The North Female Hockey Program is set to begin Aug. 16 to 21. (submitted photo/North Female Hockey Program)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Women's Hockey

Annual hockey camp set to start

Aug 7, 2019 | 10:00 AM

Female hockey players from Prince Albert and the surrounding area are set to get some top level instruction.

The fifth annual North Female Hockey Program is set to begin Aug. 19 to 21 at the Art Hauser Centre. Darren Fidler, who serves as a director with the Prince Albert Female Hockey Association which organizes the camp said this year they are excited to have Sami Jo Small, a two-time Olympic gold medalist as the head instructor.

“Sami Jo was here two years ago just as a special guest instructor for a one-day thing and she also runs her own hockey camp out in Winnipeg as well, so she’s very knowledgeable,” he said.

The camp will boast a number of instructors in Brooke Hobson, Jessica Vance and Kaitlyn Willoughby, who have come up through the Northern Bears and are now playing in the NCAA and CIS. Fidler said having local athletes involved is important when it comes to inspiring the next generation, which is something he sees first hand.

“My girls themselves have been following Kaitlyn, Brooke and Jessica’s careers, you know, and they’re coming up into the atom and peewee levels and watching them as Bears and seeing where they’ve gone,” he said.

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Fidler said there are still some spots open and generally they take around 60 players. Along with on ice instruction is a dry land training component which includes yoga. There are also classes which aim to teach players about concussions and equipment safety.

Looking back, Fidler said the camp has not only grown in terms of the number of people taking part, but also in terms of reach, with a number of participants coming from outside P.A.

“We have people from LIoydminister, Meadow Lake this year, a little bit from down South,” he said.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn