This summer, players from the Niagara Jr. Knights hockey camp made use of Niagara College’s gym and fitness facilities at the Justice & Fitness and Training Center at the Welland Campus to get ice-ready for their upcoming season.
For a week in August, a total of 63 players ranging in age from nine to 16, took part in specialized fitness training and skill testing exercises created to gauge their strength, endurance, flexibility and agility.
The Jr. Knights coaching staff worked with NC Fitness Appraisers, Cherina Gourley and Angela Gallo, to design a specialized program and fitness workout for each age group. These training allowed participants to increase their fitness levels while also learning about teamwork and inclusivity in sports.
The Jr. Knights complete a plank test to measure core strength.
This was the first time the College has worked with a local hockey team to provide off-ice training and access to its state-of-the-art fitness facilities. This program was developed through NC’s Justice and Fitness Centre of Excellence – an initiative made possible through NC’s Dream Big Fund, an initiative designed to support and cultivate trailblazing ideas that align with the key areas of focus in NC’s Strategic Plan.
The Justice and Fitness Centre of Excellence focuses on community engagement through the creation of a training centre of excellence and outstanding applied learning opportunities. Organizers have the ability to design focused, specialized training specific to any sport and hope to work with other sports organizations throughout the Niagara region in the future.
While the Niagara Jr. Knights hockey camp experience at NC has ended for now, the bantam and midget groups from the league will be returning in December to retest their fitness levels and determine their future training needs.
