hockey camps

[top 0]

Just an opinion of what you guys think of hockey camps, i have never been to one before, i find its a waste of money, when you have alot of good hockey players in your neighbourhood that can teach you just as well as the camp guys can, what is your opinion on hockey camps, and is their any you would recommend in particular?

[hockeymom 2]

I'm an expert on hockey camps! Errr...paying for hockey camps...Some have been a poor return on investment...some have had dramatic results.

Key is low student:instructor ratio, instructors who not only know their stuff BUT can teach it (all of them on-ice, not just the headliner), and an approach that makes a million immediate corrections to technique.

Also had exceptional results with "intensives" which are camps run more like semi-privates.

What area are you from?

[gavin 0]

How does that compare with just working on-ice with your local Minor Hockey Association? I'm going to be helping out a Minor Hockey Association after work this summer, just to get ice time in/help kids love hockey.

[hockeymom 2]

What age/level are the kids Gavin?

A lot depends on that. Dif approach for dif ages. AND genders.... girls are WAY different on-ice than boys.

Hard to give a general rule-of-thumb; comparing a practice with shelling out 100's of dollars for a camp. lol. Comes down to the knowledge level of the on-ice instructors/helpers and how well they convey it. Some are absolutely brilliant at conveying a skill or correction quickly and clearly. AND in a manner that motivates. AND breaking the skill down into manageable, progressive chunks. Some don't want to hurt your feelings...so say nothing/little which is of no value.

My daughter was quiet in the truck after a session one time and I asked what's up...she said.."he just kept saying "good"...I'm not joining the NHL next week so there MUST have been something"

[gavin 0]

Yeah. I guess I'm not really expecting to get a lotta learning out of it, just a chance to give back. I'll probably be going to Peter Twist's training camps later in the summer anyways.

But I was just thinking, wouldn't something like that be cheaper/better in some respects? Less travel time, more familiarity. Someone that's from your town might be more willing to say you have a problem that some guy you've never met before and who's being paid. I guess if you have volunteers they have to have some good character qualities.

[hockeymom 2]

Giving back is great....if you know the kids, you can really connect. I actually would have loved that for my kid...wasn't an option for us...

Skills come from lots of places & techniques...a good game of ice murder ball does tons for stability, balance and agility...and the kids don't even know they're learning skills - they just think it's fun.

[j8Zt8r 0]

If you are a High School student, J Robinson in Minnesota is great. After 3 weeks of it you come back a totally different player. Off ice is run by an old Drill Sergaent and the on ice is done by Rick Zombo. you can look him up in hockeyDB if you don't know the name. He is hands down the best instructor here. Basil McRae is the best coach in the area. I know the kids are on the ice several times a day. A kid on a team here went last year, came back and jumped a level and was the best player on that team.

[gavin 0]

Ice murder ball? Is that like dodgeball on ice?

Cause I'm Canadian and ... typically even with free ice (outdoors and city rink and whatnot) you can't peel the stick out of anyone's hands. Including mine.

[hockeymom 2]

Here's the camps I recommend...

Draft Choice in Brampton, On....Wayne Gagne runs an excellent program/lots of correction and majority of his staff are professional teachers as well as great hockey. Most camps primarily boys..er..coed...My daughter goes to the "Girls Rule" week...6 hrs on-ice daily...really huge improvement and comprehensive report card at the end.

Dr. Smushkin...runs camps in Boston, Toronto and Sweden. Absolutely unlike anything anyone else is doing. Agility and skating. He's tough and passionate...NOT at all pc and thus not for everyone....mostly boys @ camp. If you don't work hard he kicks you out of camp...even if you've come from Alaska. My daughter loves him; she "gets" his schtick. Really knowledgeable about the biomechanics of skating. We go to his 4 hr/day camp in August.

Ultra Skills in Peterborough, On. Excellent program. They know hockey in Peterborough!

For girls...any of the camps run by Olympic skaters...Peterborough, On...Alberta...NY. My daughter hasn't been to one yet, but everyone raves about them and the motivation/inspiration. Was thinking about sending her this year...but she's doing Outward Bound trip for LBH (life beyond hockey)

Mostly girls/some boys...Annie Fahlenbock from Fierce Hockey in Toronto and Sarnia, Ont. Annie is a dynamo and really gets kids to work. Excellent instructors. Her intensives are amazing. Very low ratios and a ton of correction. My daughter gets a lot out of this.

Jules Jardine...world class hockey. Great programs in US and Canada. Progs geared for different levels.

The NTC program - skating treadmill/workout - is fixing my daughter's skating and getting her into much needed conditioning. www.ntchockey.com

I used to think parents who sent their kids to camps were just a bit over the top....now that mine does 100+ hours each summer I know they are!

[hockeymom 2]

Yeah Gavin...essentially dodgeball on ice...actually more like rugby, come to think of it....and yup at $4+/min for ice that's some expensive game! I was sceptical, but it works!

[Adam91 0]

I'm going to Okanogan Hockey School for a Shooters and Scorers program and I'm looking around for another camp in the Lower Mainland. Any ideas?

[pantherfan 0]

I'm going to a camp, i just like them cus they're fun and it increased cardio in the off season, its really good becuase mine is in August to its just before the new season

[blues_91 0]

I'm going to Okanogan Hockey School for a Shooters and Scorers program and I'm looking around for another camp in the Lower Mainland. Any ideas?

Peter Twist....imo far better than OHS.

[gavin 0]

This might sound really dumb but I've been looking at Peter Twist for quite some time now and the only problem is they don't really have a "college club" category. Blues_91: should I just sign up for the NCAA camps?

[blues_91 0]

I wouldn't really know, I took that camp after my first year in Bantam 2 summers ago. When I signed up, they asked my what level I played, and they could of rejected me from the camp if my level wasn't on par. Me and my buddy were the only first year bantam B kids in a camp with the second year AAA kids and we did just fine. Give them a call and see where they'd place you.

[sharks_bazooka_joe_19 0]

I have found that the 1-3 day "camps" where you are on the ice an hour at a time to not be so beneficial. Going to a week-long camp where you eat, sleep and drink hockey for 5 days is awesome. Depending on the camp, you can get up to 4 hours of ice-time daily plus an hour or 2 of off-ice drills/shooting practice. Some also add fitness training as well.

The benefits gained by spending that much time on the ice 5 days in a row are non-quantifiable. Granted, I think the level you are at when you go will make a big difference in how much you get from the program. Also, some of the things mentioned already - student/teacher ratio, teacher ability, etc - can playa large part in what you gain from the time & $$ spent.

I've gone to a camp in Banff, Alberta that has an excellent program, including a week-long camp for women. You get a nearly unprecedented 4 hours of ice-time daily and the cost is around $500 US including room & board. The value of this camp is awesome!

[greatone99 0]

Ultimate Skills in Peterborough, On. Excellent program. They know hockey in Peterborough!

Do you have any contact information for this school (web page, phone number)?

[johnson74 0]

I used to love attending hockey camp once or twice every summer. It was something that I found extremely motivating. Each year I would go to at least one camp and sometimes two, both one week camps. I would also play in the summer selects league as well as a power-skating clinic. Growing up in Minnesota, it was just something we all did. I loved the hockey and I think my parents liked dishing me off on a camp for a couple weeks each summer. Though the camps were probably good for my development as a hockey player they also helped me learn other life lessons. Do any of you adults out there go to any camps? They were so much fun as a youngster I am looking for new opportunities as an adult (now that I can afford it!) and hockey camps sounds fun. With as much hockey as I have played in my life I could probably teach at one but it would be more fun to attend one.

[hockeymom 2]

Ultimate Skills in Peterborough, On. Excellent program. They know hockey in Peterborough!

Do you have any contact information for this school (web page, phone number)?

opps..ultra skills

here's the website url:

www.ultraskillshockey.com/the-program.php

[#44wannabe 4]

www.passhockey.com - AMAZING run by Brett Punchard, he should've been a drill sergeant not a hockey player! 5 hours a day, its all hockey and a lot of fun!

[Langenbrunner15 0]

I am going to Dynamic Skating by Paul Vincent at North Andover, Mass. in July. Heard it was an AMAZING clinic.

I went to Pro Ambitions at BU and lovedit, particially because of the food, but the hockey was fun, and great instructers.

All for 1-week sleep away camps too. I love going off into the dorms for hockey, what I mean is, I love going to sleep away camps.

So what is the top two hockey camps in the Michigan, Minnesota, Wisonsin, or w/e that is from the East tot the Mideast?

[biff44 0]

You mean Dr "are you talking in my line? I think you are!" Smuskin. He is the genuine article.

[toroytorero 0]

the camp you went to in Banff was it Banff Hockey School?? and how old are you if you don't mind my asking

[hockeymom 2]

You mean Dr "are you talking in my line? I think you are!" Smuskin. He is the genuine article.

Yes! The one & only Dr. Smushkin..."schtupid peoples...you were born by mistake!"

My favourite bit is when the kids REALLY screw up...and he comes and yells at the parents because it is, afterall, OUR fault we produced such schtupid children.

He is unique. Great program...if you have the right mind-set and really want to work.

[sharks_bazooka_joe_19 0]

the camp you went to in Banff was it Banff Hockey School?? and how old are you if you don't mind my asking

Yes, it was Banff Hockey School. I went there in '99. I'm female, 43 years old. There was a woman there when I went who was a goalie and in her 40's. I can only hope I keep up as well as she did!

It was an awesome experience all around and I highly recommend it, especially for the value.