Hockey season may be four months away, but the kids of Calling Lake can be sure to hit the ice running thanks to the Skills and Drills Hockey program.
Since opening on June 27, the free program offers kids of all ages the space to work on their cardio, practice hand-eye co-ordination and build strength at the Jay Bird Memorial Arena until Aug. 5.
“It’s about getting everybody active and peek all the kids’ interest, but our main focus is to get the kids ready for trying out next season,” said Brandon Kaga, a sport mentor specializing in power lifting. “We’re taking kids of all ages. We don’t want to turn anybody away. We want to encourage them to get fit.”
Kaga said he expects attendance to pick up now that school is officially out, but they have already had kids come in to complete fitness tests, which will help them track their progress over the next few weeks.
“We tried one workout with legs, agility and strength, and they wanted more, so it’s nice to see that,” he said. “(After that), we’ve adjusted and made some harder stuff for the older kids and made some adjustments for the littler kids as well.”
Although the it is advertised as a hockey training program, Kaga emphasized that there’s something that suits everyone’s interest.
In the arena, they offer space to practice hockey accuracy and shooting, weight lifting, golf and in batting cages.
Kaga said the variety of sports and mentors helps develops kids all round co-ordination as well as keeps them entertained.
“Lots of kids really like hockey in this community, so it’s kind of hockey specific as training would go, but hockey specific is full body,” said Nakeh Lamothe, a sport mentor and a Junior ‘A’ hockey player who plays in Saskatchewan. “We all just have something different to offer, and we round each other out.”
Community services co-ordinator Angie Lightning said the program not only acts as a physical training program, but as a mentorship program as well.
Describing it like the Big Brother Big Sisters program, she said she hopes this will give kids the opportunity to make the right choices in their lives.
“This program could change lives,” she said. “Because that kid might make the choice in sport, over whatever they might be doing if we didn’t have this higher level or higher challenge available to them.”
