Program gives players a future

Page 11

Young Native hockey players who have the caliber to go beyond the community or reserve level rarely do, but Warren Crowchild of the T'suu T'ina Nation wants to change that situation.

Crowchild is using the expertise he gained playing semi-pro in the United States to help Native hockey players improve their skills and their prospects.

He has established the Native Hockey Program to assist Native hockey players in realizing their full potential and eventually bring them to the attention of scouts. This year, the program's crowning glory is the Prospect Camp held from July 27 to 30 for players 14 to 21-years-old. The camp allows some invited hockey scouts to see first-hand the talents of up and coming Aboriginal players.

"This will be the best exposure any Native kid in Western Canada or all of Canada is going to get," said Crowchild.

The clinic will be coached by Garth Malarchuk, a scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The players will jump through the hoops for Malarchuk, trying to impress some important people in the stands.

"Once the product's on the ice then I'll invite the scouts," said Crowchild.

Last year's camp had 18 out of 24 players being invited to tryout for Junior A and Tier Two teams in the Western Hockey League.

This year he'll be looking into semi-pro leagues for his older twenty-year-old players.

"I've got contacts through old coaches or friends," Crowchild said. "I've got some really good contacts who know of this program and know how much I've put into it and are willing to take a chance on some of my players."

Crowchild played in Junior A leagues and semi-pro with the Erie Blades in Pennsylvania from 1986 to 1987. He continued his semi-pro career with the Milwaukee Admirals from 1987 to 1988 before retiring at the ripe old age of 21.

"The experiences I share with a lot of these players is a lot of what I've done and what I've seen," Crowchild said. "I want to get them playing at a [higher] level and to stay at that level, then I'll help them."

Crowchild admits that not every player that comes through the program will go further.

"Not every kid's a success story," Crowchild said. "Maybe 60 per cent of the kids that I deal with go back to the reserves.

"If they're happy just playing there at that community level, then that's their decision."

Crowchild is also announcing the second annual Native Role Players Hockey School. The camp will run from July 20 to 25 and is open to young hockey players aged seven to 12.

Crowchild has secured several celebrity instructors for the summer hockey school including Stan Jonathan from the Boston Bruins, Sandy McCarthy and Jarome Iginla from the Calgary Flames, Jonathan Cheechoo from the Ontario Hockey League's Oshawa Generals, Charlie Keshane from the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's Lebret Eagles and Brent Dodginghorse from the Western hockey League's Calgary Hitmen.

The five-day intensive hockey school delivers more than just the basic hockey skills, said Crowchild. Young hockey players from across Canada will be able to benefit from leadership and life skill sessions which will instill pride in the players and a passion toward playing hockey and towards their own lifestyles.

Both the hockey school and the prospect camp will be held at the Sarcee 7 Chiefs Sportsplex on the Tsuu T'ina Nation.

All funds raised through the camps or hockey schools goes back into the non-profit Native Sports Program to make more programs available in the future.

Anyone interested in either program can contact Warren Crowchild at: Box 662 Main, P.O., Calgary, AB T2P 2J3 or call (403) 818-6085.