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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - Hockey players in Fort Simpson have a new set of skills to use during this season thanks to a week worth of instruction.

A hockey skills development camp was held in the village from Dec. 9 to 14. The camp addressed a wide range of skill levels starting with four and five year olds who are learning how to skate, all the way to the Moosehide Mammas women's team.

Elliot Porter-Heron moves a reaction ball down the ice during the hockey skills development camp held in Fort Simpson on Dec. 9-14. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Working with young hockey players in the village is a pleasure, said Debbie Strome, a hockey skills instructor from Cranbrook, B.C.

"I think they're just happy to be on the ice," said Strome referring to the novice, atom and peewee players.

With the younger players, ages seven to 12, Strome focused on skating and puck skills.

The camp was a lot of fun, said participant Kurtis Hardisty.

Hardisty said the camp improved his hockey game because he refined his skating skills including crossovers and stopping.

Elliot Porter-Heron, another young participant, said drills for puck control while skating helped him improve.

"It's fun, said Porter-Heron.

"You get to learn new stuff."

In the next age group the bantams and midgets, ages 13 to 17, worked on skating with the puck.

"They're keen and they try really hard," she said.

In addition to working with the hockey players, Strome also ran a coaching clinic in the evenings.

Strome led Stephen Good and William Blyth, who are both starting to coach minor hockey for the first time, through Coach Stream, Hockey Canada's national certification program. The coaching clinic focused on communication skills, progressional teaching, planning a practice and preparing for a game.

After learning how to break down teaching a skill, Good and Blyth practised by attempting to teach the atom and peewees how to do a forehand pass.

"They were improving," said Good.

Good said he learned a lot of useful information during the clinic including how to verbally describe a skill step by step and how long young players will focus on a drill.

The Fort Simpson Minor Hockey Association, Hockey NWT and the Moosehide Mammas made the hockey camp possible. The organizations try to host at least one skill development clinic a year in the village for the youth, said Chris Hewitt, a member of the board of directors for Hockey NWT.

"It's another opportunity for them to improve their skills and for our local coaches to also improve," said Hewitt.

In addition to helping players and coaches, the clinic was also designed to attract more players to the sport and to strengthen the Minor Hockey Association, he said.