By Mike Dennis, Hockey Alberta /
In the hockey world, November means hockey season is in full swing. Every minor hockey association in the province has its ice in and teams selected. The final numbers aren’t in just yet, but it appears minor hockey registration in Alberta will grow once again this year, increasing the number of kids playing organized hockey to around 60,000.
As a result, the demand for Grassroots Development Programming is increasing. Hockey Alberta’s Development Team is putting on a full slate of Grassroots Programs in the month of November to facilitate the growing demand. Novice-aged players and parents can learn about attitude and respect at a Source for Sports Play SMART Jamboree. Atom-aged players will have the chance to participate in an Atom 4-on-4 Festival where there are no whistles, no scores, but an emphasis on fun. Peewee players have the opportunity to suit up with either the Calgary Flames or Edmonton Oilers at a Peewee Skills Challenge. Dates, locations and registration information can be found at www.hockeyalberta.ca.
Developing players in Alberta at a young age through Grassroots Programming builds the foundation for players, if they choose to continue developing at an elite level in the Team Alberta Program starting at the age of 13. The Team Alberta Program gives athletes the opportunity to compete at a provincial, national and international level depending on the age group. November traditionally marks the pinnacle event for Team Alberta’s U18 Female squad, the National Women’s U18 Championship. This year’s tournament was held Nov. 4 to 8 in Surrey, B.C. where Team Alberta posted a 3-1 record, good enough for fifth place in the country.
A new tradition was started this November when Alberta hosted the inaugural Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup where Team Alberta U16 Male defeated Team Manitoba 6-4 in an amazing comeback win to capture the gold medal.
For more information on Hockey Alberta Programs and Events visit www.hockeyalberta.ca. |