The Athabasca Aces are going to take you to school.
The senior ‘AA’ hockey team will host the annual Aces Hockey School at the Athabasca Regional Multiplex from Wednesday, Sept. 7 to Sunday, Sept. 11. There will be a number of learning opportunities for young hockey players, and even some older ones.
‘Plan A’ of the camp is for kids aged 6-9 and costs $200. Running each night of the camp from 5-7:30 p.m., it will consist of both on and off-ice training as well as a classroom session.
‘Plan B’ of the camp is for kids aged 10 and older and costs $225. Running from 6:30-9 p.m., they will also train on and off the ice as well as in the classroom.
A special checking clinic will be held on the Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It will be open to players from second-year atom up to midget. Goalies can also get involved in the camp for $200, training from 5-9 p.m. and receiving specialized instruction.
Finally, players can attend an extra conditioning camp each night (8:15-9:30 p.m.). The $100 program is open to peewee, bantam and midget players.
There will also be a session for adult female players on the Friday night of the camp. The cost to attend is $50.
The Aces coaches and players will be joined at the camp by instructors Chris Giacobbo (a former Athabasca Winterhawk who now plays with the Grant MacEwan Griffins) and Wes Craig (head coach of the Fort Saskatchewan Traders).
“The camp is all about trying to provide a good atmosphere for the young kids around the Athabasca area,” said Aces head coach Tony Kiselyk. “We have lots of players on the Aces who have been coaches over the years. They have a lot of experience to convey to the younger kids.”
And for those Aces players who haven’t coached before, the camp is a good opportunity to get a feel for being on the other side of the game.
“They’ve all played lots, but when it comes to teaching other people how to play, it makes you look at the game in a different manner,” explained the coach.
The Aces are always happy to give back to the community, and to forge relationships with the young players who will hopefully be cheering them on this year. In previous years, the school has been a popular one, and the Aces are hoping to share their experience with a number of young local hockey players once again this year.
“It’s a real good way for our guys to be involved in the community.”
For more information on the camp, contact Rob Balay at 780-675-2967.
