GORE BAY—Young hockey players of all ages in the Gore Bay area took part in a hockey camp put on by Island seasonal resident Roger Chenard over the Christmas holidays.
“We were able to make a deal with the Gore Bay Minor Hockey Association to cover the costs of the ice time over three days to hold a hockey clinic for kids in all divisions, tyke, novice, atoms, peewee and bantam, each day,” said Roger Chenard. “The hockey clinic is being held with players of all ages with the assistance of minor hockey-the coaches and the parents that are interested. It should be a lot of fun.”
Recently, the town of Gore Bay had advertised a job posting for an interim arena assistant for this season, with town employee Dave Hillyard filling this position and Mr. Chenard hired to help him out when needed. “Dave and I talked to parents of players that it would be nice to run a mini hockey camp over the Christmas holidays. And if minor hockey provided the ice time we said we would be willing to put on the hockey camp and take care of the arena.”
“From there the minor hockey association called around to see if there was any interest among players in the different age levels,” said Mr. Chenard. With a great response of those interested the hockey camp was held just after Christmas.
Mr. Chenard has had extensive coaching of kids hockey on all levels, in the NOHA Double A, triple A, and house leagues in Sudbury and Valley East. He even worked at the Garson arena while he was in Grade 9-13 at school.“I’ve run several clinics over my approximately 30 years of coaching hockey. I just love being on the ice.”
“My main focus is to work with the kids on power skating, but also shooting and passing, and a goalie clinic as part of it as well,” Mr. Chenard told the Recorder. “It’s to get the kids out skating, puck handling, and shooting and for the older kids we will have them do some drills and plays, like breaking out of your own zone, as well.”
“My wife and I own a camp in Kagawong and every year we visit between Christmas and New Years,” said Mr. Chenard. “I’m just recently retired and when I saw the advertisement for help at the arena I applied, and now I’m going to be helping Dave (Hillyard) out the rest of this season.”
“My youngest son will also be at the clinic, he is a personal trainer for Laurentian University athletes,” said Mr. Chenard. “He will be here one day to provide basic physical fitness tips.”
“It is all about the kids and giving them something fun to do over the holidays,” said Mr. Chenard. “I’m sure some kids will have received new skates or other equipment for Christmas and it gives them a chance to break in this new equipment as well. Minor hockey has been really good about all of this, they deserve all the credit. It’s all fun.”
