Hockey Schools Evolve As The Game Continues To Change

January 27, 2012
Posted in Ontario Edition, Development

BY ANDREW CHONG, EDITOR /

Minor hockey playoffs are just around the corner, and that means it’s time to start thinking about hockey schools.

And it seems like there are more and more options, every single year.

There are skill-specific camps for scoring, stickhandling, checking, and more. There are conditioning camps and personal trainers. There are schools that make use of video analysis.

So, where does a parent or a player even start, when considering where to sign-up?

“With a zillion new hockey camps springing up each summer, all claiming to be the best, and with an amazing looking website to back their claims, I have two words of advice to parents: ask for the personal experiences of other parents and ask about the results experienced by other players,” said David Roy, director of skating development for the Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy. “The best unbiased opinion on any hockey school is not derived from the marketing material or the people who run it, but the players who have attended the camp. The best instructors in the world aren’t motivators who push your child. They inspire from the inside out and help your son or daughter develop a strong self-worth.

“The bottom line is, did my child improve their hockey and life skills, and by how much, and did they have fun in the process? The answers to these questions would be best sought from players and parents who have previously attended the camp.”

Since the 1980s and ‘90s, the hockey school landscape has taken huge strides to become much more than just extra ice time.

“There are more specific camps for the individual: goalie camps, defenceman camps, stickhandling camps, and conditioning camps, to name a few,” said Jamey Hicks, executive marketing and hockey director for Canadian Hockey Enterprises. “Time-on-ice per day has changed as well as we offer camps that range from three to six hours on-ice, per day. Also, the off-ice component has really evolved in the past 10 to 15 years. The introduction of plyometrics and off-ice conditioning has formed a strong basis with our camps within all age groups.

“Hockey camps can provide more than just skill advancement. The meeting of players from all over the world is an experience in itself,” said Hicks. “In deciding which camp to choose, I would recommend picking a camp that you know your child will enjoy. If the kids enjoy the camp, they will maximize their skill set and love of the game.”

Just like the evolution of the last 10 or 20 years, hockey schools will almost certainly keep changing and adapting over the next decade and into the future.

“The next ten years, I would expect the same evolving attitude towards skill and overall fitness both on- and off-the-ice,” said Mitch Messier, director of Banff Hockey School. “Cross-training will be the key as you need proper breaks and shouldn’t be on the ice 12 months a year. Playing other sports and improving your all-around fitness away from the rink will be extremely important. When at the rink, it’s important to be totally engaged but take time away from the ice every spring and early summer.

“The hockey school training landscape has changed like every other sport where the players and parents are both more educated in overall health and fitness. To set yourself apart and run a great program, you need to be conscious of good nutrition and proper drills and with enough rest.”

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