Eligible Players
All Pee-Wee and Bantam age players
Location
Kentwood Ice Arena
Overview
Although checking does not begin until the Bantam age level, this program is a MUST for every Pee Wee & Bantam hockey player. In fact, we highly recommend at least two sessions, in successive summers, in order for players to learn how to be safe as physical play and the speed of the game increases. During the four hours of daily, on-ice instruction, players will learn how to take and receive stick and body checks and how to become stable on their skates in body play situations. This camp will significantly improve every player’s confidence level and help them enjoy the physical parts of the game as they move from Squirt to Pee Wee and on to Bantam and High School level. A daily, off-ice training session has been added to help players remember the techniques we teach on the ice. From a safety aspect alone … this 20 hour ice program cannot be matched anywhere in Michigan!
Major Skills Emphasized
- How to protect yourself when being checked, going into the boards, glass, and net.
- Hip, shoulder, and stick checking
- Skating for balance and stability, especially in contact situations. (1 hr/day)
- On-ice safety, fore-checking, and angling
- Body play along the boards while playing the puck