'15 WRHP Camp Recap

Cody Lampl, one of over 30 volunteer coaches at this year's camp, instructs players from Team Royal Blue and Team Red at their very first practice.

The 2015 Western Regional High Performance Camp is in the books, and once again it was an incredibly memorable experience for players and staff members alike.

The six-day camp, held on the campus of Colorado College in Colorado Springs, included a collection of over 200 players from three USA Hockey districts: the Pacific, Rocky Mountain, and Northern Plains Districts. The specific states included in those districts are shown to the left. 

In all, more than half of the geographic United States was represented at the WRHP Camp, with this year's crop of players having been born in 2001. While most players don't receive an invitation to participate with USA Hockey until they are 15 (this year, that would be the 2000 birth year), the three aforementioned districts came together to establish this camp in the hopes of giving 14-year olds (2001 birth year) an early taste of hockey at this high level, therefore better preparing them for success as they move forward. 

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Upon arrival at the camp, players were immediately assigned a roommate and dorm room in Colorado College's Loomis Hall. For the entirety of the camp, players stayed in CC dorm rooms while sharing the same hall as their coaches and fellow teammates. In addition to adjusting to life in the dorms, players also ate every breakfast, lunch and dinner at CC's Rastall Dining Hall while also taking time throughout the day to enjoy various team building activities (such as the one shown below featuring Coach Ty Hennes and the players of Team Black). In addition, players were able to enjoy soccer, football, whiffle ball, and many other recreational activities on the facilities of Colorado College. 

Throughout the week, players and parents in attendance were also treated to a number of seminars and presentations, with the topics covered including nutrition, strength and conditioning, academics, and opportunities available in midget, junior, and college hockey. Speakers from College Hockey Inc., the USHL, NAHL, Colorado College, and various junior hockey programs and prep schools were in attendance to provide players with valuable and important information for their development both on and off of the ice. 

Team Black, joined by coaches Ty Hennes and Ben Eaves, enjoy one of their first meals of camp at Colorado College's Rastall Dining Hall.

WRHP Camp Co-Director Flint Doungchak answers questions and welcomes players at the first meeting of camp.

Players gathered in Colorado College's Beemis Hall throughout the week to hear from a number of speakers and presenters provided by USA Hockey.

Perhaps the highlight of the week was a trip to USA Hockey Headquarters where each bus of players was personally greeted by hockey legend and 2014 USA Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, Lou Vairo. The former national team head coach personally showed the WRHPC players around the facility, giving them a one-of-a-kind look at USA Hockey's history, and (more importantly) what its future could be. Before wrapping up the tour, Vairo ensured that each player received a handshake and a few quick words of encouragement. From there, players then walked just across the street to Broadmoor World Arena, the home of the Colorado College Men's Hockey team. Once again, the WRHPC players were given an all-access tour that included a look inside the CC locker room and training facilities. 

Of course, the players enjoyed plenty of ice time as well, including (at least) one practice and one game for every full day of camp. Starting on Saturday, players hit the ice in the morning for the very first practice with their new teammates. For each subsequent day, players met with their team every morning for an hour-long practice that utilized a number of drills and skills challenges created under the ADM (American Development Model) format. For 60 minutes, the WRHP Camp's staff of volunteer coaches put players through some of the most exciting and high-octane practices they've ever experienced, using cutting-edge techniques and practice plans developed to maximize performance while decreasing the amount of wasted time and wasted space on the ice.

Later in the afternoons and evenings, players reconvened on the ice for the most anticipated part of the day - game time. Every afternoon starting at 2pm, teams would face off in actual games, utilizing the skills they learned in the morning while also receiving instruction from an array of stellar coaches. Each game included two periods that lasted 30-minutes each with a running clock. However, one particular rule change was implemented and it flipped the camp upside down. Rather than having the center line serve as the primary icing line, camp directors and staff members decided to move the icing line UP to the attacking blue line. Therefore, players could not "dump the puck in" until AFTER they crossed their team's attacking blue line or else they would risk taking an icing. The goal of the rule change was to help encourage the puck carrier to make a play rather than taking the "safe" way out and simply dumping it in. With the goal and emphasis of this camp being "development" the camp's staff were never shy about shaking things up in the hopes of increasing development and learning, and it certainly paid off as the camp progressed and player's began to exhibit more confidence and an increased ability to make decisions while possessing the puck. 

The intensity (and the fun) picked up when game time rolled around as players got a chance to show off the skills they learned in the morning practices.

After four games, teams were reassigned by their point total (2 points for a win, 1 for a tie, 0 for a loss) before playing in Thursday's championship round. Games started in the morning with the #10 and #9 seeds facing off, followed by the #8 seed vs. the #7 seed, and so on. After a mad scramble the day before for the two spots in the championship game, the 2015 WRHP Camp finally culminated with the #1 seed Team Kelly Green defeating the #2 seed Team Black by a score of 6-1, thereby earning Team Kelly Green the title of WRHP Camp Tournament Champions. 

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When the final buzzer sounded, it marked the official end of camp, and players and staff members alike returned to the dorms before finally embarking on their respective journeys back home. For everyone, it was a bittersweet moment to see camp end as many players were petitioning for another six days of hockey. However, both on and off the ice, lessons were learned and memories were made that will undoubtedly last a lifetime. Before the buses even began pulling away, players had already begun talking about their next potential camp with USA Hockey while eagerly exchanging phone numbers with teammates. Departing messages of, "Can't wait to see you again soon!" echoed throughout the morning and afternoon as bags were packed and buses filled up. For all staff members involved, the WRHP Camp served to be affirmation of why we do what we do, and for players it hopefully served as another reminder of how great the game of hockey truly is. It was a wonderful weekend of nonstop hockey, and everyone involved in this year's WRHP Camp shared the same goals: to learn, to develop on and off the ice, and to have fun.

On behalf of the entire staff of the 2015 Western Regional High Performance Camp, thank you to everyone that so generously donated their time and energy to making this weekend so thoroughly enjoyable and memorable. Until next year...