The third annual Sunshine Coast summer hockey school was another success.
The main camp wrapped up today (Friday) at the Sunshine Coast Arena. Close to 60 kids took part in the camp with the Tyke/Novice group featuring the most players with 24. Next was the Atom/Peewee group with 19, the Bantam/Midget group had 12 and seven adults joined in the adult camp held for one hour every night.
Participants spent five to six hours at the arena each day with two on-ice training sessions wrapped around an off-ice training session which included lacrosse, soccer, swimming, golf and hockey-specific training with instructor Ryan Eselmont.
Gibsons native Brad Wingfield was back as head instructor for the third year in a row. Eselmont also served as an on-ice instructor along with camp co-cordinator Tom Poulton.
Also helping out were former Coast minor hockey players Danny Baker, David Arduin and Aaron Portman.
The hockey school actually started two weekend's ago with the elite camp for Bantam/Midget rep players. 18 players took part in that three-day camp which also featured both on and off-ice training.
"The elite camp went very well," said Wingfield on Tuesday during a quick break in an on-ice session. "I think all of the players got a chance to take advantage of some great instruction. We're all pro players so it's great to work with players who have a lot of the basic skills and fundamentals. We just tried to enhance those skills and help them to be better all-around players."
Wingfield said it was also helpful to break the two camps up.
"As an instructor it's nice to break things up a bit and work with two different groups in separate camps like we did this year," he said. "The numbers are down a bit this year, but we are seeing a few kids back from last year. Most of these kids haven't been on skates since the end of hockey season in April, so for the first couple of days we're going to do a lot of skating and drills. The kids really want to break out the pucks, but the game is not just about scoring. It's about fundamentals."
Wingfield said he's enjoying being back on the Coast for the summer and instructing at the camp.
He added that it was also great to have guys like Portman, Arduin and Baker help out at the camp.
"It's nice to see the local players helping out and giving something back," he said.
Poulton said he's happy with the turnout even though the numbers are down a bit from last year.
"The total number of kids is a little low, but it's still good," Poulton said. "We have lots of younger kids and that's great. They're our future so it's good to see that enthusiasm with the younger kids."
Following the camp Wingfield is off to Quebec to resume his hockey career.
After spending the last three seasons in the United Hockey League playing with the Danbury Trashers, Wingfield will suit up with the Sherbrooke Saint-Francois of the LNAH (North American Hockey League) a pro league based in Quebec.
"I stopped in there a few years ago on my way to Danbury. They've wanted me to play there for quite a while, but things were going well with Danbury," he said. "Danbury had come financial problems and had to cease operations. Elmira picked me off of waivers, but I've played there before and been down that block. I'm excited about Sherbrooke. They won the league championship last year. It's a good move for me and my family and it's going to be a nice to play hockey in Canada for a change."
