Submitted by Eric Cederberg
After 11 seasons as Acadia hockey Axemen head coach and countless years as an assistant and former Axemen player, Darren Burns has his finger on the pulse of minor hockey and the effort required to feed and nurture it.
Over the years, Burns has created a full complement of hockey camps that address the needs of both males and females from ages four up to 16.
Entering his 12th year as head coach, Burns says he’s proud of the accomplishments of his hockey program in the development of minor hockey players throughout the Annapolis Valley and Nova Scotia.
It didn’t come easy, and he credits the work of local minor coaches, his past and present coaching staff, and especially his players.
“We are very excited to be able to continue to build the quality and the different focus of camps at Acadia,” he says. “We have worked hard to build uniformity in our camps and teaching.”
There are now camps and opportunities available to children from 4-16 years old.
“It’s exciting to be able to have coaches like Nic Greenough of the Valley Wildcats seeing the end result of minor hockey’s efforts.”
Greenough, Burns points out, “has worked hard to continue to develop these players, and it will be an exciting spring with many of his players being drafted to Junior A and Major Junior.”
Burns pointed out that Acadia Minor Hockey had two teams win provincial championships this past season.
Brandon Whitney of Centreville, a former Acadia camp participant and former AMHA player, played Major Junior with the Victoriaville Tigres and is preparing for the upcoming NHL draft.
Burns is thrilled with the progress of the camps over the years.
“I think the most positive change is that Acadia Minor Hockey, Acadia hockey and our Bantam and Midget AAA programs have a high level of communication.”
This, he suggests, is paramount for the development of players.
“There is no doubt it is a process. We need to make sure kids get an opportunity to participate and have fun learning the game of hockey at all levels,” he said.
“It’s also important we work hard to provide camps where players who want to play at the highest levels can continue to improve and work hard to achieve those opportunities.”
The involvement of the Acadia hockey program in developing skill camps has created an environment where instructors, coaches and players are in contact year round. Acadia’s goal is to help kids improve not just as players, but also as people.
AMHA past president Laurie Dauphinee believes the association has benefitted from its close bond with the Axemen and the camps provided by Burns during the summer and throughout the year.
This year, the Acadia Atom AAA team won a provincial title. These players have directly benefited from their involvement with the Acadia camps, Dauphinee says.
“The skill sets and confidence the AMHA players gained enabled their coaches to work at another level. The high standards and intense skill-based sessions brought out the best in these players.”
Dauphinee has witnessed the skill development and confidence of the players grow directly from the efforts of Burns and the Acadia players.
“It’s rare that minor hockey players can say a varsity coach knows their names, and that their local heroes know their names as well,” Dauphinee says. “At the end of the day, hockey is about building confidences, team play and making lifelong friendships. Coach Burns and his Axemen have done all of the above for our young athletes.”
BOX:
The main Acadia hockey camps take place during the summer, starting Aug. 7 and continuing until early September.
There is a Quick Start novice camp, a pair of developmental camps, atom and peewee elite, a female camp and a goalie camp.
More information on all the Acadia camps, in all sports, including information on how to register, is available at http://sports.acadiau.ca/camps.html.