Back To Hockey Skills Camp held in Pincher Creek

Jeff Kaupp teaching hockey skills to Chinooks
T. Lucas photo

Lloyd Lybbert with Toni Lucas, Pincher Creek Voice

Pincher Creek Minor Hockey Association held a 'Back to Hockey Skills Camp' for the 2013-2014 hockey season on September 28 and 29 at the Memorial Community Centre arena. Teams participating included Initiation Chinooks, Novice Chinooks, Peewee Chinooks, and Midget Huskies.  This year the hockey skills camp was taught by members of the Pincher Creek Senior Huskies and Kim Civiero, the power skating instructor.

Initiation Chinooks practice their shooting skills
Lloyd Lybbert photo

During the Initiation skills camp the Huskies showed great skill with hockey and with teaching younger kids. This section of the camp is probably the most important part of the skills camp because of the new players coming in and teaching the kids valuable information while they are young and fresh-minded. Walker Anderson, a member of the Initiation team, said that it is very fun to be taught by the Huskies and that they were very friendly.

T. Lucas photo

The Novice team really liked having the Huskies coach them and some look up to the older players as idols. Tammy Fitzpatrick, one of our very committed hockey moms, commented that the skills camp was very influential at the start of the year to build a team and to make friends to have a better team. She also said that it is a very good way to start off the year so the kids can get use to hockey before the full season comes into effect.

Wesley Krampe makes a great save
Lloyd Lybbert photo

For the Peewee team the hockey skills camp was a great chance to knock some of the dust and rust off from the summer break. As the trainers were working with the Peewees they found themselves working with more seasoned players and spent most of their time refining skills the players already had.

Taite Jessen taking it to the net
Lloyd Lybbert photo

This camp had two major components: Stick handling/shooting and power skating. It's broken into two parts so that the kids can focus on one skill at a time and broaden their learning experience. Power skating coach Kim Civiero was entusiastic about her own experience with the skills camp. "Working with the kids is great," she said. She also said that power skating is a great way to get the players ready for the season so they can do some skating before the season starts.

Initiation lessons
L. Lybbert photo

There have been changes in the layout of the 2013 Hockey Skills Camp compared to other years.  Minor Hockey Association Executive members Tara Cryderman, Tammy Fitzpatrick,  and Jacqui Bennett Bruns explained that the focus is still to have the kids freshening up and learning new skills for the ice.  This year they included a family bbq and swimming as two new activities.  The idea was this: if the kids are having fun with each other in other settings it will help them bond and relate better to each other, both on and off the ice.  In addition it gave the families time to get to know one another better.

T. Lucas photo

"This is the first year we did it with the Senior Huskies.  In the past, we would hire it out," said Fitzpatrick. The last two years the Association brought in High Performance Hockey from Lethbridge to do the camp.  "It was very expensive," Fitzpatrick explained.  "We felt that they did the same drills that the Senior Huskies would do with the kids, anyway."  Bruns expanded on that.  "The kids go and watch them and cheer for them.  They are their idols in Pincher Creek, so being on the ice with them is great."