WFHA would like to thank all of the Stampede Players & Goalies who participated this summer in the Stampede Summer Challenge! 

This year's challenge was "upped" by asking Skaters to both shoot 10,000 shots and perform 500 hours of stick handling.  We also included goalies with a goal of 1,000 hours of goalie off-ice drills. 

So many Stampede families participated with those below achieving their goals for the challenge.   These champions will receive their name on the wall in Vets 1, bag tags, skate towels, and a their name in a drawing for a new stick (up to $250 value).  Drawing for the stick will be next Tuesday, September 6th.    We will reach out to all of the champions once their prizes are in and will arrange delivery.  

KUDOS and THANK YOU to everyone who spent your time in the off-season trying to improve your game!

10,000 SHOTS PLUS 500 MINUTES OF STICKHANDLING

• Work on all types of shots including quick release, 2 leg, 1 leg, one timer, one touch, 2 touch, backhand to forehand, forehand to backhand, etc.…
• You can follow our stickhandle plan or come up with your own.  500 minutes is about 5 minutes a day which should be very doable to complete!

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

• Pucks 
• Stick (may want to use a smaller stick if shooting in shoes, regular length if on rollerblades)
• Stick handling ball (golf ball or store bought)
• Smooth shooting surface
• Net or backstop (a hanging tarp works well)

TIPS!

• Set a schedule — better to practice for a short time everyday rather than shoot a lot every once in awhile
• Complete challenge with friends
• Spend extra time on your weakness (backhand)
• Practice for accuracy — use targets (paper plates, magnetic etc.)
• Shoot 5% from unusual positions (wrong or 1 foot, one or both knees, seated, different hand spacing, etc.)
• Pull the puck to your body and shoot
• Shot begins with puck at the side of the body and behind back foot
• Good follow through
• Shoot HARD!!

1000 MINUTES OF OFF-ICE DRILLS

• 15 minutes every day will get you to the goal.
• Goalies can follow the drills that are attached to the challenge or come up with their own. 
• Drills should be one of the following
  • Hand-eye drills
  • Foot-eye drills
  • Quick feet drills
  • Eye tracking drills
  • Core/ab exercises
  • Jumps-vertical or lateral
  • Playing any racquet sports (tennis, racquetball, pickleball, ping-pong, etc.)
  • Juggling drills

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

• Tennis/racquet balls
• Soccer ball for foot eye
• Items to jump over or on.

TIPS!

• Make it fun and competitive by keeping track of drills. 
  • Examples- how many times you catch a ball without dropping it, how fast you get through a quick foot drill, how long can you juggle without dropping etc.
• Include your friends or siblings to encourage competition
• Get creative with drills to make it fun all summer long.
• Focus on one aspect at a time.  Example- don’t include juggling with quick feet drills.  This will take your focus away from during one of the skills really well.

• Track progress by downloading and printing the documents above.
• When the challenge is complete, players must get a sign off from their parent/guardian
• Parent/guardian will email the logged activity to Zach Feltman (zfeltman@westfargohockey.com) , along with the player’s name and level for the upcoming season (Mite, 12U, Bantam, etc), and any fun facts or pictures from the challenge!

Everyone that completes the challenge will earn a spot on the wall in Vets 1, a Stampede Summer Challenge bag tag, and be entered in a drawing for a new stick (up to a $250 value!)