Young hockey players in Ottawa's east end are getting the chance to learn directly from professional athletes this week, as the Ottawa Charge host their second Summer Youth Development Camp at Clarence-Rockland Arena.
Charge forward Rebecca Leslie and goaltender Gwyneth Philips are leading the four-day camp, which is designed to help players grow their skills, build confidence, and learn from professional players and coaches.
According to Yahoo Sports, 54 girls from the U9 to U15 levels took part in the second day of the camp, running through shooting, passing and goaltending drills. They were joined on the ice by associate coach Greg Houde and grassroots growth specialist coach Nicole Lowe.
"Any camp I go to, I feel like it's a lot of the same faces, which is just awesome to see," Leslie told Yahoo Sports. "They're super keen, they want to get better, they enjoy being on the ice. To watch them grow each year is special."
The morning schedule split the players into two groups, with each group receiving one hour of on-ice time with the Charge players and coaches. The sessions wrapped up with an autograph opportunity for the campers.
Afternoons moved off the ice and into the classroom, where the groups took part in a series of team-building activities.
For Philips, the camp is a chance to watch the next wave of players come up through the ranks in the region.
"It's really cool to see the next generation of players learning and trying to get better," she told Yahoo Sports. "As the years go on, to see those same girls keep getting better, it's been really fun."
The camp continues through July 30 at the east-end arena.
Charge head to Kingston next
The summer programming doesn't stop in Ottawa. From August 4 to 7, the Charge will team up with the Toronto Sceptres to run a joint camp in Kingston, Ontario.
Philips and forward Brooke McQuigge will represent the Ottawa side at the Kingston camp, giving more young players in the region a chance to work with professional women's hockey players as the PWHL offseason continues.
