LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - Hockey players in Fort Simpson have strong skills to base the rest of their season on following a week of hockey instruction in the village.

Debbie Strome, a hockey instructor from Cranbrook, B.C., returned to the village for a fourth consecutive year to lead a number of sessions.

Azayah Hardisty, 5, was one of the minor hockey players who participated in the hockey clinics that instructor Debbie Strome led for six days in Fort Simpson. - photo courtesy of Debbie Strome

Between Nov. 28 and Dec. 3 Strome led a coaching clinic as well as off ice and on ice sessions for school students, minor hockey players and the Moosehide Mammas.

It's nice to be able to return to Fort Simpson because many of the young players know me now, said Strome. "You can see how they've improved," she said.

While waiting for the ice to be ready Strome led off ice training sessions in the recreation centre's gym for three days.

With the students from Bompas Elementary School and Thomas Simpson School, Strome focused on foot speed and agility and a bit of core training. The Moosehide Mammas worked on stick handling.

After getting on the ice on Dec. 1 Strome moved the focus to skating skills and individual skills, like passing, with all of the hockey players. The youth in the village are really good about taking direction and not questioning why they have to do certain exercises, said Strome.

"I think all the kids really enjoyed it from the feedback I got," she said.

The on and off ice sessions were really good for the Thomas Simpson School students, said Kristen Morrison, a physical education teacher at the school.

"She's amazing, the way she breaks down skating and breaks the skills down technically," said Morrison.

A lot of the students said they had a good time and their skating skills improved, she said. As a member of the team, Morrison was also on the ice with Strome during the Moosehide Mammas' sessions.

Strome finds out every player's strengths and weaknesses and gives them individualized drills to focus on those areas, she said.

"She's very easy to learn from," said Morrison.

"She makes the learning fun."

Strome also led a two-day coaching clinic over the weekend that focused on how to break down and teach skills. Three of the six participants at the clinic were high school students.

"I think it's really important for the community to get the older kids involved in helping the little kids," Strome said.

Gordon Thompson, 17, said he learned the basic skills needed for coaching during the clinic.

"(It was) good, lots of fun," Thompson said.

Having taken the clinic Rylan Hardisty-Gillis, 15, said he has a greater appreciation for the time that coaches have to dedicate to plan for practices.

"I learned a lot of new stuff about coaching," he said.

With his new knowledge Hardisty-Gillis plans to help coach minor hockey this year.

Strome's visit to the village was sponsored by Fort Simpson Minor Hockey and is part of a larger tour that Hockey North has organized. In the course of five and a half weeks Strome will lead hockey sessions in seven communities in the territory.