Too many Camps?

[Sammy 0]

My son is 9 & a pretty good player for his age (probably in the top 5 of 80 or so kids in his age group who play for his org). I didnt have him play spring hockey cause alot of the parents are nuts, & the kids are on the ice 5 times a weekend on average from April to the beginning of July. I was really concerned about the burn out factor. I had & will have him on the ice at a low key hockey camp or scrimmaging once a week from about May to the begginning of August.

Now, I plan to have him in a week long hockey camp at the begininig of July, one at the beginining of August, & then three 4 day camps that are interspersed during the latter part of August & early September . Tryouts are in the middle of September.

Is this too much?

[hocckey77 0]

it could be but i don't know him. does he play any other sports?

[Sammy 0]

it could be but i don't know him. does he play any other sports?

Oh yeah. In the spring he plays Lacrosse & soccer.

[hockeymom 2]

Well Sammy, for what it is worth, I'd say your son knows the answer to this one.

If he is a total hockey freak and is busting/begging to go, then it is not too much. If he is at all reluctant, then it is. Add in a dash of consideration for how well-rounded he is in life, with friends and other sports - and that's the answer. Some experts think you're better off putting them in a different sport to develop all round athleticism. I think they have a valid point, but it depends on the kid.

Until a few years ago, I always put my kid in other sports and some hang-out time without organization and structure to just be a kid during the summer. Thought a complete breather from 5-6x/week hockey was good (plus xmas/march break camps). She asked to go to her first summer hockey camp at age 11 yrs and there's been no looking back ever since. Last summer it was 5 out of 9 weeks at hockey camp; this year it's 3 weeks of camp plus working out and weekly skates. She's taking the lead on this; I simply drive and pay!

Burn out occurs when play becomes work. When they're dealing with other peoples' expectations and pressure. If it is how he REALLY wants to spend his summer, and you don't have money issues with it - no worries.

[Chadd 916]

I tend to agree. As long as he wants to do it and you're not forcing him, it isn't too much.

[All Torhs Team 0]

When I had a big tryout to do, I went to 3 camps over summer. One at the begining, then two at the end with about 4 days in-between the last camp and tryouts. It worked pretty good. (Hockey camps give you blisters no matter who you are cause your on the ice 6 hours a day for a week)

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

When I had a big tryout to do, I went to 3 camps over summer. One at the begining, then two at the end with about 4 days in-between the last camp and tryouts. It worked pretty good. (Hockey camps give you blisters no matter who you are cause your on the ice 6 hours a day for a week)

Not if your skates fit well and you change your socks every time on the ice.

[Langenbrunner15 0]

Let the kids say when it's to much, than back off. Unless you know they won't say it, then defenitly ask. I would love to do more hockey camps and everything but I have a tough schedule as it is...around 5-6 times a week from augest to march and than 1-2m during the summer but for the camps I am doing..only two weeks of my summer will be hockey filled.

[Langenbrunner15 0]

When I had a big tryout to do, I went to 3 camps over summer. One at the begining, then two at the end with about 4 days in-between the last camp and tryouts. It worked pretty good. (Hockey camps give you blisters no matter who you are cause your on the ice 6 hours a day for a week)

Not if your skates fit well and you change your socks every time on the ice.

agreed...having 6+ hours of ice each day for a week didn't give me blisters at all...only tired and sore at the end. BTW, it wasn't an easy camp either.

[chk hrd 164]

My son is 9 & a pretty good player for his age (probably in the top 5 of 80 or so kids in his age group who play for his org). I didnt have him play spring hockey cause alot of the parents are nuts, & the kids are on the ice 5 times a weekend on average from April to the beginning of July. I was really concerned about the burn out factor. I had & will have him on the ice at a low key hockey camp or scrimmaging once a week from about May to the begginning of August.

Now, I plan to have him in a week long hockey camp at the begininig of July, one at the beginining of August, & then three 4 day camps that are interspersed during the latter part of August & early September . Tryouts are in the middle of September.

Is this too much?

you are worried about burn out and don't let him play summer hockey, but you have a bunch of camps lined up for him. To me camps are alot more hardcore and intense than summer league hockey. I would get more conserned about burnout from them.

Alot has to do with the kid. My kid, who is 12, would live at the rink and just as soon have his skates permantly attached to his feet. But it is MY responsibilty as a parent to do what is best for him so I limit his ice. He has 2 private sessions a week and that is his only "structured hockey" for now. He still goes to stick and puck and plays 3vs3, but those are more fun than anything.

Camps are great, especially the week long ones, but alot of time the kids do not use what they have been taught after they leave. You can take a 3 day power skating camp but when it's done you have to still have someone who knows what they are doing reinforce the training or it was not really worth it.

Missing a camp or two isn't going to kill his development. If he is one of the better players it's not going to make him less of a player or miss a team.

[KYHockey3 0]

imo,

experience is what counts and those extra camps wont hurt him.

as long as he loves the sport and wants to participate in the camps, i think he should go to them.

[hockeymom 2]

My son is 9 & a pretty good player for his age (probably in the top 5 of 80 or so kids in his age group who play for his org).  I had & will have  him on the ice at a low key hockey camp or scrimmaging once a week from about May to the begginning of August.

Now, I plan to have him in a week long hockey camp at the begininig of July, one at the beginining of August, & then three  4 day camps that are interspersed during the latter part of August & early September . Tryouts are in the middle of September.

Is this too much?

you are worried about burn out and don't let him play summer hockey, but you have a bunch of camps lined up for him. To me camps are alot more hardcore and intense than summer league hockey. I would get more conserned about burnout from them.

Camps are great, especially the week long ones, but alot of time the kids do not use what they have been taught after they leave. You can take a 3 day power skating camp but when it's done you have to still have someone who knows what they are doing reinforce the training or it was not really worth it.

Missing a camp or two isn't going to kill his development. If he is one of the better players it's not going to make him less of a player or miss a team.

chk hrd: I completely agree with your points. As a stronger player, Sammy's son is likely to make the team he wants whether he goes to a camp or not...especially at 9 yrs. It all comes down to...as everyone has said...the individual kid and circumstances. And age appropriate development...and life balance. The correct answer will be different for each kid.

I'd like to add this thought to your point on having someone reinforcing training on-going to get full value/benefit from it. This is IDEAL, of course, but for some kids the only "higher level" training they are going to get will come from a camp. Arguably, this makes the camp experience even MORE valuable for them. Between that or nothing..I'd go with the training to get the proper technique down. With painful hindsight, I am pretty committed to camps and weekly skills sessions as the way to go.

Of course...LOL... that's because it mirrors MY reality! My contribution to her hockey is limited to drive and pay and question...and learn as much as I can so I can be an effective guide. Like Sammy and probably a million other parents out there, I've struggled with what's the appropriate balance.

I'll save you the story of our circumstances and the all-too-painful learning curve...but ultimately, knowing what I know now, I would have had my daughter in camps and weekly skills sessions at a younger age in order to learn proper technique from the get-go. I'd say the entire skill-set package, especially skating, has to be in place by Bantam so use that to measure your kid's progress.

[chk hrd 164]

I'd like to add this thought to your point on having someone reinforcing training on-going to get full value/benefit from it. This is IDEAL, of course, but for some kids the only "higher level" training they are going to get will come from a camp. Arguably, this makes the camp experience even MORE valuable for them. Between that or nothing..I'd go with the training to get the proper technique down. With painful hindsight, I am pretty committed to camps and weekly skills sessions as the way to go.

Like I said camps are great, but alot of what gets taught in camp is lost before it gets back on the ice, especially in younger players.

My son (12) attends one camp a season at our local rink and will do the occasional power skating camp that comes. I have always thought that I am money ahead to pay a coach or instructor for private lessons instead of paying for a bunch of camps. But the coach or instructor has to know what they are doing.

Just for argument, say a 3 day camp is $300.00. It has 6 hours of total ice time. That is $50.00 an hour for group training. How much of the group training is dedicated to your kid and how will that training be reinforced after the camp is over. And you would have to add to the expense if the camp is out of town.

If I pay $50.00 for a 1 hour private session I get the same 6 hours of ice time that is dedicated to my kid to work on any part of his game. He has 2, 1 hour sessions a week so the training is constantly reinforced.

To me, it is better to spread the training out over a time period instead of trying to get it in 3 - 4 - 7 days. I think it is easier for the kids to learn and less stressful.

[hockeymom 2]

I'd like to add this thought to your point on having someone reinforcing training on-going to get full value/benefit from it.  This is IDEAL, of course, but for some kids the only "higher level" training they are going to get will come from a camp.  Arguably, this makes the camp experience even MORE valuable for them.  Between that or nothing..I'd go with the training to get the proper technique down.  With painful hindsight, I am pretty committed to camps and weekly skills sessions as the way to go.

Like I said camps are great, but alot of what gets taught in camp is lost before it gets back on the ice, especially in younger players.

My son (12) attends one camp a season at our local rink and will do the occasional power skating camp that comes. I have always thought that I am money ahead to pay a coach or instructor for private lessons instead of paying for a bunch of camps. But the coach or instructor has to know what they are doing.

Just for argument, say a 3 day camp is $300.00. It has 6 hours of total ice time. That is $50.00 an hour for group training. How much of the group training is dedicated to your kid and how will that training be reinforced after the camp is over. And you would have to add to the expense if the camp is out of town.

If I pay $50.00 for a 1 hour private session I get the same 6 hours of ice time that is dedicated to my kid to work on any part of his game. He has 2, 1 hour sessions a week so the training is constantly reinforced.

To me, it is better to spread the training out over a time period instead of trying to get it in 3 - 4 - 7 days. I think it is easier for the kids to learn and less stressful.

Ahhh! Now I get it. The economic reality. I have to balance the relative merits of one hour private versus 4 hours of group.

In my town, privates dry up over the summer because all the instructors are running camps. In-season, an off-prime time private session is $100/hour, semi-privates with 4 skaters are $40/hr. If you can't get there for 3.30 or 4.30 pm M-F, and some just can't with work schedules and rush hour traffic, you're looking at $100/hour for the instructor plus ice (which is 200-300/hour in season). Shooting skills sessions are about $25/hour - depends on the instructor.

On the otherhand, weekly group skills sessions in season ($25-35/hour) and summer/Xmas/march break camps range from $20-25/hour - usually with a ratio of 5:1.

This summer, she is working on a skating treadmill twice a week from May to mid-August and again in Sept to sort out her skating - that clocks in at about $25/hour - and the instructor is always 2 feet away so he doesn't miss a thing. With this, we reduced the camps down to 3 weeks this summer and have increased the fitness component. I think I'm still spending about $2,500-3,000 in the summer all in and I sure hope this largely finishes sorting out the skating issue!!

Next season, with grade nine homework, it is going to be harder to balance school and hockey.

[Langenbrunner15 0]

I am with you hockeymom,

next year with HS will be differnt. I will be having ice house for travel and HS everyday..ansd then with the homwwork...ahhh

[chk hrd 164]

hockeymom: "Ahhh! Now I get it. The economic reality.

For all of us parents out there who go through this we should just call it:

HOCKEYNOMICS