The LumberYard will be closed on the following dates:

Friday, June 28th, 2024 - Sunday, July 7th, 2024

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Summer is just around the corner, and at The LumberYard, we are gearing up for an amazing season filled with exciting programs designed to enhance your child's skills and overall athletic development.

Whether your child is focused on specific hockey skills like stickhandling, shooting, or power skating, or prefers a comprehensive approach with our golf camp, dynamites, or squirt camp, we have the perfect program for them.

Explore our summer program offerings by clicking on the logos below to see detailed information and register now for an unforgettable summer experience.

At The LumberYard, we are committed to providing top-notch coaching, a supportive environment, and a fun-filled learning experience for all participants. Our age-specific and skill-specific programs are designed to maximize every athlete's potential and help them excel both on and off the ice.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to make this summer the greatest one yet for your child! Secure their spot in our summer programs today and get ready for an exciting journey of growth and achievement.

The LumberYard features both age specific and skill specific programs to maximize every athlete's potential.  For some families working on skill specific activities like stickhandling, shooting, or power skating is exactly what your child is looking for while others prefer our golf camp, dynamites, or squirt camp where hockey is the focus but we work on overall athletic development.  Either way, the LumberYard has the program right for you.  Click the logos below to see details and register now for the greatest summer ever!

IF A CAMP IS FULL, WE CAN PUT YOU ON A WAITING LIST. PLEASE EMAIL SHELLY.

NO OFFLINE PAYMENTS AVAILABLE!!

BASED ON AVAILABILITY ONCE CAMPS HAVE STARTED

The question we get at the LumberYard Hockey and Sports Center in Stillwater, MN from many parents is, “How do I select the right training for my young player? The following is a “blueprint” we recommend to help with this question.
For starters, a parent needs to recognize what the player needs to work on. You can talk to your child’s coach and through your own observations, grade your child on various key skills. The first and most important skill is skating. Look closely at your child’s stride to assess knee bend, length of stride, and if they fully recover (bring their foot all the way back to the other foot when skating). We often see kids not focus on a proper skating form and by the time they are 14 or 15 it is nearly impossible to correct. An improper form will limit their ability to compete at a high level. Take video and watch their form closely and in slow motion. If they are missing any of the above key elements, select a Power Skating program.
Next, evaluate their ability to control their head and body position while making hockey plays. If they struggle at this, select programs that combine off ice strength and overall athleticism. Even at a young age, players improve their strength and body control with off-ice, body weight exercises that focus on building core strength and developing athletic movements.
Once the above two are checked off the list, you should diagnose their ability to complete (visualize, recognize, feel and execute) hockey plays. If you observe a slower reaction to these abilities, a 3v3 league on a small rink should be considered as that is the best way to improve those skills. 3v3 forces a player to recognize and make plays with a short amount of time. It forces puck protection and an ability to find open space or you quickly have a turnover.
Another key skill for all players is the ability to control the puck at a high speed and in tight spaces. Can your player control the puck and keep control in high pressure situations? If they struggle at all here, choose a Stickhandling program. As kids age and mature, kids with good “hands” are difference makers on the ice (both forwards and defenseman).
There are numerous other skills a player can focus on. Shooting, goal scoring, and defensive skills are a few examples. Assess your child’s specific needs and choose skills that need improvement and nurture the skills they are already strong at.
The final decision is deciding how much activity to sign your child up for. When making this choice, take into consideration the level of love your player has for the game. Becoming a great player takes a determination to do things that are sometimes not that much fun. Each player must be carefully evaluated to determine how much “grind” they can endure while keeping the fire and love for the game. There is a lot of talk these days about playing other sports. At the Lumberyard we fully endorse multi-sport athletes. That said, many players have a love for the game that needs to be fed. If you have a player that truly loves to get better, feed it. I like to equate these players to musicians. When have you ever heard of a piano teacher that forces a student to walk away from practicing and playing piano for half of the year. As long as the player is having fun and feeding their love for the game, they won’t get “burned out”. With a good selection of programs, it is not too much to have their skates on at least once a week in the off season… keep them in touch with the ice, their skates, and the game.
To support the above recommnedations, The LumberYard Hockey and Sports Center specializes in providing off-season training that is skill specific. We have a menu of development classes and camps that are available for your player at a low cost. Check out details and register today at www.lumberyardsports.com.

Lee Erickson is the General Manager of the LumberYard Hockey and Sport Center and has been training hockey players for more than 25 years. He previously owned and operated NorthStar Hockey with Steve Payne of the Minnesota North Stars. He has been involved in the development of multiple NHL draft picks, many division 1 players, numerous division 3 players and large numbers of Junior players.

Please Note: The LumberYard does not pro-rate for partial attendance or absence from a summer camp program.