New York Hockey Journal

April 2020 www.nyhockeyjournal.com 29 ing sure there is plenty of fun happen- ing at camp. Yes, players mostly play be- cause they love the game, but balancing learning with fun helps make the camp experience more valuable. Barletta explained how he breaks up the day at his camps. "You've got to break it up. You can't just drill, drill, drill," he said. "We'll play a game in the middle. We'll have four groups on the ice, and we'll call code blue, and everyone is working hard, and we'll say go take the pucks from the kids, go push the coach into the net. At the end of every ice session, we try to play games. It's athletic based, but now, all the kids are having fun. They're getting con- ditioning, but they don't realize. They're smiling, and it's all they want to do the next day. It motivates the kids to work harder during the session because they know they're going to get rewarded at the end." The learning players do at camp doesn't just occur on the ice, however. There is plenty of off-ice learning hap- pening as well. Barletta said his staff makes the most of having more time than the hourlong practices school or club teams can have. Instructors will start teaching concepts off the ice so players can slowly under- stand the concept before transitioning their knowledge on the ice. Crowe said at Elite Hockey Camps, a boarding camp, a lot of the experience is living in a dorm and meeting new people. "It's amazing to see the independence they gain in one week," she said. "They meet kids from all over the country and form camaraderie. Parents tell us in the cars they hear about the new teammates, the ice cream in the dining hall, and who won the Wiffle ball tournament first be- fore their on-ice experience." Players and families on travel teams often form strong bonds with their teammates and their families because of how much time they spend together. A player might be nervous going to a camp where they do not know many people, but camps such as Elite Hockey and RB Hockey School offer a family en- vironment. Crowe worked at the camp for many years alongside her father, who founded the camp, before taking over, and she said about 80 percent of the staff returns every year, creating an extended "Elite Hockey family." Barletta coaches at every camp he puts on alongside his two daughters and son. On the RB Hock- ey website, even Barletta's dog, Jake, is listed as part of the camp's staff. The family atmosphere at camps helps create a warm and welcoming en- vironment for the players. "The players, when they see how well we get along and also for many of them familiar faces from the year before, they feel a sense of being in a safe environment," Crowe said, "a sense of comfort seeing familiar faces year after year." "I feel I'm the luckiest guy, getting to help develop these kids," Barletta added. "It's amazing having my kids coach. My daughter, Samantha, is such a good coach. She runs a power-skating session for the younger players. I'd rath- er put them with her than any coach around. She's been doing it for the past 14 years, and she cares about it. It's re- ally awesome." While players can get wrapped up in winning and losing, which can affect their moods and attitudes, camp is all about two things: learning and having a good time. You know it's a good time when even the adults don't want to leave. "I absolutely love camp. It's my fa- vorite time of the year," Barletta said. "I could stay on the ice all day. I wish I could just skate with the kids all day. That's the best, when you see how much they've improved during the week." feedback@nyhockeyjournal�com Can/Am Hockey; Elite Hockey Camps (bottom) Can/Am offers grade-A instruction at Lake Placid's iconic 1980 Rink at Herb Brooks Arena, with outdoor activites as well. Elite Hockey Camps REGISTER ONLINE laurastamm.com OR CALL 1.800.750.3502. QUICKER. FASTER. EFFICIENT. THE ULTIMATE TECHNIQUE TRAINING FOR EXPLOSIVE SPEED. LAURA STAMM I N T E R N A T I O N A L POWER SKATING SYSTEM S I N C E 1 9 7 1 POWER SKATING @lspowerskating

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