First Shift

Aaron Van Haarlem on his last day of First Shift training with his father J.R, mother Angela and little sister Elsa.

New program outfits beginners with gear

For anyone who has lived in the County through the winter, they immediately realize that hockey in this little town is almost a religion. When the Dukes play a home game on a Friday night, it feels like the entire village comes out to support them. Hockey has been ingrained in this area for generations and for kids growing up here, putting on skates is as natural as if they were putting on boots and playing the snow. But for kids not born into hockey families, it’s a daunting and expensive task to get youth started in the sport. The gear, including skates, for a boy or girl can add up to well over $1,000, and in two years when they outgrow it, it all must be bought again. A lot of kids do not get the chance to play hockey simply for financial reasons. Also, in larger cities there are fewer opportunities for kids to play hockey. It’s exponentially more expensive for ice time and any free ice time is too crowded to play. For kids who move from a city environment into a place like the County, they can feel left out if they are not into hockey or can’t skate.

In its first appearance in the County, the Canadian Tire First Shift program has teamed up with the Prince Edward County Minor Hockey Association, Hockey Canada and Bauer to focus on that exact demographic. First Shift offers youth six to 10 years of age a six-week intensive training course with professional coaches that will build up a child’s skill level from wherever their starting point is. What’s also special about First Shift is that it has teamed up with Bauer and will outfit any youth participating in the program, top to bottom, in new Bauer gear—gear the kids get to keep. The cost for the Bauer gear and the sixweek training program is $200, which would usually pay for the training without gear. It’s an amazing opportunity for youth to get their start in a sport that’s hard to crack if you’re not born into it. Junior House League Coordinator Ben Cowan agrees with the difficulties facing kids starting hockey late.

“Hockey today poses significant barriers to entry. It’s costly for young families just starting out, it’s a tremendous time commitment, and our culture becomes more diverse, the idea of suiting up and learning to skate and taking up a position on a team may prove daunting to someone unfamiliar with the game,” says Cowan.

Wellington resident Gord McDonald has been assisting on-ice for the last six weeks with First Shift and says both the program and the instructors have been world-class.

Coaches put the kids through one final group warm-up.

“It’s been amazing to watch their progression! The goal of the program is to focus on the kids who missed out on the natural process of getting into hockey for whatever reasons; scheduling, life, two-income families. It’s important that people know and take advantage of what Canadian Tire and Bauer are offering. If you live in this country, you will most definitely brush up against hockey,” says McDonald.

This session, the 28 local boys and girls were under the tutelage of Head Coach Danielle Skirrow, who carries with her a wealth of experience from playing in the NCAA, CWHL, and the Swedish Elite League. With the first session now ended, many of the players have progressed to the point that they’ve chosen to transfer into the regular stream house league.

“Ultimately that’s the goal. We want to work around the barriers to entry and give them an opportunity to get a taste for the game and then it’s up to them. We know it’s working,” says Cowan.

To be eligible for the First Shift program players can not have previously participated in organized minor hockey. For more information please email Danielle Skirrow at danielleskirrow@ gmail.com or Ben Cowan at ben.cowan@gmail.com