Denmark club tastes Colorado culture A
By Pat Rooney
n orchestrator of hockey camps and clinics across North America and Europe, Planet
Hockey has enjoyed a long, rich history of edu- cating young players not only on the finer points of the game, but also the value of embracing - and exploring - foreign cultures. That’s why when the Superior-based organi-
zation recently hosted a European club, Esb- jerg IK Denmark, the visiting Danes enjoyed a whirlwind tour during which they crammed in the all best entertainment endeavors Colorado has to offer. Oh, yeah - they managed to fit in a little
hockey, too. “When you come over here with us, you’re
going to have an all-around experience,” said Shawn Killian, Planet Hockey’s president and founder. “We obviously want our visitors to have a strong hockey experience, but what’s just as important is that they have a great time over- all.”
The Danish contingent of 25 players and
21 coaches and parents arrived on Dec. 26 and immediately indulged in Colorado culture. In addition to their hockey escapades, the visitors took in a Denver Broncos game, saw the Colorado Avalanche play, skied some of the top slopes in the Rocky Mountains at Breckenridge, visited Red Rocks and also saw the University of Denver in action at Magness Arena. “Our on-ice time is probably one-one hun- dredth of the time they’re here,” Killian noted.
Steve Strunk, middle, and the rest of the Planet Hockey staff treated Denmark team members to a Denver Broncos game during their recent visit to Colorado.
“We want them to take everything in and experi- ence everything that makes Colorado so unique.” Killian’s Planet Hockey program is a natural
fit for clubs visiting from overseas, as the Esbjerg IK squad learned when it did its research on the Internet, eventually contacting Killian to arrange the visit. Since its inception in 1995, Killian, along with
Planet Hockey vice president Steve Strunk, has led his teams on a number of tours through- out Europe. Planet Hockey’s collective passport includes stamps in Italy, France, Switzerland, Sweden and the Czech Republic, among many
others. “It was exhausting, but incredibly fun,”
Killian said of his time with the Danes. “When we take our kids to Europe, we have a long list of things on the to-do list and we wanted these kids to have the same experience in Colorado.” Of course, the visit wasn’t all fun and games
for Esbjerg IK, a group of 1996- and 97-born players. In addition to shared workouts, the Es- bjerg IK club competed in a number of friendly exhibition games against teams at various lev- els, including not only ones from Planet Hockey, but also high school clubs and a few squads from other Boulder-area organizations. “The games weren’t official, just exhibitions,
and sometimes we even cut them a little short,” said Killian. “I’m not a ‘go-kick-butt’ kind of guy; kids play too many games as it is, and trips like this aren’t meant to run them into the ground.” Much of the hockey component during prac-
tices also offered a valuable learning opportunity for the coaches. “A lot of it was skills training, and this was
a great chance for them to see our methods,” he added. “And, when we go over there, we get to see theirs.” At the end of the visit, the exhausted Danes
went home with a little taste of what life in Colo- rado is like. They also enjoyed a hockey cultural experience that no player - neither the visitors nor their American hosts - will soon forget. “These guys were very skilled,” Killian said.
“These are some of the top kids in Denmark who will do something in hockey some day.”
RubberHockey.com 7
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20