NOHA Development Weekend Recap

Approximately 40 kids from throughout out Northern Ontario convened in North Bay this past weekend, (August 9-11) for the Annual NOHA Under 14 Development Weekend.

The weekend was a success both on and off the ice as players were exposed to elite coaching and hospitality.

Friday Morning saw three consecutive hours of skill-specific sessions take place.

The first session was run by Goalie Coaches Matt Bourgeois and Brian Kment. Both individuals are High Performance Hockey Canada Certified Goalie Coaches with Major Junior and NCAA Coaching experience. Goaltenders were put through their paces and learned many valuable lessons throughout the session.

The Forward and Defence sessions were run by new North Bay Battalion Assistant Coach Matt Marquardt. Matt's extensive experience as both a professional player and now an elite-level coach was invaluable to all athletes, not only for these skill sessions, but throughout his participation through team practices and off-ice presentations as well.

Athletes in this camp also had an opportunity to speak with Battalion Team President, Adam Dennis, who brought in a local North Bay Police officer to discuss social media awareness and the importance of conducting oneself in an acceptable manner, not only on the ice, but off of it as well.

Each athlete was also afforded the opportunity to see the ins and outs of the Battalion facilities within the Memorial Gardens and sat through insightful conversations delivered by Adam Dennis outlining what hockey looks like at the next level and what people look for in a player.

Newly appointed Owen Sound Attack Head Coach Scott Wray also gave his time to these athletes by facilitating a practice for each U14 Team.

Saturday morning began with on-ice practices with Marquardt, followed by nutrition presentations, an introduction to weightlifting, and a practical activation of a dynamic warmup by Battalion Strength & Conditioning Coach Caleb Mady.

The two teams then played each three times over the course of Saturday and Sunday, giving our volunteer coaches an opportunity to run the benches and oversee competitive action from the young athletes.

Players completed team-building exercises created by their Team Coaches and got to know each other over a short span of time.

Players and Staff were also treated like pros in the nutrition department, as weekend meals were catered by Steve Bitonti and his excellent Battalion Food and Beverage Team.

The NOHA wishes to extend thanks to all who participated in this fantastic weekend, as well to highlight our fantastic volunteers. Without their dedication and love for our great game, events like this aren’t possible!