Bobcats Elite Camp comes to Southern California T


he Bobcats Elite hockey program will host an Elite AA-AAA skills camp from July 9-13


in Escondido, Calif., located just outside of San Diego. Now in its third year, the Bobcats Elite camp was initiated for serious hockey players inter- ested in developing their off-ice conditioning,


on-ice skills, skating and knowledge of the game. “We strongly believe that we’ve developed a pro- gram that helps our boys improve all aspects of their


game in a fun yet challenging environment,” said Bobcats Elite director Ron Filion. And the coaching staff is second to none. Filion has established himself


as one of the best skills coaches, while Brock Ballard, the program’s pow- er skating coach, boasts a solid reputation throughout the United States and Canada. The Bobcats’ game knowledge coach,Marco Pietroniro, is another decorated mentor who works with the players on various aspects of their game. “Each year our camp has drawn positive reviews from players and par-


ents alike, and I think that speaks volumes about what we deliver in terms of development,” said Filion. “Our staff, both administratively and on the ice, pride themselves on making this a one-of-a-kind hockey experience.” The Elite camp is also specialized for goaltenders. Everyday they have


structured on-ice development with the Bobcats’ goalie coach for three hours, which has become a very popular program among netminders on the West Coast. It’s also an opportunity for fun and relaxation. “Many of our families have turned this week of camp into a family vaca-


tion, too, where everyone can enjoy a great time while their players work daily from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on their development,” Filion added. For more information, visit Hockey-2.com and see the advertisement on


Page 9.


WPHA begins push for roofed facility T


By Joe Paisley


he Woodland Park Hockey Association (WPHA) and city officials are launching an


ambitious fundraising effort to raise $750,000 for a metal roof over the city’s outdoor rink to be built in 2013. The monetary push for the facility at the


Meadow Wood Park Sports Complex is just get- ting underway. “We have no money right now,” said WPHA


president Daniel Rupp. “We and the city are committed to getting a grant (in 2012). We don’t have the money set aside, but we intend to use the new Zamboni donated by the Tim Thomas Foundation as the cornerstone asset in the fund- raising campaign.” The WPHA will try to raise matching funds for


The Woodland Park Hockey Association just recently began its fundraising efforts to help secure a roof over the city’s outdoor rink.


a $375,000 Great Outdoors Colorado grant. The WPHA is working closely with the small Teller County city, which has a history of winning those grants. The grant, used to fund outdoor recreation projects, is paid for with proceeds from the Colo- rado Lottery. The WPHA will need to raise at least 30 percent


of the $375,000 when the grant application is sub- mitted to the state in the fall after approval from the city council and city manager. If the grant is awarded by the state in Decem-


ber, construction could begin in 2013. The WPHA will hold two fundraising efforts


this summer, along with soliciting individual donations from association families, and an end- of-the-season raffle for three prizes: autographed


Tim Thomas and Joe Sakic jerseys and a team autographed Colorado College jersey. The drawing was earlier this month. “We have an aggressive fundraising campaign


planned over the next six months,” said Rupp. Installing a roof over the facility will benefit


the city by keeping snow and sunshine off the ice, which will lower maintenance costs, extend the skating season, and provide rain cover the rest of the year for other events. A roofed, open-air facility could be a site for concerts, car shows and farmers’ markets in the summer, along with inline hockey. The roof is only Phase 1 of a two-stage plan that


would have options to fully enclose the rink and house locker rooms, a refrigeration system, admin- istrative offices, a concessions area and a Zamboni storage room. The price tag is an estimated $1.4 million for Phase 2, which would not be eligible for the GOCO


grants. The city and WPHA retained Colorado Struc-


tures, Inc. of Colorado Springs to draw up the concept after reviewing six companies’ ideas. There is no timetable set for Phase 2, Rupp


said, but it certainly fits in with the WPHA’s long- term plans, which include an eventual high school hockey team. Six Woodland Park High School players compete for schools in Colorado Springs, including Coronado High School captain Brock Lofgren. “We’re just trying to improve the play for the


kids,” Rupp said. “We have a huge number of games almost every weekend.” The WPHA has improved the three-year-old


facility in partnership with the city, spending $11,000 recently on electrical and walkway up- grades and $3,000 for the rental of two temporary locker rooms in the parking lot. A new $4,000 scoreboard was installed in mid-January. The Tim Thomas Foundation, represented by


the Boston Bruins goaltender’s wife and three chil- dren, donated a newer, reconditioned 2003 model Zamboni in a ceremony in February. The Zamboni presentation drew officials from USA Hockey and the city and was followed by a family open skate. Currently, the rink often hosts one-day jambo-


rees for youth and adult teams. The popular three- day Bleed Hockey adult tournament in January drew eight teams from around the Rocky Moun- tain region. The number of area children, mostly 13-and-


under, playing has been steady with about 100 enrolled this winter, Rupp said.


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