletes like you? To succeed and help get over any of those mental blocks that they might be having?
I think the biggest thing is, like I've learned over my last four years here, is to ask for help. Coming in, I was someone that was pretty shy. You know, I always wanted to do stuff on my own and figure it out myself. But, when you come here, you realize that it's okay to ask for help, whether that's something in your sport, asking your coaches for help, whether that's mentally if you're struggling, the stress of academics and athletics is too much. Being able to talk to a psychologist or just talk to a coach or someone in the staff that can help you because they will listen. And, they'll provide their advice and feedback. And also just being able to leverage every single connection that you have. There are so many resources here at Michigan, and people here want, like, they want you to succeed. That's something that I've realized here. And people want to give you help. And it's just up to you if you want to take it or not.
We’ve heard you enjoy golfing in your free time! Is there a specific course that’s your favorite to play on, and how has golf helped you unwind or even enhance your focus on the ice?
Yeah. Golf, I'm not too great, but I do really enjoy it. During the summer, I was here all summer, and during the spring when everyone's here training, we usually get a student pass here at the university course, and pretty good deal. So, yeah. Usually try and get out three or four times a week with the boys. And it's just a great spot to just relax and unwind from your busy schedule. And sometimes I take my shoes off, ground a little bit, and just connect with the earth. It's just a great time just being able to take four hours of your day just to relax, unwind, and have a good time with the guys.
We talked about real estate.Tell us a little bit more about the idea you have going post-grad and what you want to do, who you want to be involved with or if have you a bigger picture of things you want to change in the industry?
Obviously, with real estate, there's so many different ways you can go. But for me, I want to try and intersect sports and real estate. So, for example, there's a project in Chicago happening, and it's called the 1901 Project. So, the United Center where the Blackhawks and Bulls play. It's on the west side of the city. And over the years, it's kind of been, a struggling area. And the owners of the Bulls and the Blackhawks are investing $7 billion of their own money to, do a whole new development surrounding the United Center, which is like retail, residential, kind of live, work, and play environment, just to revitalize that side of the city. So, trying to get my foot in the door of a project like that, whether that's the financial due diligence behind it or the strategic planning of what goes where, or just a community outreach, being able to talk to people around the community of what they would like to see a change in their community is super important to me. That's a type of project that I'd want to be involved in in the future. But, we'll see what happens from here.
We love to ask but tell us about your dream NIL deal, it can be anything in the world.
Yeah, dream NIL deal. I love pickleball along with golf. So we have a bunch of guys that play during the summer and spring. So maybe a cool brand. A bunch of us have a certain paddle by a company called Engage. So maybe in the future do a collaboration with my teammates and them, and that would be super fun because it gets pretty intense on the courts for sure. And then also I love to cook. I love everything health and wellness. So maybe there's this company called Force of Nature that does, grass-fed, grass-finished beef products and bison and lamb and all that good stuff. So, maybe doing a deal with them so I can chef it up a little more in the kitchen would be really cool. Obviously, as an athlete at Michigan, what you put in your body is fuel. So, if you're fueling yourself with really good stuff and good quality stuff, that's a win for me and a win for, my performance. And so, yeah, that would be really cool to do as well.
Are you the best pickleball duo on the court?
We've got a couple guys that are pretty good. Yeah, I'd say I'm up there for sure.Yeah, me and one other guy are for sure running the courts. If we do, whatever, King of the Hill or something like that. But, yeah, it gets pretty competitive. A couple of screaming matches, a couple of arguments, but, you know, it's all fun. We're all pretty competitive, so it's a good time.
Are we going to see a UMich pickleball tournament in the future?
Maybe, maybe. Yeah, that would be fun. Yeah, we tried setting up like a little tournament with the field hockey team here. That fell through. But maybe like a student-athlete. A big tournament would be really cool to do because I know a lot of the other student-athletes love pickleball as well. So maybe in the future.
Thanks for sharing your journey with us, Philippe! Your passion for hockey, commitment to personal growth, and love for golf and pickleball are truly inspiring. As you head into this new season, we wish you all the best on and off the ice. Keep chasing those dreams—there’s no doubt you’re set to make a big impact both in the rink and beyond!
For any press/NIL/ or brand inquiries for Philippe Lapointe, you can contact Nilson Sports.
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