There’s no shortage of hockey camps this summer
Not only has hockey season come to an end but school is starting to wind down. I probably shouldn’t say that as to give students an excuse to mail it in for the last month. Although I’ve talked to enough teachers to hear that many already have.
But just because the hockey season is over doesn’t mean the hockey world slows down. I have found so far that to be almost the opposite (although a one-week vacation to take my kids Disney World definitely added to an already full plate). I do have a couple of quick announcements on behalf of Hockey Alberta:
There are still spots available for the Elite Development Camp that will be run in Lethbridge June 5-16. This is a great opportunity for pee wee-junior players to get on the ice for high-tempo skates that are of great value to players preparing for next season. Midget AAA coach Mike Dyck, longtime AJHL coach Kevin Higo and Bantam AAA assistant coach Tom Chapman will be in charge of running the sessions.
Hockey Alberta will be running two Development 1 coaching clinics in the South this summer. It will be in Medicine Hat July 15-16 and Lethbridge Aug. 12-13. Anyone looking to coach AA hockey will be required to take it.
Hockey Alberta has also announced information on our Development Seminar that will take place June 16-18 in Sylvan Lake as well as our Coaches Conference July 8 and 9 at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
Hockey Alberta will be doing a Super Skills Camp in Medicine Hat from Aug. 14-18. This is a full-day camp run by full-time Hockey Alberta staff members. Each player will receive two on-ice sessions per day while the off-ice sessions will give players a chance to play other sports. A strong emphasis in this camp is on the Long Term Player Development Model issued by Hockey Canada to help support the proper growth of hockey players.
All of that information can be found at
I get a lot of questions around now about summer camps.
Which one should my child attend? What should I be looking for? Etc. Here is my quick advice: 1. Focus on the instructors. A quality camp will be run by quality people. Camps that have credible and quality instructors will help your son or daughter improve their skills more rapidly. Focus less on the brand of the camp and focus more on whether quality instructors are the ones teaching and instructing.
2. Pay attention to the ratios. The two ratios I encourage you to pay attention to are the instructor-to-player ratio and the work-to-rest ratio. It is important that your son or daughter, especially at a younger age, receive a low player-toinstructor ratio. It is also important that athletes get as many reps as possible within their ice time. These two factors play a large role in improvement that a player will get out of a camp.
3. Ask your friends where they are going. Kids learn the most when they are having fun. Going to a camp with 20 or more kids they don’t know and have to be around all day can be intimidating. It can also ruin the experience for some if they don’t enjoy their social setting. Kids will have more fun if they know the other participants and it will encourage them to make more friends in the camp.
4. Ask hockey people about the camp. The hockey world is a very small place. If someone is running programs, other hockey people will know about them, either from their kids or their friends. These people should be able to give you insight into the quality of instruction and the quality of people.
I know there are a lot of people running programs in southern Alberta, and most do a very good job in their development. But don’t forget that hockey schools are a big business, make sure when you pay for a program that it is development focused first and business second. Not the other way around.
In closing, I wanted to take a minute to thank all those in the community who helped support the Pee Wee Prospects tournament that was hosted by Hockey Alberta earlier this month. I know that Lethbridge is always able to come through in hosting great events and on behalf of Hockey Alberta I would like to thank our city for that.