It’s been an unusual season for the U13 AA St. James Canadiens, to say the least.
“Last year we did like five or six practices per week, but this year since it’s COVID-19 we’ve had to adapt to that,” said Drayson Day, who’s in his second year playing for the team.
For bench boss Reece Cretton, the restrictions on team sports over the past year meant organizing up to four virtual Zoom practices per week.
“Trying to find way to keep them wanting to get in front of that camera, so doing scavenger hunts, trivia — whether it’s a push-up contest or whatever, it was just to one keep the compete in them,” Cretton smiled.
While on-ice activities remained off-limits for the Canadiens earlier this winter, coach Cretton placed added emphasis on mental health and anti-bullying.
“Hockey still has a bit of a stigma with it of being a tough game, so we want to make sure the kids know right from wrong when it comes to bullying and knowing that there is outlets other than just their parents if they’re having challenges,” Cretton said.
There was no shortage of hockey drills during the pause, either.
“He (Cretton) made us do these really cool drills with chairs and objects just around the house; I just think that’s cool about him. He also made us do stick weight with weight on our sticks and that really helped me improve,” said player Crosby Harrison.
Cretton has been involved in coaching for 17 seasons, which first piqued his interest after his Junior B coach offered him a job coaching spring hockey.
“Development is probably a word that gets overused nowadays, but certainly you want to help nurture them, expand their horizons, help them grow and become better,” Cretton said.
“It’s really fun and rewarding to watch them progress, not just as hockey players, but … especially as people.”
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