Our traditional summer camp will be this year at Espoo, Leppävaara ice rink June 5-9 Mon-Fri. This camp has been sold out all previous 12 times that we have organized this event. We will reserve rights to select our students based on their applications (instructions later this page). This way we can match the students and groups the most effective way.
TO WHOM IS THIS CAMP TARGETED FOR?
Our main camp is open for all competitive goalies with high goals and ambitions. Our students must be willing to work hard. Age wise we have had groups from young juniors (10-12 years) all the way to men’s pro goalies. We will run the camp so that there will be 6 groups where goalies are close to the same age and skill level.
All goalies must be able to handle 2 intensives ice workouts, 1 dryland session and warm-up’s & cooldowns before and after ice sessions.
CAMP PROGRAM
Main weight is on ice sessions and instruction. There will be 2 intensive high quality ice workouts each day.
On top of ice workouts, we will have each day 1 dryland workout with goalie specific program. Body maintenance and teaching the right methods is one area where we put a lot of efforts. Our methodology has been developed over the years and we keep on updating it every year. For several years, we have had extra focus on hip areas and injury prevention through proper hip specific off ice training programs.
NEW TRAINING METHODS AND DRILLS
Every summer we do rewrite about 30% of our drills that are based on our ongoing analysis and development. This development work is being done during the season together with our pro customers
Summer 2017 camp will be different as we are in the process of rewriting about 50% of our drills and training sessions. These are based on the massive amount of game analysis we have done during the season and after finishing our last large project (creation of goaltenders handbook). Biggest part comes from the issues we have analyzed with our pro customers during the season and created methods for correcting those issues.
COACHES AT THE CAMP
The founder of the GoaliePro, Jukka Ropponen, is responsible for the program and will be on the ice for every session working with goalies and instructing camp coaches. Jukka is one of the most experienced goalie coaches in Finland. He has worked in Finnish Elite League (6 seasons, Jokerit, Espoo Blues and Kiekko-Espoo), Swiss National League NLA (9 seasons, ZSC Lions), USA (Rochester Americans/NAHL, Maksyymum Hockey and Hobart College/NCAA), Russia/KHL (UFA, Lokomotiv& St.Petersburg Hockey Academy) as well as in Canada (several goalie schools).
Summer 2017 coaches lineup will be announced 1-2 months before the camp once our coaches roster has been finalized. Our coaches group will be compiled from experienced GoaliePro coaches, our pro customers and a few goalie coaches mentorship program participants. We will have at least 2 coaches for each group on the ice, which means that there will be less than 2 students per coach ratio. This along with our coaches roster is something you will not see anywhere else.
Examples of the coaches from the past summer camps:
- Ale Jääskeläinen, GoaliePro & Kiekko-Vantaa
- Nikke Bäckström, IFK, Calgary Flames & Minnesota Wild
- Jack Hartigan, Finngoalie, Halifax, Nova Scotia
- Rasmus Tirronen, Espoo United , Charlotte Checkers, AHL & Merrimack college
- Kasimir Kaskisuo, Toronto Marlies AHL, Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL & UMD, NCAA
- Ari Sulander, Suomen U20 maajoukkue, Jokerit A & Zurich Lions
- Mikko Rämö, Bad Nauheim, DEL-2 & KooKoo
- Justin Goldman, The Goalie Guild & USA Hockey
- Rasmus Reijola, Alaska Anchorage, NCAA & St.Cloud, NCAA
- Atte Tolvanen, NMU, NCAA
- Jani Nieminen, Fischtown Penguins, DEL & SaiPa
- Niko Hovinen, KalPa, Zagreb, KHL, Pelicans, Malmö, Allsvenskan & Red Bull Salzburg
- Ted Monnich, GDI Carolinas
- Ray Jean, Own The Crease & Goalie coach at University of Maine
- Patrik Virtanen, Utica College, NCAA & Lincoln Stars, USHL
- Clint Elberts, Missouri Mavericks, ECHL
- Rod Wisco, No Excuses Hockey, Ontario, Canada
- Etc…
COST
Camp cost is 765€ and it has to be paid within a week from the acceptance notification from GoaliePro. This way the student has ensured his/her spot at the camp. GoaliePro does not take cancellations or do refunds. In case the student can’t make it to the camp, GoaliePro will assign a new student from waiting list, if there are suitable candidates available. Student can also get a replacement participant himself.
Included in the camp price is all workouts and ice sessions, GoaliePro training clothing package, protein rich sports lunch designed by nutrition pro, trainer’s services, sports drink and energy loads & recovery drinks. We are paying extra attention to the proper nutrition and teaching these habits to our students. For sports drink, we use sugar free, lactose free, glucose free & all natural BioSteel HPSM. On top of that our students will enjoy natural BioSteel nutrition bars, pure whey protein and recovery drinks. These products are used by almost half of NHL players as well as large part of Finnish Elite League players.
All students must have their own insurance to cover any costs of medical treatment, injuries etc.
Out of town participants are responsible for their own accommodation arrangements.
IS YOUR TARGET AT U.S. COLLEGES?
If that is your next target, you are applying for the right program. Every year we have coaches on program from NCAA schools or coaches with close ties to NCAA schools. We do explain the process and the path to college hockey during the week to our students. After the camp, you will understand what it takes from you as an athlete and also what are the academic requirements. Once you achieve a scholarship at Div-1 NCAA program, that can be values up to 40.000 USD per season for 4 years.
In our pro group we have 5 goalies that have started at this very same camp when they were 11-12 years old and had a dream of playing college hockey some day (Kaskisuo, Orlando Solar Bears, Tirronen, Espoo United, Reijola, Alaska Anchorage, Virtanen, Utica College and Tolvanen, NMU).
From these 5 goalies 2 have already moved to the pro hockey ranks (Kaskisuo & Tirronen) while 3 others (Reijola, Tolvanen & Virtanen) still play at NCAA.
These goalies will also work as coaches during the camp.
Other GoaliePro students that have gone through NCAA path are Vilma Vaattovaara (Graduated a year ago from UNH), Jan Ropponen (Graduated from RIT 2011) and Matti Kaltiainen (Graduated from Boston college 2005).
APPLICATIONS
Send you application letter to valmennus(at)goaliepro.com and tell us what your goals are and why we should select you as one of our 2017 camp participants.
Remember also to include the following information:
- Name
- Year of birth
- Current team and jersey #
- Shoe size
- League where you play
- Phone, e-mail and address
- If you are under 18, guardians contact information
- Possible recommendation letters from coaches etc
Looking forward to see you at Espoo this summer!
