The Toronto Sceptres carved out their own niche in the PWHL’s summer programming this year. After hosting a range of ages and playing levels in January, Toronto used this time to focus exclusively on the U16 high-performance level, creating a smaller, more concentrated environment designed to challenge athletes on and off the ice.
The five-day camp, sponsored by UPS and held August 18-22 at the Sceptres (and NHL’s Maple Leafs) official practice facility, the Ford Performance Centre, welcomed 22 participants. On the ice, the sessions were led by Toronto coaches Troy Ryan, Rachel Flanagan, Jim Midgley and Stefanie Thomson, with players Kali Flanagan, Raygan Kirk and Allie Munroe in attendance as coaches as well.
On the ice, campers went through high-tempo drills, listened intently during instruction and generally soaked up the chance to skate alongside players and coaches from their hometown team.
The off-ice part was equally robust, with general manager Gina Kingsbury involved throughout the week. She was joined at various sessions by a variety of Sceptres staff members, from strength and conditioning coaches to a dietitian, mental performance coach, and members of the team’s operations, medical and equipment groups. Coaching consultant Vicky Sunohara also took part in a parents’ session alongside Kingsbury.
For Kingsbury, the camp highlighted both the resources available within the organization and the importance of exposing young athletes to them early in their development.
“I think this high-performance camp was a great opportunity,” Kingsbury said. “When I think of the aspiring athletes being coached by the Sceptres coaches and players, and to be surrounded by the incredible staff that we have with the Sceptres and to be able to learn from them how to be a professional athlete, it’s a great opportunity. Sharing what to focus on now at this age in terms of mental performance, nutrition, strength and conditioning, just provides the athletes a little bit of guidance that I think is really important. At the Sceptres, we have the resources and the expertise to be able to provide a camp of this caliber. A really great opportunity and something that’s really important for this age group to be exposed to.”