Programs
Program List
Defensive: While some camps make the claim, Townshend Hockey's is truly the ultimate defensemen’s camp! This camp was designed for defensemen by defensemen. As the man responsible for the skating development of all of our defensemen in San Jose, I can assure you that this program is not taught anywhere as I was the one who designed it.
As a Division I College defenseman, I went from producing 6 points my sophomore year to 20 points my Junior year. This camp will teach your child how I was able to make such a large gain in points scored over the course of one year. Topics include, battle skills, checking, defending the rush, neutral zone counters, defensive zone play (protecting the House), net front defense, joining the rush, shot selection and learning how to get shots to the net.
This program focuses on scoring tactics and 15 scoring techniques and tactics used by today's best NHLer's. These tactics were discovered through hours of research using the most up-to-date video analysis software only used by 5 NHL teams!
Learn the tight jam, the figure 8, and much more. I have also added my one and only "Power Play concept's training program". Ever wonder why some players make the PP and some don't? Well, there are very specific skills NHL coaches want to see; for example, quick decisive puck movement and the ability to know when and how to attack seams. All this and more will be addressed. No other camp in North America offers a Power Play skills program. The key concepts taught will include cut backs, acceleration, advanced edgework and over-speed training. Scoring skills covered include; tip-ins, shooting in stride, one timers, rebounds and more.
Additionally, our innovative puck handling circuit is unmatched by any other school in the country. We will also introduce our camp attendees to our incredible Variable Goals Training (VGT) curriculum, we've been getting such great reviews from parents, coaches and players, that we just pumped it up with new drills and skills.
Overall, our focus will be on teaching the proper hockey skating (not Power Skating) technique.
Rather than small incremental steps, my skating program is designed to exponentially improve the performance of the athlete. I have broken down every element involved in the skill of skating into each of the individual components.
This approach allows me to accurately identify players weaknesses, then I can then attack those weaknesses and eventually eliminate them through constant repetition, reinforcement, and attention to the smallest details.
What is checking? I ask this question at all of my programs and the responses are wrong 90% of the time. Children are not being taught the purpose of checking, the proper way to check, nor are they being taught the meaning of checking. When we get a player at the pro level, we are absolutely amazed at the lack of skill in this area.
I have recently worked at several national hockey camps that claim to lead in this area of instruction, but what I have witnessed are programs that have kids doing everything 100 miles an hour the wrong way and with no instruction or correction. How do they expect a 12-year-old child to figure out this complex series of events on their own?
If there's a reason why I was voted the best body checker in the American Hockey League (AHL), it’s because I was taught to check the correct way and for the right reasons. This is the foundation of my program and it works! Check out our Transition program, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
We have spent several months studying the world's best stickhandling programs and have chosen the most effective drills and moves that can be used to develop high-level stickhandling skills. Through this process, we have developed our very own system of teaching effective, game ready stickhandling skills and moves through our signature "talent building system".
Through our philosophy of "deep practice" and thoughtful, repeated movements, our students learn and retain skills at an alarming rate. We will feature three practical and repeatable moves/dekes that your child will master and use immediately in games.
The Townshend Hockey Video Analysis Program will allow your skater to experience the development provided today’s professional hockey players. Youth hockey programs don’t tend to offer consistent feedback via video.
Video connects the dots in your child’s learning curve, with a visual evaluation that is easy to see and interpret. With hockey being more competitive than ever, it is even more crucial that young players receive more than what is currently being offered.
Checking
One of the reasons I have included checking instruction into my curriculum is because over the years, every program I have witnessed has simply sent kids out to hurt each other without teaching them how to properly execute the most dangerous tactic in the game. We teach the proper way to check and we teach the true definition of checking (it's not what most players think it is). Every aspect of checking is broken down into teaching modules that accelerate the learning and confidence of all of our students. These important checking skills have to be broken down properly to ensure the effectiveness and safety of our young athletes.
Defensive Checking
Every year parents and coaches send their 13 year old children out on the ice to face one of the most dangerous and frightening experiences of their lives...CHECKING. This program teaches contact awareness and confidence. The program teaches kids how to be safe when playing in the most dangerous area of the ice, along the boards. We teach the three types of pressure and how to defend yourself from hits from behind and the goon tactics that many coaches are teaching right now to be unleashed on your child. Research has proven that serious injury rates double once body checking is introduced. Why? Its not the player delivering the hit, its the player being hit that gets the fractured arm or concussion. This program will arm your child with the tools to reduce the occurrence of such injuries. Hockey Skating and Compete Skills Students will be Taught how to compete for time, space, territory and loose pucks. Most programs simply run players through a series of drills just for the sake of doing drills. We commit our time teaching our students how to compete and compete safely using good defensive tactics and techniques. A large portion of the program will include our Hockey Skating and Checking Skills curriculum which will include drills dedicated to body contact confidence and awareness which is useful for players of all ages. Our Heads up program will be an integral part of our Compete Skills curriculum.
This camp is open to ELITE and AAA players only. The program offered is about SPEED and more SPEED. We are going to push our students beyond their limits.
Advanced Edgework will be part of the program. We will be using an edge curriculum developed in Sweden and for the very first time Townshend Hockey Elite and AAA players will get to try to master these insane drills.
Be prepared to explode out of your comfort zone.
Our 2 on 1 semi-private coaching program is open to only 14 students, each player will spend 22 hours on ice in a ultra small group of 2 students and 1 coach. Several weeks prior to camp we will ask which skills you would like us to focus on. We will also do an expert analysis of strengths and weaknesses the first day of camp and develop a program just for your child.
This camp will prove to be a game changer for your child!
Be prepared to explode out of your comfort zone.