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Kelly Carrington Staff Writer The number of young hockey players is dwindling in the local area. Over 100 athletes will lace up their skates this season between Hockey D and PeeWee. In the higher divisions _ Midget and Bantam _ there are no teams hitting the ice this season. Flin Flon Minor Hockey Association president Travis Rideout says the hope is to bring the interest back. 'Right now, our older groups are diminishing in numbers. Bantam and Midget are going down more and more each year,' said a concerned Rideout. 'I'm hoping to keep the kids in hockey.' Going back to the basics, the FFMHA is geared towards fun, learning and a new experience for the players. This season the association has roughly 40 athletes in Atom and just over 30 skaters in both Novice and PeeWee. The Hockey D program, which is the first chance for players to get comfortable on the ice, has roughly 30 children as well. With no players in the high divisions, Rideout hopes to see that change in the coming years. '...in five or six years ( I would like to see) 20 some (players) at least sticking around in Bantam and Midget,' he said. The FFMHA has flourished in past years but has recently taken a dive in numbers. Rideout hopes to see numbers increase in years to come and have at least two teams in each of Bantam and Midget. From Novice through PeeWee, the FFMHA is averaging three teams per division this season. '...if you can keep two teams in each of the divisions then you're set,' said the president. In the program, players are taught the fundamentals of the game and encouraged by their coaches. Rideout says the FFMHA is not looking for NHL-caliber bench bosses. Most often a coach is a parent of one of the players in that division. '...it's not so much if they can teach them how to do a breakout or work a power play, but if they can actually teach the kids the fundamentals of a shot or a pass,' he said. 'The emphasis of fun is still there and the emphasis on skill development is there more than anything.' Pat McKenzie, with whistle in hand, is a proud coach of the Flin Flon Firemen. An example of a parent coaching a child, McKenzie's daughter plays on his team. Along with his daughter, he helps develop the young players' skills. Coming straight out of Hockey D, the Novice players work on passing, shooting, stickhandling and skating. '...it's just basic fundamental hockey skills and main things like what penalties (and) offside are,' said McKenzie. The coach spends time with his players making sure they know their positions on the ice and how to properly play them before they move into the next division. McKenzie's team is generally made up of eight- and nine-year-olds. The older children play an important role, as McKenzie has the younger players learn from their more experienced teammates. 'We have (players) right out of Hockey D that aren't sure where to line up sometimes, so the older players will show them where to line up,' he said. 'The older players model for the younger ones for sure.' Coaches in the FFMHA are required to complete a Respect in Sport course as well as attend clinics throughout the year. Rideout says coaches don't have specific guidelines to follow, but they have to keep the emphasis on fun and skill development. Winning is always a fun part of the game of hockey, no matter the age. But both Rideout and McKenzie agree it's not everything. 'At the end of the day the kids have lots of fun winning, but the proof will be...as your (child) gets better,' said Rideout. 'The main goal is the skills, by far,' said McKenzie. 'Everybody gets equal ice time...because it's all about learning and skill development. '...it's just icing on the cake if you win a few games.' Though the emphasis isn't on winning, teams compete in tournaments throughout the season _ giving them a chance to play against other teams, meet new friends and have fun. McKenzie is also the coach of the Novice Viper team. Though it's a travel team, any Novice players are eligible to play on the club. McKenzie is new to the Viper world this year but says generally the team is made of second-year Novice players. McKenzie holds a whistle for the third consecutive year this season as he just loves being able to go to the rink. 'I have three girls and I thought I was done with hockey for taking kids to the rink, but my middle child, Amber, plays,' he said, noting that his youngest might also lace up the skates in a few years. 'It's just fun being up there with the kids and being around hockey.' McKenzie himself hasn't given up his playing days as he is part of the Old Timers. A similar story, Rideout made his way through the FFMHA and has been on the board for the past three years. With a son on the ice and two daughters in the stands, Rideout says he got involved to 'try and keep things going.' 'I see it diminish every year and you just want to help out and keep it on a plane...and keep things running smoothly,' he said. A former hockey player himself, Rideout hopes to keep the athletes interested in the sport. Making sure there isn't too much repetition, the FFMHA has implemented more practice time this season and teams have a power skate session once every two weeks. When Rideout was in minor hockey, he participated in Hockey Week, where teams were mixed for a week. 'You played on different teams,' he said. 'It kept things running smoothly.' Rideout says he would like to be able to bring Hockey Week back, though it isn't in the works for this season.
