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It’s never too late to take up hockey

Jets Hockey Development Adult Skill Development programs give players of all ages and skill levels the chance to learn the game

You won’t find anyone on the Jets Hockey Development (JHD) team subscribing to the saying that you can’t teach an old dog a new trick. Particularly not at their Adult Skill Development program. The program is proof that it’s never too late to learn something new.

“At one session, I asked who had been playing since they were 5 years old, and nobody raised their hand. I asked who started when they were between 10 and 20 years old, and nobody raised their hand,” said JHD Head Instructor Devin Himpe. “Everybody in the group started at 30 or later.”

One player for whom that’s the case is Weichi Truong.

“A lot of my friends and their kids nowadays are into hockey and it’s a world I know very little about – I follow the Winnipeg Jets but what I see on TV is the extent of my knowledge of hockey,” said Truong.

And though Truong is a father of two in his early 40s, that hasn’t stopped him from trying to improve his hockey skills, which he’s doing through JHD’s Adult Skill Development program at hockey for all centre.

“I’ve got a 3 and 6-year-old, and I wanted to know more about hockey in case they were interested in picking up the sport,” Truong stated. “I figured I might as well have some fun while I’m at it and try to learn a new sport.”

Though the Adult Skill Development program is different for JHD coaches in that they aren’t training with young athletes working towards making their AAA team or playing at the junior or pro levels, their focus as coaches remains the same – individual skill development.

What might be different from the youth programs they run is the motivation behind participation.

“For a lot of our participants, it’s about getting some exercise, having fun, spending time with friends, and working on their game,” noted Brett Wur, another JHD Head Instructor, on the sessions that run in the morning prior to work hours and later in the evening to accommodate life schedules for participants.

Already in his first few sessions, Truong found himself soaking in more information than he knew he would need.

“I thought all I needed to learn was how to make a saucer pass and two-foot stop on a dime,” Truong commented. “I’ve quickly learned there’s much more I need to learn like skating efficiently, stickhandling, and using my edges to protect the puck.”

Though Truong had a few apprehensions about participating as a newcomer to the sport, those were quickly put to rest at the first session. The coaches and participants were all very encouraging and supportive to everyone, which is an atmosphere they work hard to create.

“These sessions are a safe place,” said Himpe, noting he’s coached adults from age 20 to 70 in these programs. “This isn’t a place where you’re going to come in and criticize someone for not making a pass, because they may have just figured out how to skate. You see players helping each other get better too.”

One instance of that camaraderie came at one of the adult games JHD hosts at Canada Life Centre for participants of the Adult Skills program – a regular highlight for coaches and players alike as they skate at the home of the Winnipeg Jets.

“We had a couple that just started skating and they were worried about being the weakest players and that people would be flying around them,” said Wur. “That wasn’t the case at all. They got pucks passed to them and were involved. You could see how many smiles there were at that game.”

That kind of environment makes Adult Skill Development sessions a place where many players want to keep coming back to continue getting better.

“There really is a team atmosphere,” added Himpe. “For some players, maybe they’re getting a chance to be a part of something they didn’t think they could be.”

It’s an environment that keeps Truong coming back, and the more he comes back and works on his game, the greater appreciation he gains for the Jets players he watches regularly.

“In various drills, I’ve struggled with taming a bouncing puck, trying to receive a pass that was slightly behind me, or stickhandling while moving my feet with somebody on my hip. The pros do this on the regular with what looks like very little effort.”

Though it might take some effort, Himpe, Wur and the other JHD coaches are confident that players like Truong can achieve those skills they’re working on too – and that will only keep fuelling their fire to get better.

“It’s just like a little kid realizing they raised the puck for the first time, or trying something on their backhand. I’ve had a couple of those moments with the adults too, and they get that same sense of joy. Once they get that feeling, then they get hooked and want to keep coming back,” said Himpe.

Get hooked on improving your game with Jets Hockey Development’s Adult Skill Development program. Sign up today at hockeyforallcentre.com/JetsHockeyDevelopment.

Confidence is Built on Simplicity and Effort

While athletes’ mental health and psychological performance in sports is becoming more recognized today, it is still underappreciated. There are many different techniques that aim to aid an athlete’s performance, but the thread that connects them all is confidence. From a psychological standpoint, confidence is an athlete’s thoughts, which form their beliefs, influence their behaviours, set their expectations, and create their perception. That perception becomes their reality.

Confidence also has a huge influence on perhaps one the most sought-after athletic attributes – speed. In a game situation, speed is a mix of both physical and mental ability. An athlete can have all the physical tools to produce speed, but if they are not confident in what their job is, where they are supposed to be, how the play is going to develop, or what they are capable of, they will play apprehensive and slow.

With the knowledge of what confidence is and why it’s important, the big question is: how do you get it? Since confidence is a psychological attribute, the answer may surprise some – you actually want to shut off your brain. Overthinking a scenario or second guessing yourself reduces your confidence and slows your reaction. A large part of being able to shut your brain off and perform has to do with your level of preparation. This is where practice comes in. Practice doesn’t make perfect, but it does help build confidence. When you physically perform a task, you create neural pathways. The more you do it, the deeper the pathways become and the more it becomes ingrained. When you carry this over to a game situation, you can perform tasks without overthinking and they become automatic, and because they feel automatic, your confidence will be high. There is a belief and expectation that we can do it, and this positively affects our behaviour, making perception a reality.

To make sure your confidence is high, put a full effort into practice. Perform drills with intensity, watch film, ask questions, and know your situational responsibilities. If you feel your confidence is low during a game, shut your brain off and focus on the simplest of tasks. These tasks will be things that require no talent: skating hard, forechecking, backchecking, and being in the correct position, which you should know from film and meetings. Do not try to do too much; keep it simple and watch your confidence begin to grow as you lean into the aspects of your game that you have practiced the most.

It is often the simplest things that make the biggest difference. That’s not to say they are easy. Putting a full effort into practice isn’t always easy, but it is simple. Watching film and paying attention in meetings isn’t always easy either, but it is simple. These all require effort, and the good news is that effort is one of the few things that is one hundred percent under your control at all times.

Confidence is key to your performance. Build it and maintain it by doing the little things right.

Until next time,
Strength, Courage, Hustle, Commitment

AJ Zeglen

This article was originally published in Game On – Manitoba’s hockey community magazine. 

More programs, more development

Jets Hockey Development to provide more summer programs and camps than ever before

In hockey, the calendar is often split into the season and the offseason. But for the Jets Hockey Development (JHD) team that operates out of the four-rink hockey for all centre, there is no offseason in the summer months, but rather a time to focus more heavily on individual skill development.

Summer camps and training sessions have been key programs for JHD for some time, but they’re bringing their summer camp game to another level this year by offering more programming than they ever have before. The goal, of course, is to bring the game of the many athletes they work with to another level too.

“Players just learn from these summer programs. They learn about the detail of the things they’re working on, and that’s something that often gets overlooked in winter during the season when there’s a focus on the team and what’s happening during their games. Often, the player development doesn’t get worked on,” said Dave Cameron, Head On-Ice Instructor and Program Manager for JHD. “That’s what we want to provide the players in the summer – the opportunity to get better and to work on specific things that will help them in the game.”

JHD will run day and evening camps for youth every week of the summer, with day camps running Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and evening camps running from Monday to Thursday. The day programs will be aimed at younger players, while the evening programs will be for some of the older players.

“We’re always looking at hurdles and what prevents players from coming, and then we try to get over those hurdles and find a way to make our programming accessible for everybody,” Cameron said of the additional camps and programming this year. “The intention is to have a fun environment where players want to train and want to work on their skills.”

With programs including everything from on-ice work to Focus Fitness gym sessions, boardroom and team-building work, Cameron and the JHD team are confident they’ll achieve that fun environment for all involved.

And with the team offering ice time that works for players with a variety of different schedules, there’s a spot for any young hockey player wanting to better their game.

“What we’re trying to do is give players different options to develop the skills that they need,” Cameron continued, speaking on week-long programs for younger players that allow them to choose the camp that works on the skills they need to improve in. “They can still have a summer, they can still be kids and do what they want to do, but this allows them to really set themselves up for a successful tryout come September, where the preparation that they’ve put in can really be shown.”

For those further along in their hockey careers and looking to take things more seriously, the option is there to train with JHD all summer long. And with the team adding more high level and college programming for female players, as well as adding another junior program in the evenings for players who are working during the day, there are no shortage of options for players to keep working on their game throughout the warmer months.

“Players are very successful from those programs and a lot of them have had great years. We’re excited to see those players who are ready for that summer-long commitment.”

Perhaps the best examples of just how much hockey development programming JHD is offering this summer will come at the end of August. In the final two weeks of the month, JHD will be operating on three rinks simultaneously. One week they’ll have one rink for programming and another for camps at hockey for all centre while they run a satellite camp at Gateway Community Centre. The following week, they’ll have one rink for programming at hockey for all centre and camps at both Gateway Community Centre and Selkirk Recreation Complex.

“We’re thrilled to be able to see that many players and give them the tools they need,” said Cameron. “But we’re equally excited to work with that many players because it means we get to continue building on the relationships that we’ve developed in the winter season. Those continued relationships mean we get to know the player that much better, and we can aid their development even more.”

Do you want to bring your game to the next level this summer? Sign up for JHD summer programs and camps now by clicking the “Register” link under the Jets Hockey Development tab at hockeyforallcentre.com.

Be an Athlete

There has been an overemphasis placed on specialization for youth in sports lately. This is caused by a trickle-down effect from the pros. Everyone wants to know what the pros do, and with all the different media avenues available, seeing what they do has never been easier. The problem is that they are at the age and point in their careers that specialization is beneficial for them, but young athletes are not.

Specializing as an athlete at a young age is the equivalent of building a nice house on a poor foundation. In order to specialize in a sport or a skill set within a sport, you need access to a set of foundational skills. These foundational skills are developed through exposing yourself to different situations which comes from playing different sports.

There is a strong connection between your mind and your body. When you perform a skill or movement for the first time, a neural pathway is developed. This allows you to perform that movement again more efficiently in the future. The prime ages when youth develop a lot of their athletic attributes like balance, hand-eye coordination, reaction time and proprioception is during the early teens. This is because at this age, the brain is gong through a process called myelination. Myelination is a maturing process of the brain where neurons communicate faster, more efficiently, and in a more coordinated fashion that allows the brain to become more integrated. Simply put, this is a prime time to develop athletic skills and attributes.

Unfortunately, sports have changed so much that these are the ages that athletes are starting to specialize in one sport, which only exposes them to the stimulus found in that particular sport. In essence, it is hindering athletic development. A much better option would be to play as many sports as possible during the early teenage years to widen your athletic foundation. With a more comprehensive athletic base, you can increase your ability to specialize in your given sport as you get older.

Let’s not forget that there are plenty of other benefits to playing multiple sports in your early teenage years, including expanding your social and networking circles and opening yourself up to different experiences. The truth is that the majority of athletes will never play their sport professionally, and the opportunities for young athletes to experience different sports shrinks as they get older. Take advantage of the opportunity while you can – there is plenty of time to specialize as you get older. And when that time comes, the better overall athlete you are, the better you will be able to specialize.

Don’t just be a football or soccer or basketball or hockey player. Be an athlete!

Until next time,

Strength, Courage, Hustle, Commitment

AJ Zeglen

JHD Coach Himpe proud to participate in Hockey Can’t Stop Tour

written by Mitchell Clinton

Jets Hockey Development On-ice Instructor Devin Himpe didn’t have a front row seat to the Hockey Can’t Stop tour finale between the Ukraine U25 national team and the University of Manitoba Bisons. He actually had a better one.

The 34-year-old was on the Bisons’ bench for the memorable night, one that he says will stand out in his mind forever.

“I’ll remember that night for a long time,” he said. “Everything from the anthems, to the reason the game was taking place, to even just coaching at Canada Life Centre, it’s something that will always stand out for me.”

The product of Dauphin, MB has been a full-time instructor with Jets Hockey Development at hockey for all centre for several years and – as if that’s not enough hockey – he’s also been an assistant coach with the Bisons for the last eight seasons.

So combining his love of the game with the opportunity to be part of a special evening, and getting to take his coaching skills from hockey for all centre to Canada Life Centre was something he couldn’t wait to be part of.

On top of those two things, there is also a little bit of Ukrainian heritage in Himpe’s family, as well as his wife Tara’s.

For a seven-year run in his high school days and well into his time as a student at the University of Manitoba, Himpe stayed involved with Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival, held annually just outside of Dauphin.

“My mom was a big part for a few years in helping to run the National Ukrainian Festival,” he said. “Being able to see the culture on that side of it – the dancing, the singing, and a lot of Ukrainian people coming together, and how amazing those people were – I knew it was going to translate into this game as well.”

The Bisons coaching staff – head coach Mike Sirant, Himpe, and fellow assistant coach Ryan Bonni – started hearing about the tour in late October.

“We definitely wanted to be part of it and get on it pretty quick. Mike decided to talk with Mark Chipman and discuss getting True North involved,” said Himpe. “For myself, working for True North through Jets Hockey Development and hockey for all centre, I was really excited to be able to come to Canada Life Centre, have the game be here, and have the practices be here. It was exciting.”

The night was everything the players, and Himpe, could have hoped for. As both a minor hockey development coach with Jets Hockey Development and as a university hockey coach, Himpe regularly gets to see the passion Manitobans have for all levels of hockey. But the nearly 8,000 fans that filled the lower bowl and the atmosphere they created is something that he won’t soon forget.

The final score wasn’t what Himpe and the Bisons were looking for, as Ukraine earned a 5-1 victory – their first on the Hockey Can’t Stop Tour after losses to the University of Calgary, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.

But as Sirant put it after the game, this matchup was always about more than hockey, and he felt the nearly 8,000 in attendance (including almost 4,000 Ukrainian refugees), knew that as well.

“We talked about that in the dressing room. Our players can feel really good about what they contributed to making this game happen,” said Sirant. “So many people are going to benefit from this, not only the Ukraine team, but also people in Ukraine from the humanitarian aid that will be derived from this game.

“To play a small role in hosting this event had special meaning for me, to know that people in Ukraine were going to benefit, and this hockey team – Ukraine’s hockey team – was going to benefit from it.”

Not unlike his role with Jets Hockey Development – which is dedicated to providing every program participant the very best opportunity to develop as a hockey player and as a person – there was development both on and off the ice for the players, coaches, and staff on the Ukrainian squad as well on the Bisons team.

On the ice, the main purpose for the Ukrainian team was to face university level competition ahead of the 2023 FISU Winter World University Games, held in Lake Placid from January 12 – 22, 2023 – an event Himpe attended overseas in 2019 with Team Canada.

“It’s probably the closest thing to an Olympics that you can get into,” he recalled. “You’re there with every other athlete – downhill skiers, curlers, snowboarders, bandy players, hockey players, male, female – it’s everybody.

“There is an athlete village, you’re eating with other countries, you’re carrying your phone around with Google Translate a lot because sometimes you don’t know what they’re saying – and they don’t know what you’re saying. It was a very cool experience.”

Off the ice, it was about showing players and fans – including the nearly 4,000 Ukrainian refugees in the stands in downtown Winnipeg – that their country is still fighting even as the war continues, and that people all the way over in Canada care for them and want to support them.

Thanks to the efforts of so many people, including Himpe – mission accomplished.