The Adam Herold Legacy Foundation will be selecting two communities to host youth hockey and leadership development camps for the 2021-22 season.
The foundation was established to honour Adam Herold, the youngest player killed in the Humboldt bus accident.
“Adam was humble, he was hardworking, he was proud about where he came from, and he was one of those people that always tried to make other people brighter around him,” said Russell Herold, the Adam Herold Legacy Foundation’s chair and Adam’s father.
“I just think he would give back to the community and this is a way to instill that attitude in people that you can be a leader in your own right and give back to the world.”
To date, camps have taken place in Balcarres, Gravelbourg, Alameda, Torquay, Preeceville, Radville, Naicam and Maple Creek.
The events are a joint effort between the foundation and host communities.
Communities are responsible for arranging and providing ice and classroom facilities, co-ordinating registration and providing other support as required. The foundation provides the qualified coaches, instructors and other resources for the two weekend sessions.
Herold said the sessions are for all skill levels.
“It’s not an elite skill camp or anything like that,” he said. “Whatever skills come with that association or that community’s kids we work with. We’ve had kids very new to being on the ice, still pushing a chair at the first camp to some really skilled kids.”
To choose the host communities, once the applications are submitted, Herold said the board will meet and discuss the merits of each.
“That’s how we’ll decide how we choose this year’s camps. We were at three but we went back to two because just for the fact we got carry-over from COVID. We’ve got Naicam and Radville camps to finish this year.”
The first weekend will take place over two full days in the fall. This will involve four on-ice sessions including power skating, skills training and shooting; and three off-ice sessions including leadership training, dry land training, and team building.
Coaches will have the opportunity to be included in all sessions and participate in a ‘hot stove’ session with instructors.
The second weekend, which is planned to be one full day after Christmas, involves two on-ice sessions, including power skating and skills training in a game situation; and two off-ice sessions including leadership training and team building.
Herold said they don’t just want to be known as a “hockey camp.”
“The leadership part of it is a big part of it. I think that’s what differentiates us from just a hockey camp coming to your town,” he said. “We want to show the kids that they can be physically fit, active, that sort of thing and they don’t have to think they have to go to a gym.”
Communities interested in applying for the camps can visit the foundation’s website at adamheroldlegacyfoundation.ca, the foundation’s Facebook page or contact erin@heroldstrong.ca for more information.
Applications must be endorsed by a minor hockey association board member, and the community must provide a community organizer to work with the foundation to organize the weekend events; and a minimum of 60 participants to a maximum of 90.
All participants must be registered in the minor hockey association.
Deadline to apply is April 9.
