Hockey camps in Yellowknife have always had top-notch instructors with impressive resumes come up from the south and teach what they've taught to National Hockey League players.
NWT Soccer thought it was time to do the same this past weekend.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer sent some of its academy coaches up to the city for the first of what it hopes will be several visits for the team in coming years. The camp was at the Fieldhouse and had approximately 40 players come out to work with coaches Sam Heap, who's based at the Whitecaps' academy in the Kootenay region of B.C., and Jonathan O'Neil from the Saskatoon Prospects camp in Saskatchewan.
Heap said from the standpoint of sight unseen, he liked what he saw.
SA国际影视传媒淭he players here know their stuff,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭here's a bit of work that needs to be done, but they've got the basics down well.SA国际影视传媒�
The camp followed exactly what the Whitecaps do in their academies around the country, something Heap called Whitecaps Aware, a mixture of on-field and classroom work, the latter of which was done at the Multiplex.
SA国际影视传媒淭he kids all seemed keen to learn and they took to everything right away,SA国际影视传媒� said Heap. SA国际影视传媒淭hey've got that thirst to learn and when you have a group like that, that makes our job that much easier.SA国际影视传媒�
The deal between NWT Soccer and the Whitecaps now means that players from the NWT have a pathway to either the Whitecaps Boys Academy or the Girls Elite Program. One player who's part of the pathway is Cole Clinton, who's been to the Saskatoon Prospects academy.
SA国际影视传媒淐ole goes down to work with Jonathan in Saskatoon,SA国际影视传媒� said Heap. SA国际影视传媒淭hat's a big part of our set-up SA国际影视传媒� we're happy to have players from other academies join in and help us in new or other areas. Having Cole explain to the kids what it's like to be part of an academy system is great, because he's used to the way we train, the session tempo and the session content. He's a good asset to have.SA国际影视传媒�
Even as far away as Yellowknife is, Heap said he wants to be able to give players the chance to move ahead and develop further.
SA国际影视传媒淛onathan and I have assessed every kid, we made notes all the time, and we're giving all that back to our main guys in Vancouver,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭here's also high-potential tournaments, where players are invited to go and play in different tournaments from all over western Canada and see how their level transfers to other areas.SA国际影视传媒�
Lyric Sandhals, NWT Soccer's executive director, said the plan is to have at least one academy visit in the fall-winter and spring-summer for as long as possible.
Getting the Whitecaps to come to Yellowknife is something NWT Soccer has wanted for a while, she added.
SA国际影视传媒淭hey've been going to Yukon for a few years so we've been working on this for a few months now,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淭he Whitecaps do a really good job at marketing their brand and the brand is well-known. The programs they offer are quality so we didn't have to do too much marketing for the camp.SA国际影视传媒�
