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Girls Spring Hockey 2013 Just Around the Corner!
irls Spring Hockey and WNY Elite Hockey continue to develop and improve selected girl travel players during the spring. The program has grown just as the Girls Game has. Coaches David Carlon, James Roland and Patrick Becker continue to expand and grow the Girls Spring Hockey program. Begun in 2011 the program has grown to accommodate youth age players from throughout the region. The initial focus was on 2001 and 2002 female hockey players, and starting in 2013, will begin to involve the 2003 and 2004 age group. Coach Dave Carlon stated that “eight (8) different organizations were represented at our camp and on the tournament team. We had Elite girls from Syracuse, NY through Erie, PA and organizations in between. Many of the girls play on Boys travel teams during the year but the spring was for them to play with other girls”. The ten (10) week camp/clinic allows players to focus on further developing their skills with other high level players. Competition is a part of every clinic whether it is in stick handling, shooting, passing drills or minigames. Coach Becker indicated “we saw a dramatic improvement from all of our girls from our first clinic to our last tournament game.” Coach Jamie Roland added “not only do the girls leave us with an improved skill set and return to their winter team a better player all around player, they leave with a new set of friends and an experience that they will talk about for year to come”. WNY Elite Hockey for Girls played in four (4) tournaments and won two (2) of them this past spring. WNY Elite Hockey will continue this spring and may play in a variety of events such as Skate for a Cure; Boys vs Girls; and different tourna-
ments such as Kingston, ON, Toronto, and Rochester. If you have a player interested (birth year 01-04), please contact Coach Carlon at girlsspringhockey@yahoo.com as this is a select camp. WHAT IS GIRLS SPRING HOCKEY? This is 10 week camp that concentrates on ice training that will allow our players to develop and improve their individual skills while competing against top quality players. We focus on skills such as puck control, shooting and passing through a variety of small group stations and small ice games that provides players with the confidence to be creative and successful. We provide an exceptional opportunity for our players to create friendships with other top players in the area, and to develop and grow in a structured and organized hockey program. WHERE DO OUR PLAYERS COME FROM? In our first year, we had 15 skaters from the Buffalo area and Southern Ontario, and have grown to over 25 girls that include players from Erie, PA, Rochester, and Syracuse. Most of these players are playing at travel AA levels or higher, and many girls come from Tier 1 and Tier 2 girl teams.
developed our weekly sessions to touch on all aspects of the game, and concentrate on different skills each week. DOES THE CAMP INCLUDE ANY TOURNAMENT PLAY? In our first year, we competed in the CAN-LAN Summer Chill in Toronto. It was a great experience, and we played against older teams. By 2012, we expanded into a variety of opportunities, under the “WNY Elite Hockey” name, we had a team participate in the Skate for Cure, Can-Lan Summer Chill in Toronto, Rochester Maksymum Hockey Spring Tournament, and placed a team in the North American Prospects (NAPS) Tournament. Our 10U and 12U teams placed first in Rochester in June 2012. WHAT IS THE COST – We utilize the Tacoma North Buffalo ice rink, and have 1 and 2 hour sessions on Saturday morning from April through June. The cost is based on the number of players in each session and will range from $150 to $175 per player this season. Tournament costs are extra. Please visit or website at http:// dcarlon.wix.com/girlsspringhockeycom or contact us at girlsspringhockey@yahoo.com for more information. Y (Article submitted by Spring Hockey Program organizers)
WHAT DOES THE PROGRAM OFFER? First and foremost this is a skill development program. We work with top players that have a strong skating ability, and focus our practice plans around individual and small groups. This is not a skating clinic, but we do focus on increased speed and confidence with the puck. We have
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