By Mike Dennis, Hockey Alberta /
Behind every successful Hockey Alberta event is a group of outstanding volunteers, and the 2010 Investors Group Hockey Alberta Provincials is no exception. What you see when you walk into the arena of a host community is a direct result of many hours of tireless work done by this exceptional group of people. Forty three communities have stepped up to the plate to host provincial tournaments in 2010, and this time of year, the planning process is in full swing. Just ask Host Committee Chairman for the Bantam AA Major tournament in Calgary, Terry Winnitoy.
“We knew if we were to make the Bantam AA Major Provincials a success we had to have the support of Hockey Calgary, the Calgary Royals Athletic Association and all the coaches and parents of our team and we have that. At our first parent meeting all the volunteer positions were filled quickly and we are well on our way to booking hotel rooms for all the teams, setting up our website, securing adequate corporate sponsorship, arranging opening and closing ceremonies and designing our program insert,” said Winnitoy.
Hockey Alberta put on two Provincial Host Site Seminars, one in Okotoks and one in Fort Saskatchewan, over the weekend of January 16-17. The Seminars are designed to help each community better understand the operations side of the tournament as well as suggest some ideas to assist in making each event unique and a ‘Best Ever’ experience for everyone involved.
“As with past years, we have an outstanding group of people involved on this years host committees,” said Danielle Nystrom, coordinator, Promotions and Events for Hockey Alberta.
“There are definitely going to be challenges along the way but we (Hockey Alberta) do everything we can to provide a solid support network to help each community reach its full potential.”
“Being in a bigger centre, we have to be a little more creative since there are so many things going on and events to compete with. We are emailing invitations to every Atom, Peewee and Bantam level team in the Calgary area so they can come out and watch some of the best Bantam AA Major teams in the province compete for the Provincial Championship. Exposing younger players to this level of hockey will help them realize what it takes and how much fun it is to get to the Provincials. This can only help raise the level of hockey in Calgary,” added Winnitoy.
The Investors Group Hockey Alberta Provincials are a premier sporting event in the province where the athletes compete each March and April against the top players in their categories.
“For many, this will be their only opportunity to attend the Provincials and we want to make it a special event,” said Winnitoy. |