Summer camp can be a way to have fun, make friends, and broaden one’s horizons. It can also be a great place to participate in sports and other activities with fellow campers. Canlan Sports summer hockey camps combine the best of both these worlds: They provide a fun and social environment in which your child can play an exciting sport and hone their skills. Read more
Canlan Sports Camp, operated by Canlan Sports, has been delivering camps for more than 20 years. Its signature program is its summer hockey camp. With over 15 sports complexes across Canada and the U.S., it’s home to thousands of hockey players from coast to coast, mostly kids between the ages of 6 and 12.
Canlan Sports also offers weekly hockey (and skating) programs throughout the year, that run between 10 and 12 weeks. And, as a bonus, it sends many of its campers off to its youth hockey leagues.
Canlan groups campers based on age and skill level. “We watch kids on the ice and assess how to group players for the best development experience,” says Danielle MacMillan, product manager of Canlan Sports. It’s not all about skill level, however. “We try to gauge how much fun they’re having on the ice and how much fun they might have off the ice. This helps us place them in the ideal group with the ideal program.”
Canlan’s summer hockey camps are truly one of a kind. The fact that Canlan owns and runs the buildings enables them to completely control the environment of the camps and the camper experience. “The kids are on the ice three to four hours a day,” says MacMillan. “We create exciting experiences on the ice. Off the ice, we want to make sure the kids have fun.”
Canlan Sports has superb hockey instructors. They know the game inside and out, and they’re experts at building skills, camaraderie, and a dynamic and active environment.
Recently, Canlan introduced Play Forward Pathway, which is a development system for players that guides them through the essential skills necessary to becoming a complete hockey player. This system enables coaches to develop kids' hockey skills in optimal ways. But coaches focus on far more than skill development. “They show kids how to become great teammates,” says MacMillan. “And there’s no waiting around or standing in lines. All the kids are very active—playing, practising, and having fun.”
One of the great virtues of Canlan Sports is its inclusivity. While its summer hockey camps have plenty of boys, lots of girls also participate, and they’re given a unique experience. In the girls-only camps, girls are given women instructors, who not only provide skills training but also personal support: they act as mentors and role models to the young girls. “We love the opportunity to show how we’re supporting women’s hockey in an effective and unique way,” says MacMillan. “One of our aims is to help women’s hockey grow from the grass roots.”
Inclusivity, for Canlan, also means providing the opportunity for all kids, regardless of their skill level, to play hockey. This starts with beginners. Though the camps have some elite players, this is more the exception than the rule. Says MacMillan, “We want to make hockey available to anyone, and cultivate a love of the game in them.”
A huge attraction of Canlan Sports hockey camps is their end of session Friday competition. “Kids get to show off the skills they built,” says MacMillan. “We have a fastest skater and fastest shot competition. We have an all-star game. Kids really get to let loose and have fun. Parents love watching this as well.”
Finally, the locker room is a major focal point of the camps. Kids and coaches develop relationships and forge close bonds there, spawning some wonderful camaraderie. “Many kids end up making friends that go well beyond camp,” says MacMillan. “Our hockey camps, as the kids know well, are key meeting points for friends during the summer and other times of year.”
Perhaps that’s one reason so many people trust the Canlan Sports brand, and that they keep coming back. In addition to the high quality of instruction, the friendly and exciting environment the kids play hockey in is an essential part of the camp experience.
To learn more about Canlan Sports, click here: Canlan Sports™: It's where we play.™
To learn more about Canlan Sports summer hockey camps, click here: Camps - Canlan Sports™: It's where we play.™
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