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USA Hockey Announces 13th Annual Sled Hockey Select Camp

By USAHockey.com, 04/22/18, 10:30PM MDT

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For the past 40 summers USA Hockey has conducted various Player Development Camps for young athletes from throughout the country. The goal is to attract the best players in their specific age group to our national development program. One of the primary purposes of the Camps is to identify, train and educate our best athletes. The competition gives each player the opportunity to measure themselves against others their age, gain knowledge about their development and to be exposed to outstanding coaches.

The format of each program creates a very competitive atmosphere. This is to provide a setting with which athletes will compete at their highest level. It is not a tournament but rather a grueling week of training meant to showcase and develop our players as well.

The USA Hockey Player Development Committee is seeking nominations for the thirtieth annual Sled Hockey Select Camp scheduled for July 8-13, 2018 at the Northtown Center in Amherst, New York.

This years’ Camp eligibility will be targeted to:

  • USA Hockey registered male and female players 14-20 years of age (born in 1998, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004).
  • Players over the age of 20 years of age who have been playing sled hockey for three years or less.

The USA Hockey Player Development Committee may also invite to the Sled Hockey Select Camp players under the age of 14 years of age but not younger than 12 years of age at the time the Camp takes place. If you know of a player who fits within this criteria, please also nominate this individual.

Note: The Player Development Committee may, at their sole discretion, invite older players to this Sled Hockey Select Camp who are over the age of 20 with more than three years of playing experience. If you know of a player who fits within this criteria, please also nominate this individual.

Players who are between the ages of 14 and 20 years of age or are over 20 years of age who have been playing sled hockey for three years or less who have been invited to the Sled Hockey Select Sled Camp and who wish to play on the U.S. National Developmental Sled Team for the 2018-19 season must attend this USA Hockey National Sled Select Camp or they will be ineligible to participate on the U.S. National Developmental Sled Hockey Team (USA Hockey reserves the right to select players to the U.S. National Developmental Sled Team who did not attend this Camp based on injury, illness or other special circumstances).

Attendance at the Camp is by invitation only. Nominations will be accepted by the Player Development Committee from sled hockey coaches across the United States. The Player Development Committee will make the final selections for this USA Sled Hockey Camp and will be inviting these players directly once they have been selected.

First time players who are new and who have never attended the USAH Sled Select Camp are required to submit a video for evaluation prior to an invitation being sent. Click here to download video upload instructions. Coaches should submit their nominations and indicate that the video has been submitted.

Players attending this Camp will be living in a dormitory with other players during this Camp and must be able to take care of their daily needs (Parents and/or care-givers will be allotted time daily to assist with certain daily needs on an individual basis).

Through participation in this camp process, players will be exposed to some of the best hockey coaches in the country. Several past USA Sled Hockey Paralympians who won the Gold Medal in Salt Lake City in 2002, the Bronze Medal in Turin, Italy in 2006 the Gold Medal in Vancouver in 2010, the Gold Medal in Sochi in 2014 and most recently the Gold Medal in PyeongChang, South Korea in 2018 will serve as assistant coaches and speakers. Daily curriculum will include intense on-ice and off-ice instruction as well as game competitions.

The total cost to the player for this five-day Camp including room and board is $175.00. Players will be responsible to get to and from Amherst, New York (Pick-up from the Buffalo Niagara Airport will be provided).

Sled hockey coaches are an important part of the nomination process. Coaches are asked to consider players on thier team as well as players on other teams they have competed against. Players should be nominated regardless if they have been nominated or attended the Sled Camp in the past to ensure their possible inclusion. Nominations are due by May 11, 2018.

USA Hockey is proud to conduct this tenth Sled Hockey Select Camp. These Select Camps are very important to the players who wish to not only improve their individual skills but also further their sled hockey careers.

Any questions, please e-mail JJ O’Connor at dublj95@aol.com or Jeremy Kennedy at jeremyk@usahockey.org.