The tenth annual Dave Peterson Reebok High Performance Goalie Camp finished yesterday at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, MN.  The four day camp brought together 50 of the top boys and girls goalies in Minnesota for a development program designed to develop individual technique and skills.

“The idea is to give this age group the opportunity to work with our top college and high school goalie coaches and help them along in their development path,” said Goalie Camp Director Steve Carroll.  “For some kids, this is their first formal goalie training. I think it’s really helping because we will see noticeable improvement in these kids’ skills by Sunday.”

The goalies received 12 hours of on-ice training in station-based practice format that maximizes repetitions. They were also provided with more than 10 hours of off-ice instruction including classroom presentations on stretching, post-high school hockey options, nutrition, yoga, video analysis, equipment and mental sports performance training.

“We’ve done this format pretty much from the beginning,” said Carroll, who was a two-time NCAA All-American goaltender during his college career at Minnesota State University, Mankato. “We have 25 kids out on the ice so it gives the kids a lot of individual attention and six different activities to work on throughout their ice time.”

Current Minnesota goalies from NCAA Division I and Division III schools served as counselors during the camp and helped with on-ice demonstrations. Many of the counselors were also participants in the camp when they were younger.

“It’s a fabulous learning opportunity for the high school kids to see these college kids because that’s who they all want to be,” said Carroll.

For many of the participants, meeting the counselors and having the chance to interact with them was the most exciting part of attending camp.

“Being with a bunch of high school coaches, college players and talking to them about the game,” said Elk River goaltender Benny Meyers when asked what he thought would be the best part of the camp.

Hastings goalie Mason Lovich echoed that sentiment.

“I know whose counseling and it’s always fun to meet those people,” said Lovich, who also participated in the Boys HP 15 Summer Camp in St. Cloud. “Like in St. Cloud, I was asking [the counselors] a lot about what they did right after high school just to see what gives me the best opportunity for later on. I was honored when I got the opportunity to come.”

The camp also provided the goalies with an opportunity to learn the latest techniques and strategies from highly respected and talented college and high school goalie coaches from Minnesota and across the country.

 “We have about 15 coaches from various college and high school teams along with former college goalies helping teach at the camp,” said Carroll. “This year we’re fortunate to have Kevin Reiter from USA Hockey National Development program in Ann Arbor.  We also have Justin Goldman, regional scout for USA Hockey's National Development Program, providing video analysis. I think it’s a star-studded staff and really a wonderful opportunity for the kids.”

The Dave Peterson Goalie Camp plays a key role in developing goaltenders in Minnesota as a part of the Reebok Minnesota Hockey High Performance programs. The camp is named in honor of Dave Peterson, a former Minneapolis Southwest high school hockey coach, who was a passionate leader in goalie development. Peterson also served as the head coach of the U.S. Men’s Olympic hockey teams in 1988 and 1992.