By Danielle Nystrom, Hockey Alberta /
It was a great weekend to be in Drumheller November 21-22. Not for the opportunity to see Alberta’s largest Dinosaur boast its new wardrobe edition, a pair of Olympic Red mittens, but also because it was host to a weekend of Hockey Alberta events including an Atom 4 on 4 Festival and a Source for Sports Play SMART Jamboree.
Saturday at 8:00am, Atom aged kids made their way into the arena, still half asleep but ready to partake in the days events. The Atom 4 on 4 had 83 kids registered who were split into eight (8) teams to take part in this one day fun filled tournament. The ice was divided into two (2) halves with two (2) games taking place simultaneously. Each game was two (2) twenty minute periods of non-stop time, the score was not kept and while there were refs overseeing each game, no whistles were blown. The idea is a shinny style game with an emphasis on fun.
Line changes were made on the fly according to the buzzer that went every minute, this way everyone had equal and ample ice time.
The Drumheller Dragons of the Alberta Junior Hockey League were on hand to help, assisting with coaching the teams, running the time clock, selling 50/50 and even manning the raffle table. The local Source for Sports store, The Sports Room, also had a huge presence at the event, setting up an accuracy shooting game for the kids to test out.
“As a major sponsor of Hockey Alberta, we always encourage and welcome the local Source for Sports store to get involved with events like these whenever possible. It was great to have them on hand and I know the kids enjoyed having them there,” said Danielle Nystrom, coordinator, Promotions and Events.
The local IGA was kind enough to donate lunch for the participants while a variety of other local stores and shops donated over 30 different raffle items.
“The event was a great success,” said local organizers, Scott and Jolene Crone. “Our hometown businesses were a huge support with everything from donating lunch to sponsoring our raffle tables. Many volunteers enabled this festival in Drumheller to run as well as it did. It was a positive experience not only for our own kids, but our community and surrounding communities as well.
On the Sunday, the Central Alberta community hosted a Source for Sports Play SMART Jamboree for novice aged participants. Similar to the Atom 4 on 4 in that it is a designed as day of fun, it differs in that it is a combination of on and off ice skills and games sessions.
44 novice aged players turned out for the event, each of the two groups taking part in two on-ice and two off ice sessions. The first on ice and off ice sessions focused on fundamental skills including stick handling and passing, while the second round of on and off ice sessions were aimed at having fun! The off ice was a combination of some stretching activities and an intense game of dodge ball. While the on ice portion included some tag and hand soccer.
Again, the Sports Room played a big role in the event. Both Courtney and Casey from the Sports Room stepped up as on-ice instructors, taking the kids through the skills and game sessions. The store also donated tickets for all participants and their families to attend the Drumheller Dragons game following the Jamboree. |