LECOM Sports Park is seeing a busy start to its offseason by hosting two hockey camps, providing a boost in activity and business after the facility was closed for several weeks during the winter due to electrical issues.
From the ice rink to the fitness center, young athletes have been taking advantage of the facility’s amenities to improve their hockey skills.
“Kids can play floor hockey and do dodgeball, they can train in this weight room and also stay in the dorms just across the street,” said Joshua Freitas of FCA Hockey in Lynchburg, Virginia.
This is the first year that the Fellowship of Christian Athletes hosted a hockey camp in Erie. About 60 athletes and coaches spent three days focusing on strength training, mobility, and hockey development.
“A lot of stuff with legs, a lot of quads, a lot of calves, a little bit of everything,” said participant Eddie Othymer.
The increased in business comes as the Ukrainian Cultural Exchange Hockey Camp returned to Erie for its fourth year.
“They enjoy being here with the billet families, and they are here to practice with the American kids,” said Coach Evgeniy Bysarenko.
In addition to on-ice training, the three-week camp gives young players opportunities to engage with the local community and experience American culture.
“It’s really beneficial because we work with a lot of the skills and techniques and the mentality and approach in training,” Bysarenko added.
For coaches and staff at LECOM Sports Park, the camps mean a return to normal operations after the winter shutdown.
“It’s building relationships, and that’s the part we really missed in the winter when we weren’t open,” said Tyler Travis, a Strength and Conditioning coach at Erie Sports Center. “It’s great to be back and have a great group of athletes here. With these camps, there are kids from all over. With the Ukrainian Exchange Hockey Camp, we have kids from Ukraine and Romania, so it’s been a lot of fun.”
The Ukrainian Cultural Exchange Hockey Camp began on Monday and runs through July 5. Along with on-ice and off-ice training, athletes will take part in field trips to attractions throughout the Erie area.