USA Hockey Magazine

PHOTOS BY Patrick Watson "We've tried to spread these camps out, make it geographically possible for as many players to get to these camps as they can, and make it financially easier," Gridley said. Gridley and U.S. National Sled Hockey Team head coach David Hoff coordinate the on-ice work, and Hoff said he loves it. "There are kids there that are rec players who are having fun and looking forward to getting better," Hoff said. "We have people coming in who want to bring back skills to their association. That's the wide- eyed part of it. You have the chance to see someone they want to be like. There is a path or opportunity to do that. The skill level improve- ment has been awesome." In pyramid construction, local sled play is the base, Hoff said. The regional camps are the next level, which is succeeded by the invita- tion-only USA Hockey National Sled Player Development Camp. From there are the tryouts for the U.S. National Sled Team and the U.S. Women's National Sled Team. The national teams, consist- ing of Paralympic gold medal winners like Nichols, are at the top of the pyramid. Virtually all national team players help at one camp if not more, Gridley said. That means a youngster, or even an older player, may arrive at a regional camp and see people like Declan Farmer or wom- en's sled star Erica McKee on the ice. "A lot of national team players work the camps and give back," added Dan Brennan, director of sled national teams for USA Hockey. "So a young kid is going to look up to Declan Farmer rather than Dan Brennan for hockey tips. We've had a lot of young kids that have traveled all across the United States. That's the stuff that makes our sport really cool." Gridley added: "They understand the value of giving back. They understand the effect it has on the players and the effect it has on them as well." Of course, winning five Paralympic gold medals in a row will only help build the pyramid simply by virtue of increased exposure. "One hundred percent," Brennan said. "It's our new way of doing things. We want to accelerate our developmental players." Nichols said he sees a ton of potential of the kids on the ice at the camps and gets a lot of questions about what it's like on the national team. When he explains the amount of skating and training required to maintain a spot on the squad, "that is normally met with shock and surprise." He also gets the offbeat questions, like what foods he hates. (He doesn't drink coffee.) While the camps are fun, they're also fun with a pur- pose, Nichols said. "You can kind of see the determination of somebody who wants to get there, and that is the majority of the battle," he said. "Moving forward, it's about how much work they put in. Seeing the motivation they have to make that team is the biggest deciding factor, and we're seeing a lot more of that. "A bunch of eyes are on hockey in general and we're trying to build the momentum." P "We've tried to spread these camps out, make it geographically possible for as many players to get to these camps." - CHUCK GRIDLEY (USA HOCKEY NEW YORK DISTRICT COACH-IN-CHIEF USA HOCKEY HOSTED FIVE REGIONAL SLED HOCKEY PLAYER DEVELOPMENT CAMPS THIS SUMMER. USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 35

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