YWAM Hockey Summer 2012 Recap

We had our busiest summer yet as YWAM Hockey; week long hockey camps in Calgary, Campbell River, Prince George, 2 weeks in Kelowna , 12 days in NE Asia and 1 week in Homer, Alaska. Many stories!!

We had a terrific Hockey Summer of Service team of 6 (1 Russian, 1 American & 4 Canadians). The HSOS group serves as counselors and on ice assistants for all of our camps. In addition to the HSOS we also have many local coaches and counselors in each location who also do an amazing job for us. It is so cool to see such commitment and sacrifice of all who work with us. No one, including us, receives a paycheque from YWAM Hockey; we are all volunteers!

Hard economic times in Prince George, Campbell River & Kelowna affected our camps. The enrollment for these camps were definitely lower this year. We have never turned away a kid who wants to come to camp and this year and we supplied more scholarships than we ever had to before.

Northeast Asia; what an opportunity!

Last winter as we were preparing for our summer camps I began to think,” wouldn’t it be cool if the kids in NE Asia could experience a Canadian style hockey camp”.  We have been there during their hockey season in the winter 3 or 4 times and we have built up a good relationship with the coaches there and so I contacted them and they were very excited about us coming. 

So, three days after our Canadian camps finished Glen & 6 others flew over arriving one hour before the camp started. We proceeded to do a full 5 day hockey camp with twice daily ice sessions, dryland, our famous ball hockey tournament and a Coach’s Corner where the kids received Bibles and learned about biblical principles & character from Art Kung who is with YWAM Calgary and has worked at our hockey camps over the past 3 years.

We receive many encouraging comments & notes from staff, campers & their parents. Here is an excerpt from one of our staff in Alaska:

“Homer Hockey Camp started Thursday, Sept. 20th at 4:45pm. Following a dry land training session the campers headed to the locker room for a quick snack, chapel and then on ice instruction. During chapel, Glen Bueckert and Scott Smith spoke to the campers about the reliability and truth of scripture, the real presence Jesus can have in their lives and Godly living through integrity, respect and character. Glen gave each camper a YWAM Hockey Bible that had been donated by the Canadian Bible Society and encouraged them to keep it in their hockey bag and bring to chapel during camp...

The YWAM Hockey Bible is a fabulous outreach and evangelistic tool!”