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8 // AUGUST 2019 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM O F F T HE D R AW VERY SUMMER, nearly 200 of the top 14 -y e a r - o l d h o c k e y players west of the Mississippi come to Colorado Springs to attend the Western Regional High Performance Camp. Over the course of the week, they not only measure them- selves against their peers on the ice, but they also spend time in classrooms and lecture halls at Colorado College learning what it takes to lift their game to the next level. Players aren't the only ones who come here to learn. Over the past three years a small number of youth hockey coaches have taken time away from their jobs and families to expand their coaching chops as part of a men- tor coaching program. It's the brainchild of camp d i r e c t o r s B r u c e U r b a n a n d Flint Doungchak, who created the program three years ag o as a means of expanding USA Hockey 's coaching education curriculum. "This camp is not just about player development. It's about c o a c h i n g d e v e l o p m e n t a n d what we're doing to make our game better," said Doungchak, who is also the Pacific District coach-in-chief. The week begins with mentor coaches joining the rest of the coaching staff to discuss various topics and strategies, such as team building, body checking, hockey concepts and practice p l a n n i n g . T h e n , t h e y g e t t o apply these concepts with their Mentoring Program Takes A Practical Approach To Coaching Education "This camp is not just about player development. It's about coaching development and what we're doing to make our game better." COACHING THE COACHES E PHOTOS BY Harry Thompson; Flint Doungchak COACHING By Harry Thompson