OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE DEVELOPMENT CAMP
G4H is excited to announce the details of our Offensive & Defensive Development Camp for June 2022!
Tuesday, June 28th – Thursday, June 30th, 2022
1:20pm – 4:40pm
Cairns Arena, South Burlington, VT
Designed for advanced players birth years 2003 - 2009, the goal of this 3-day camp is to teach attendees to be well-rounded, 200-foot players within their position.
Players will receive 2 hours of on-ice instruction with 30-40 minutes of video review each day, with on-ice and video review sessions led by G4H Head Coach Meghan Sweezey and current Norwich University Assistant Coach Taylor Willard (coach bios below).
Daily development themes will include:
- Breakouts
- Defensive Zone Play
- Neutral Zone/Regroups
- Transitions/Backchecking
- Angling/Body Contact
- Zone Entries
- Rush Plays
- Puck Possession
- Offensive Zone Concepts
On-ice hour 1 will be separate for forwards and defensemen and will focus on developing position-specific skillsets as they relate to each day's themes. On-ice hour 2 will consist of full-ice drills and small area games designed to allow players to practice skill execution under pressure, while teaching them where to be positionally in various situations and how each skills fits into a full ice, two-way game. Between or before on-ice sessions (schedule varies by day), players will review video showing the day's game concept themes to help participants conceptualize skill application before putting it into practice.
Example schedule below. Please note that the schedule may vary slightly each day in terms of when offensive and defensive players have video review vs. on-ice. A more detailed schedule will be sent to those who register as the camp approaches.
COST & REGISTRATION
This 3-day camp includes 2 hours of on-ice instruction and 30-40 minutes of video review each day led by current and former collegiate-level coaches and players. Camp also includes a G4H practice jersey.
Camp Cost: $285
Deadline Extended to Friday, June 24th*
*Please note: Space is limited with enrollment on a first-come, first-serve basis. Those who play both positions will need to select which position they will be participating as as there are a limited number of spaces for each position.
Coach Information & Bios
Offensive Coach - Meghan Sweezey
Meghan Sweezey is in her 6th year as owner and head coach of Girls 4 Hockey, a business she created to provide additional skill development opportunities for girls and women's ice hockey players of all ages and levels, while growing the game for all.
A USA Hockey Level 4 Coach with a M.Ed from Suffolk University, Sweezey brings a wide variety of experience to G4H, having coached everything from learn to skate and youth hockey to high school and college. Sweezey uses her expertise create dynamic programming that builds player confidence while addressesing personal skill development needs.
Prior to G4H, Sweezey served 5 years (2013-2018) as an assistant coach for her Saint Michael's College (her alma mater), serving the latter 4 years as the program's top assistant. Her primary repsonsbility was working with the Purple Knight's offense and special teams units. From 2018 - 2020, Sweezey stepped down from coaching, but remained on staff as the team's strength and conditoning coach before moving on to take G4H to the next level, making it her full-time position.
As a Purple Knight, Sweezey served as a senior captain after serving two years as an assistant. She finished her career tied in 1st in program history for career games (103), power-play goals (12), and short-handed goals (3). She was also third in points (71), fourth in goals (32), and tied in third for assists (39). She earned several ECAC East academic and athletic honors, including the all-academic team and nomination to the league's Rookie of the Year ballot.
Defensive Coach - Taylor Willard
Taylor Willard is coming off her 1st year as the lead assistant coach for the Norwich University women's ice hockey program, completing the season with a record of 19-8-0. Her main responsibility with the Cadets was working with and developing the team’s defensemen.
Before Norwich, Willard served two years as a volunteer assistant at the University of Vermont. She helped guide the Catamounts to a 16-23-8 overall record and back-to-back Hockey East Quarterfinal appearances.
Taylor also played for UVM and was a two-year captain, logging 145 games for Vermont. She also ranks in the program's top 10 for points, and her point total is the 2nd most by a defenseman in program history. In her four years, she was a two-time Hockey East Second Team All-Star and an Honorable Mention All-Star. She was also named to the New England Hockey Writers Association Division I All-Star following her 2016-17 campaign.
Prior to her career at Vermont, Willard was a member of Team USA at the 2013 U18 Women's World Championships where she picked up three assists in five games and won a silver medal.
Post-graduation, Willard spent the 2018-19 season playing professionally for the Montreal Canadiennes in the Canadian Women's Hockey League. She registered seven points (two goals, five assists) in 26 games as the Canadiennes went all the way to the Clarkson Cup.