Week one of the Source for Sports AAA Summer Hockey Challenge is in the books with thirteen teams participating in three different age groups. The tournament got underway Friday with the finals being played on Sunday.  All games were played inside the rinks at the Keystone Centre. The  MB Steel went undefeated over the weekend capturing the 2007 division by beating the Southwest Jets by a score of 5-2.  Colten Worthington lead the offense with 2 goals while Jaxon Jacobson, Cole Temple and Junior Martine each tallied once.  The Jets Tyson Draper scored both his teams goals in the loss.  Former Wheat King captain Brad Twordik was behind the bench for the Southwest Jets. The Southwest Jets captured the 2006 division as they toppled the SK Crusaders 7-2 in the finals. Kolby Diehl scored 3 goals and added an assist in the contest.  Other markers came off the sticks of Regan Anderson, Carter Bartley, Jackson Kohut, and Kylan Anderson.  The Jets were dominate throughout the tournament outscoring their opposition 55-4 in their five games.  Crusaders goals came off the sticks of  Blaze Gutzke and Noah Osiowy. The 2004 division was a nail bitter right down to the final horn.  The Snipers narrowly escaped with a 6-5 victory over the Man-Sask Wolfpack.  Will Wiseman and and Cole Topham lead the charge offensively with 2 goals each.  Brodie Stovan, and Carter Johannson each chipped in with singles. The Wolfpack, who at one time found themselves down 6-3 in the third, received 3 goals from Tyler Thompson.  Colby Cuddington dented the twine twice in the loss.  The Wolfpacks Trinity Bear lead all scorers in the final contest registering 5 assists. Tournament Notes:  Spotted among the crowd on Saturday was current Winnipeg Blue Bomber GM Wade Miller.  Other local celebrities spotted at the rink taking in the action over the weekend include former Edmonton Oiler Alex Plante, current Wheat King John Quenneville, and the voice of the Wheat Kings Bruce Luebke.  Derek Sobkow, timekeeping for a 10th consecutive tournament, was named the tournament’s top off ice official.  The AAA Hockey Challenge takes a one week break and then returns May 6-8th with the girls taking center stage.

Another busy summer of sport programming is right around the corner for youth interested in basketball, soccer and volleyball. The annual Bobcats Summer Sports Camps will be held at the Brandon University Healthy Living Centre and the HLC Field and promise to provide a great way for kids to keep busy and develop their skills over the summer break. The goal of all Bobcats Summer Sport Camps is to provide youth with the opportunity to advance in their sport of choice in a fun environment. BOYS BASKETBALL CAMP The boys' basketball camp focuses on skill development and game play in sessions led by the coaches and athletes on the Bobcat men's basketball team. How to run an offensive system, how to run a defence, and advanced individual skills will be covered, while promoting the basics of the game of basketball - dribbling, shooting, and passing. The camp runs July 25-29 from 9 am to 4 pm with an hour lunch break at noon. The cost to register is $200. All participants will receive a Bobcat basketball t-shirt. GIRLS BASKETBALL CAMP The girls' basketball camp is for students in grades 5-12 and includes a full day of skills, drills and games. The participants will take part in various activities aimed at improving their abilities and each day features game situations to put new those new skills to good use. The lessons and drills will be tailored to each student's level of skill and ability, so that each participant gets dynamic instruction and demonstration on how to properly execute basketball skills. The girls basketball camp is scheduled from August 8-12 and runs 9 am to 4 pm with an hour break for lunch at 12 pm. The cost to register is $200 for the week and includes a Bobcat basketball t-shirt. GENERAL VOLLEYBALL CAMP A full-day of skills, drills and games will be offered with the participants taking part in various activities aimed at improving their overall abilities. Game situations will be offered each day, allowing the participants to put the new techniques that they have learned to good use. The camp is for all ages and levels of experience and is aimed at improving participant's ability in volleyball while learning more advanced parts of the game. The camp is open to students in grades 5-8 and runs August 2-5 with no session on August 1 with the Healthy Living Centre closed for the civic holiday. The camp starts at 9 am and wraps up at 4 pm with an hour lunch break at noon. The registration fee is $160 and all participants receive a camp t-shirt. VOLLEYBALL SKILLS SESSIONS The skills sessions' cover all the bases with students getting instruction and demonstration on how to execute a skill and then put it into practice. Position players can focus on improving a specific area of the game in a focused, dynamic setting, or take part in all of the sessions to develop their overall abilities. The skills schedule is Monday - Attacking; Tuesday - Defence; Wednesday - Blocking; Thursday - Serve Reception; Friday - Serving. Individual sessions are $25 each, or participants can sign up for the whole week at $100. The sessions run August 15-19 in the HLC from 9 am to 11:30 am. JUNIOR VARSITY ELITE VOLLEYBALL CAMP This camp is geared towards students in grades 8-10 and offers students the chance to hone their skills as they enter the school season. Participants will get the chance to train with and compete against the best in the region while receiving instruction from Bobcat athletes and coaches. The junior varsity elite camps run August 15-19 from 1 pm-3:30 pm and registration cost is $115. SENIOR VARSITY ELITE VOLLEYBALL CAMP This camp offers specialized training for club, senior varsity and provincial team members in grades 11 and 12. Participants will gear up for the upcoming high school season by training with and competing against the best in our region, while getting advise from Bobcat student-athletes and coaches. The camp runs August 15-19 from 6:30 pm to 9 pm and cost is $115 per participant. SOCCER CAMPS Bobcat soccer camps run August 22-26 (ages 4-13) and August 29-September 2 (ages 14 and up) with participants developing foot skills, tactical approaches to defence and offence, and 1-on-1 skills. Each day will offer game situations to put those new techniques to use. The camp is co-ed and arranged into three age groups: 4-6 year olds 7-13 year olds 14 years old and up Coaches will adapt sessions to the players' skill levels so that they are challenging yet fun.  The 4-6 year olds camp will be morning sessions from 9 am to 12 pm. Focus will be on playful learning with a lot of time with a ball at their feet. Emphasis will be on individual skill development and enjoyment. The 7-13 year old sessions will feature three options - mornings (9 am to 12 pm), afternoons (1 pm to 4 pm) or full day (9 am - 4 pm with an hour lunch break). Focus is on skill development, confidence with the ball in all aspects of the game, and beginning to apply tactical thinking to the fluid conditions of game play. The session for camper's 14-years-old and up is scheduled to run August 29 to September 2 from 6 pm - 8 pm. Focus is on ball confidence, foot skill mastery, tactical development both individually and in groups, and on 1-on-1 situations. The cost to register for a half-day camp is $100 or $200 for a full day with the camps taking place outdoors at the HLC Field. REGISTRATION INFORMATION  All participants are asked to pre-register at the Customer Service Desk of the Healthy Living Centre or online. If you are registering online and you are a new customer to the Healthy Living Centre, you will need to create a new account. All major forms of payment (cash, cheque, credit, debit) can be processed at the facility. All participants are asked to bring proper attire and footwear for each day of the camp, as well as a re-fillable water bottle. *Refunds are available up to seven days prior to the start of camp, minus a $15 administration fee. http://www.gobobcats.ca/news/2016/4/18/general-bobcat-summer-camps-coming-up.aspx   Brandon University Athletics 270 18th Street Brandon, MB    R7A 6A9 P: (204) 727-7375 F: (204) 727-6906 Web: www.gobobcats.ca

There's a high probability that Tanner Kaspick will hear his name called when the 2016 NHL Draft takes place in Buffalo on June 24-25. The Brandon product was #79 among North American skaters in the final rankings by the NHL Central Scouting Service, which would probably make him a 6th or 7th round possibility. Like most players his age in the Western Hockey League, Kaspick dreams of a professional career. But he also knows the importance of having a backup plan, which is why he takes is schooling so seriously. Earlier this month, Kaspick was named the Eastern Conference nominee for the Western Hockey League's Scholastic Player of the Year Award.  "I think it's always been something that I've had a high priority for.  Growing up, I've always done well in school so I've always taken a lot of pride in my work," said Kaspick recently, "Playing with the Wheat Kings, I really didn't change that focus.  I just thought that when I have time to do the work, I just wanted to do my best and, fortunately, I've got good results throughout high school." Kaspick completed his first semester of Grade 12 this year with a remarkable 96% average, and has since upped his average to 98% in the second semester including a 100% grade in Chemistry 12. He's completed three advanced placement courses and is described by his teachers as a focused student. Unlike his high school-aged teammates on the Wheat Kings, who attend Crocus Plains high school, Kaspick has remained at Vincent Massey high school since joining the Wheat Kings.  Kaspick attends two classes every morning right now, but that is when he's actually in Brandon.  When on the road with the Wheat Kings, the challenge is a little different.  "I've been fortunate enough to have great teachers and everyone who's helped me out and understanding of our schedule and they're accommodating to my needs," said Kaspick, "They make it easy for me to stay caught up and they're very lenient on due dates and writing tests on different days so I'm very fortunate to have such good teachers." Kaspick says pre-Calculus was his favourite class to this point, and joked that with analytics making their way into the game of hockey that maybe it'll all merge together at some point and be something fairly useful in the future. The Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy for WHL Scholarship Player of the Year will be presented at the 2016 WHL Awards on May 4th in Calgary.  Since the trophy was introduced in 1984, five Wheat Kings have won the League Scholastic honours, including current Winnipeg Jets General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, who was chosen the 1988 recipient. Other Wheat Kings to capture the Award are Byron Penstock (1994), Sfefan Cherneski (1997), Brett Dickie (2003) and Keith Aulie (2007). Penstock went on to attend Harvard Business School while Dickie earned an engineering degree at the University of Saskatchewan.  "It's always good to check the boxes and have a Plan B," said Kaspick, "Right now, I'm focused on winning here and being a professional hockey player but if I have to fall back on school, I know I have the right courses and I know I'd be fine on that route as well."

The NHL Draft Prospect Rankings are in and Brandon Wheat King defensemen Kale Clague finished 27th in the final rankings for North American Skaters.  The smooth skating defenseman was ranked 22nd in the midterm rankings and has had an impressive second half to his season.   Clague finished the season with 43 points in 71 games and has been very effective in this year’s playoffs scoring 7 points in 8 games to date.  Wheat King forward Tanner Kaspick finished as the 79th ranked prospect after putting up 31 points in 53 games throughout the regular season.  The hard working power forward has shown a scorers touch as well so far in this year’s playoffs with 6 points in 8 games played. Other players of note. Regina Pats forward Adam Brooks hails from Winnipeg and lead the WHL in scoring with 120 points in 72 games finishing 72nd in the final rankings. Center Brett Howden from Moose Jaw was listed 22nd overall and had a strong 15/16 season.  He is from Oakbank, Manitoba and the brother of Florida Panthers Quinton Howden. Dean Stewart played defense with his hometown Portage Terriers this season and is now the 131st ranked North American Skater.  The 6’2”, 179 pound defenseman has committed to the University of Nebraska-Omaha for the 17/18 season. Brandon native and former AAA Midget Wheat King, Jordan Stallard finished 65th overall with a midterm rank of 84.  He just concluded his second full season with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen. David Quenneville brother of Wheat King forward finished 144th in the rankings. Ryan Lingren, a onetime Wheat King bantam draft pick was listed 49th.  The defenseman is committed to the University of Minnesota for 16/17. http://www.nhl.com/ice/draftprospectbrowse.htm?cat=1&sort=finalRank&year=2016

1.Improve spiking power by focusing on the scapula You've probably heard the expression, "It would be like trying to shoot a cannon out of a canoe." To hit volleyball really hard, you need to have a strong base. The base for "shoulder joint strength" is the scapula stabilizers. Many athletes make the mistake of focusing solely on improving strength of rotator cuff muscles. Improving rotator cuff strength can help, but the base for shoulder joint function is the scapula. A strong rotator cuff with weak scapula stabilizers is like trying to, "shoot a cannon from a canoe". Exercises that work the scapula stabilizers might appear nonfunctional, but it's these areas are critical to long-term health of the shoulder joint. The bottom line is that a stable shoulder complex will make for a healthy shoulder complex. When working out at the gym it is very important to always get your scapula in a set position of “back and down”.  This is a motor pattern that you should also practice in daily life.  It will then become a habit.  It is involved in good posture and as such you must stand as tall as possible with shoulders back and neck long.  As a tall girl,  it will often mean that you will be taller than some boys in school.  As a good female volleyball player, who cares if you are taller than a boy!! 2. Train Movement, Not Muscles When you approach to hit a volleyball, it's important that you have the right muscles firing at the right times. Core activation exercises and other movement exercises can help improve "energy leaks". An energy leak occurs when all the energy to perform a certain movement doesn't go specifically into that movement. Think of all the muscles and joints in your body working together as a "chain" of muscles and joints. The big picture goal is for the body to be trained as a single unit. You want the movement of your muscles to be efficient. Just think about when you take an approach to hit a volleyball. As you take your steps and plant to jump, energy is transferred from the ground up. You apply force with the feet against the ground extending your hips, knees, and ankles. This is a multi-joint movement where efficiency is key to maximum jumping and hitting power. It's no coincidence that great leapers can bang the ball really
hard. They have a great ability to transfer energy from a powerful approach to a powerful spike. Also, muscular balance is important for the chain to work efficiently. For example, pushing exercises work the front side of your body. Pulling exercises work the back side of your body. If you were to workout for months or years using solely pushing movements without any pulling movements, you'll likely create muscular imbalances between the opposing muscle groups.  This often can be the cause of repetitive strain-type injuries such as rotator cuff tendinitis. During your workout, when you do 20 crunches, are you also doing 20 back extensions to counterbalance? Many athletes make the mistake of going to the gym and only doing pushing type movements (bench press, overhead presses, etc). Be sure to include pulling movements such as rows and deadlifts to keep your training balanced. A balanced strength program will help keep your movement efficient which has a big impact on how hard you can spike a volleyball. 3. Explosive Exercises for Spiking Here are 2 explosive exercises for volleyball hitting power... A. Two hand medicine ball overhead slam B. One hand medicine ball overhead slam The one hand overhead slam is basically the same except you perform a slower, more controlled movement. There isn't any jumping like the two hand slam. With the one hand slam, you just bring the medicine ball around and throw it into the ground. You've likely seen many volleyball players warm up by throwing volleyballs into the ground in the same manner. 4.  Contact Training Being a strong, powerful efficient athlete is useless if you haven’t developed skills for spiking. To hit the ball hard, it’s important to develop a good solid contact with the ball that allows you to transfer your body weight through the ball.  You can only transfer your body weight through by having superior core strength in abdominals, hips and back muscles. To practice the contact you should take all opportunities when using wall hits as a way to focus on contacting the ball high with your arm extended.  Hit the ball with topspin down and focus on getting your elbow as straight up as possible before spiking.  Concentrate on elbow up and elbow to wrist contact. Think  Elbow up and straight…elbow to wrist. 5. Learn good spike approach footwork The next step is to learn a spike approach. You don't want to start taking an approach and hit any volleyballs yet. First, focus on the right steps and upper body movement. Good technique for approaching gets you in the best position for attacking the ball. The better your approach is, the harder you can potentially hit the ball. As such, simply repetitively practicing your approach in front of a mirror and pretend to spike can help develop the motor pattern.  Focus on being up high with arm long and staying solidly on center both on take-off and on land. Being centered on landing is what helps protect knees and ankles. 6.  Speed Ultimately it is most important develop speed.  This is called plyometrics.  However it is important to prepare all tendons for plyometrics or you can develop a tendinitis.  This means that the plyometrics should be saved for a few months down the road.