Fort St. James Stars Initiation 1 – 2 Tournament: a success at home
Barbara Latkowski
Caledonia Courier
It was a weekend filled with hockey as the Fort St. James Stars (Initiation 1 -2) took to the ice at home on Feb. 4.
The tournament brought out three out of town teams including: the Vanderhoof Bears, the Fraser Lake Hawks and the Burns Lake Bruins.
The Fort St. James Stars played three games over the weekend and showed off their skills as they come close to the end of a very successful hockey season.
For many, the experience is still quite fresh.
But with the new B.C. Minor Hockey Initiation Program, it’s clear that these players are gaining a greater foundation of early skills development.
The program benefits all players as they make their way cross-ice rather than endlessly chasing the puck on full-ice as was the case in previous years.
B.C. Hockey says that the benefits of playing cross-ice are to teach the foundational skills of hockey but while having fun at the same time.
According to local Tykes coaches, the program is flexible with limited rules and allows associations to be creative as they try new ideas to work at making minor hockey appealing to more families.
And they have seen many benefits this year as half ice games allows each player to touch the puck more and slower players are not left out of play.
It was a fun-filled weekend as the young Stars made their way across the ice and battled their way through a very successful hockey tournament in Fort St. James.
