Heroic Minds Hockey Camp
Our current approach to athletic performance is strapping Formula1 engines to bicycles and crossing our fingers. We forget that athletes require a strong psychological foundation in which high performance is built upon.
Ben Fanelli
Head of Camp Curriculum
Ben spent 5 years with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. While playing for the Rangers he started HeadStrong a program that educated youth on concussion, he was CHL’s Humanitarian of the Year in 2013, he went to NHL Camp with the New York Rangers and finished his final season as captain of the team. After his time in the OHL Ben continued to pursue social entrepreneurship, he was asked to do a TEDx Talk about his journey through adversity, he started the Heroic Minds Podcast with over 50,000 listens, he coached Men’s Hockey at the University of Waterloo, and is currently completing his Masters in Counselling Psychology. Today, Ben aims to educate on and target the roots of human behaviour to improve performance both in and out of sport.
On-Ice Coaches
Chase Campbell
On-Ice Lead
Chase played 5 seasons in the OHL (Kitchener, Windsor, Ottawa, Owen Sound, Sarnia) and is currently studying in the Sport-Business program at the University of Waterloo. Chase studies the NHL game to pull out low and high levels concepts that shape the curriculum of each on-ice session.
Owen Burnell
On-Ice Coach
Owen played in the Memorial Cup after winning an OHL Championship with the Hamilton Bulldogs. Before playing with the Bulldogs he played in the GOJHL for the Ancaster Avalanche. Owen is currently in his third year at the University of Waterloo.
Kristin O'Neill
On-Ice Coach
Kristin was a part of the 2022 Women’s Olympic team chosen to compete in Beijing. As a sophomore, Kristin was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year and became the third sophomore captain in the program’s history. After graduating from Cornell with a degree in Psychology, Kristin joined Montreal’s Team Bauer in the PWHPA.
*The Needed Shift in Hockey Development
Today in hockey development we see a faulty focus on fancy, eye-catching skills of present day hockey All-Stars that entirely overlook the foundational tools required to be a high performing hockey player. While this approach may garner lots of attention on Instagram, we see it lead to vulnerability, over-thinking, and fatigue when trying to perform at a high level.
Heroic Mind Hockey Camp focuses on developing a strong foundation with the tools required to be a high performing hockey player; playing with eyes up, full control of the puck on both forehand and backhand side of the body, SAFETY AS A SKILL, playing on top of the ice to maintain speed, ability to play with hands off the body, ability to disassociate upper body from lower body movement and more. Ultimately, when you decrease the amount of thinking and energy required to perform, the game becomes easier to play and creativity, resolve & performance rise to the surface.
March Break Hockey Camp
Don McLaren Arena
61 Green St, Kitchener, ON N2G 4K9
Monday March 13th - Friday March 17th
10am-1pm
AA/AAA
Boys & Girls (Ages: 12-16)
$550
Included in Camp:
Daily 1.5-Hour on-ice sessions inspired by NHL skill coaches
Daily 1-Hour off-ice sessions inspired by Heroic Minds (Learn More)
Schedule:
Group 1 (12 & 13 years) 10am On-Ice
Group 2 (14, 15, 16 years) 10am Off-Ice
Oakville
Coming Soon
Hamilton
Coming Soon
Niagara
Coming Soon
What People Are Saying
You absolutely nailed this camp. Brayden was so excited to go everyday and he didn’t lose any of that momentum towards the end of the week. He loved the off ice portion just as much as the on ice. The off ice portion was so beneficial and he was excited to tell us about it everyday.
— Tara Gee (Parent of Athlete)
Our son Ben really loved your camp last week. We really appreciated your daily updates because we could discuss and build on those lessons at home (I wish you'd share some of those lessons with some coaches sometime). Based on our son's feedback our first impression of you, your camp is remarkable, we will continue to send him to anything you organize!
— Sloden Lackovic (Parent of Athlete)
Wanted to reach out and express our gratitude to you and your team for a great week of camp for Vaughan. We knew this was a special experience when he would give minute by minute detail on how every day went. That’s not the norm. Usually we get the “it was good” response and that’s that. So for that, we thank you!
— Joel Sneddon (Parent of Athlete)
You truly are filling the gap in the sports development model. On top of that, you are making it enjoyable. Ethan loved both the on-ice and off-ice parts of camp and came home to say how much the off-ice would improve him as person an athlete. Outstanding job. Thank you.
— Dave Domjan (Parent of Athlete)
To be honest this is all stuff I’ve never come across in my 25 years behind a bench but would have been incredibly helpful tools. Thank you for taking things to another level. Ryder has really enjoyed the first two days and is learning how to apply these teachings to his daily and pregame routines.
— Corey Hallman (Parent of Athlete)
Thanks for including Cam this week. I think we can say it was the best camp he's attended. Those topics are exactly what he needed for real life and hockey right now.
— Mark Healy (Parent of Athlete)