The Devil's in the Details
Hockey camp for 5 & 6 year old kids is a great idea, no doubt about it. But no two camps are created equal, and it's all about the details.
What I like best is that kids get to do other things during the day besides be on the ice. I really like camps that offer fun games like soccer & red rover, as well as quiet time where the kids watch part of a movie or do some table activities. I believe these kids have just as much (or even more) fun during the activities between ice times. As I often mention, it's about FUN for this age. If the kids are not having fun at the camp then everything else is lost. You can throw as much skill development activity at them as you want, but if you want kids to be truly motivated to learn new skills, then you'd better make sure they're enjoying themselves. So my priority when getting my son ready for hockey camp is about removing barriers that may impede fun, and adding whatever I can that will increase his chances of having a great day.
Part of the process to ensure a great camp begins by choosing the right camp. This requires a little research, not a lot, but just a couple of simple 'temperature checks' to find out where I'm sending my son. Primarily I speak to other parents that have had their kids attend the camp, an endorsement from another parent that shares my same philosophy plays a large part in my choice. I also check out the camp's website, do a couple of Google search's to see if I can find any on-line comments about a camp or the lead instructor. I'm looking for those that have experience instructing young kids. It may be great that an instructor has had a successful career coaching Junior A hockey, but has he had any experience with 5 & 6 year old's, because that's a whole new ball of wax.
Once I've selected a camp I send out an email (or my wife does) to the parents of his friends. Luckily at this age we are still able to pick their friends. At this point he's now very excited to go to hockey camp and play with his friends. Unfortunately, this is not true for all the kids that attend. I've witnessed many tearful kids, early in the morning, standing in the hallways of an arena when being dropped off by parents. Many parents are walking out the door saying "good-bye, have a fun day". How's the kid suppose to have a fun day if you have not set them up for a fun day? As it is with most things in life, it's by paying attention to the small details that creates a positive experience. Some will say, "well, that's why they're at camp, to make new friends". Yes, I agree, you want the kid to make new friends, and they're fast friends at this age too. It comes easy to most of them. They're very accepting of other kids around them, at this age. But why not start them out on the day with a buddy or two, if possible? It just makes good sense.
Once at camp, they often give jersey's out to the kids on the first day. There's usually a couple of different colored jersey's too, as it helps the instructors divide the kids up during activities. My son has been at two camps so far, and he's loved them. Both times we showed up early to ensure that my son and at least a friend or two get the same jersey's, securing them on the same team for scrimmages. We've also arranged between ourselves and the other parents that at least one of us would come back to help the kids get into their gear and tie their skates. The camp instructors do help with this, but with so many kids around it's tough for them to give a lot of attention. And for some kids all it takes is for one piece of equipment to be slightly out of place and they're refusing to participate in the drills. Remember they're only 5 & 6 years old.
Also sending the kids off with extra clothes, extra socks, a treat snack and whatever appropriate footwear they need for the day's activities. I've see kids trying to participate in an off ice game of soccer while wearing rain boots on a sunny day. How's this kid setup for a successful day if he/she cannot even participate properly. Again it's about paying attention to the details of the camp.
Finally, I read through the rules of the camp with my son. This is usually only a paragraph or two and it's unbelievable how much they understand. I tell him, if he wants to have a really fun day at hockey camp with his friends, he needs to pay attention to instructions and play his hardest. At this point there is very little 'pumping up' of the camp required. He is ready to go and I know I have done what I can to help his day be fun.
As you can imagine, I have given examples from my experience with the camps, and all camps will be different. The commonality is we all want to ensure our kids are going to have a great day, and that comes from the parents making sure they know all the details of how the day is going to roll out. So ask lot's of questions, check it out on-line and visualize yourself being a 5 year old participating in the camp.
I hope this helps you in preparing your child for hockey camp.
Coach Chris
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