The Eaglettes will be landing on Feb. 7 during the first period intermission of the senior men's hockey game between the Innisfail Eagles and Fort Saskatchewan Chiefs.
Sponsored by Tim Hortons, the Timbits go by the unofficial name of the Eaglettes in honour of the senior men's AAA team.
Bernie Vanderham, Eaglette program manager, will be bringing the Eaglettes into the Innisfail Twin Arena to entertain hockey fans during the first intermission for two 10-minute exhibition games.
ìWe have around 40 kids registered in the program,î said Vanderham. ìMy kids fall in the four- to five-year-old range, with the occasional six-year-old who hasn't skated or played hockey yet.î
The Eaglettes are an extension of the Innisfail Minor Hockey Association program targeted at kids who are just learning to skate and wanting to try hockey.
ìMy focus is teaching skill development to the kids, and to teach them to have fun on the ice,î said Vanderham. ìThey learn how to skate forwards and backwards, how to stop and turn.
ìWhen these kids start, it is not uncommon to see them all on the ice at one time or another,î he added. ìBy the time they get to their second year they are getting pretty confident.î
Vanderham has a motto -- ìThe Eaglettes fall on, and then skate off the ice.î
He is very careful in the way he talks to the kids on the ice.
ìWe don't use the phrase ëI can't,' added Vanderham. ìI want to build confidence into my kids, and to teach them that you can't always succeed right away. You have to work hard to achieve your goal, no matter how small it is.î
Vanderham has been working with the Eaglettes for the past seven years. He started the program with 20 kids registering for minor hockey, and has had as many as 55. This year 40 kids registered.
ìThe kids don't play many games as an Eaglette,î added Vanderham. ìAt most, they will see seven games but the focus for me is skills and fun, not competition. They have the rest of their hockey lives to play league games.î
Parents help Venderham with coaching on ice during the practices. Their participation is key to the success of the program, said Vanderham, adding it helps kids bond with their parents.
ìI enjoy helping with the Eaglettes,î said Vanderham. ìJust watching the look on their faces when they finally realize that they can do this is worth every bit of time I put into it.
ìYou can't help but smile after you watch the kids slip, fall, and skate their way through an hour of exercise,î he added. ìThis is priceless.î
