Planet Hockey offers young players chance to improve skill set at Willowbrook camp

Throughout the past 24 years, Planet Hockey has trained more than 70,000 aspiring hockey players worldwide. The five-day Planet Hockey Super Skills Camp is scheduled to run from July 30 to August 3 at the Willowbrook Aerodrome. less Throughout the past 24 years, Planet Hockey has trained more than 70,000 aspiring hockey players worldwide. The five-day Planet Hockey Super Skills Camp is scheduled to run from July 30 to August 3 at the ... more Photo: Planet Hockey, Inc. Photo: Planet Hockey, Inc. Image 1 of / 6 Caption Close Planet Hockey offers young players chance to improve skill set at Willowbrook camp 1 / 6 Back to Gallery

Throughout the past 20 years, Planet Hockey has trained more than 70,000 aspiring hockey players worldwide.

Planet Hockey has established itself as one of the premier development programs in North America, teaching players how to love to train.

The program is highly recommended to youngsters and proven to help pros alike.

For the second time this summer, Planet Hockey Summer Super Camp will make its way to Houston at the Willowbrook Aerodrome.

More than 5,000 players participated in Planet Hockey camps in 2017. The camp is both fun and challenging.

“Our son had the best time during the hockey camp,” Dawn Veinot said. “He said the coaches were great.”

The five-day Planet Hockey Super Skills Camp is scheduled to run from July 30 to August 3 at the Aerodrome.

The camp is the second of two hosted in Houston. The first camp ran from June 18 to June 22.

Girls are welcomed at all Planet Hockey camps.

Started in 1994, founder and president Shawn Killian has traveled the globe, increasing hockey possibilities by education players of all ages.

Planet Hockey enters its 24th year of traveling the globe.

First-class operation

Planet Hockey provides hockey camps, resident hockey camps, international hockey tours and private player, team and association training and consulting.

Resident camps are held in two locations, Colorado and Massachusetts.

Since 1995, Planet Hockey has provided international tours to more than 4,000 hopeful players, coaches and family members.

The 2018 European tour will be in Denmark.

Past tours include Italy, France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Denmark and Sweden.

The 2018 USA summer camp will be featured in 70 cities across the country, spanning 26 states. Camps run from May through August.

“Hope to do the camp again in a few years,” Veinot said.

Most camps are five days, designed to accommodate players ages six and older, all skill levels and all positions.

Tuition for five-day camps is around $460-600.

The all-new 2018 summer camp format includes power skating, stick handling, small games/positional play, scoring, passing, dryland training, body contact/control and nutrition.

“Amazing camp at a great price,” Sarah Murphy Feltner said.

Skills development

According to Planet Hockey, the Planet Hockey Development Model implements station based training to teach the latest techniques and systems focused on individual player development.

Each player receives an on-ice skills assessment and evaluation, action plan and electronic player profile.

The model is designed to be skill-specific instead of age-specific.

“His evaluation was pretty much what we thought he needs to work on,” Veinot said.

Players are put into smaller sub groups based on skill level then assigned a custom-made instructional syllabus designed to increase individual confidence and long-term athletic development, according to Planet Hockey.

They also offer skills training year-round.

Many past students have worked their way into some sort of success, in either a college or professional hockey career. And some even return to become part of the instructional staff.

All 2018 programs are elite workshops and include a staff that is comprised of coaches from around the world, according to Planet Hockey. The student to instructor ratio is 4 to 1 or better with extensive small group and individual skills instruction.

Programs are designed for players, at all levels, who are serious about improving their skills in a fun, competitive environment.

These camps follow the same format and methods that they use when training NHL and European professional players.

“The coaches have been fantastic,” Feltner said. “My son has done two so far and will continue to do them every year.”

alvaro.montano@chron.com