HBIQ Sports

Hockey players benefit from 360 development during six-week camp

Aug 4, 2021 | 6:05 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – For the past six weeks, several dozen hockey players have been experiencing a whole new camp here in the North that hasn’t been offered before.

“I was quite humbled by the response,” said Matt Stand, the founder and operator of HBIQ Sports. “To have 41 athletes come out and participate in the camp in your first year, you can’t ask for any more humbling response,” said Stang.

HBIQ Sports is a 360 development company focused on the sport of hockey. Not only do they do the on-ice training, but they have also been providing their athletes with in-depth analytics and video study.

“We only have 12 players on the ice,” said Stang. “There’s a lot of attention to detail we can get on, and the kids are still getting their reps. The big thing for us is to just make sure they’re always going 110 per cent, especially in the later parts of camp. Early on, we work on the mechanical stuff so it’s a little bit more low tempo but once we get up to the other side, it’s go.”

Over the six weeks, Stang and his staff of coaches have been working with players from minor hockey up to Major Junior and Junior A, and it has brought a strong level of development and competition.

“Especially for the Western Hockey League kids, they have to push the pace. They have to get out there and drive. Even for the younger guys, and even some of the guys in the BCHL, they have to be pushed as well,” said Stang. “When they see these guys going as hard as they are every rep, they’re not taking a rep off, it really instils a good mindset throughout the whole group.”

Jordan Fairlie, a member of the Prince George Spruce Kings and a product of Northern BC, admits this camp has been like nothing he’s ever seen before in the area.

It was pretty good. It was a long six weeks. I’ve never done a training camp like that before. Usually, they’re like one or two weeks,” said Fairlie. “It’s a different experience but they commit to a process and if you stick through it you get the benefits. This camp is pretty unique. It’s different than anything else I’ve been through but it’s nice that it’s close to home.”

When Stang was looking to bring this camp to town, he did so with the mindset of addressing the lack of high development camps and resources for northern hockey players, and he feels he’s accomplished that.

“For the North, I haven’t heard of anything that’s this in-depth in the skill-based stuff. We’re not here scrimmaging, I mean we play some small-area games towards the later part of the six weeks. We’re really attention to detail on the mechanical side of things and then also trying to figure out the IQ for them; giving them their options and letting them know their high percentage plays down to their low percentage plays.”

At its conclusion, Stang and his staff will look ahead and start planning for their next camp. Based on demand, they will look to introduce some new age groups while ensuring groups are kept small in order to maximize the athlete’s development.