Berg, Brindley's camp draws large turnout

ESTERO — Approximately 80 eager young hockey players put on their skates and their thinking caps Monday morning at Germain Arena and took instruction from a number of current and former Florida Everblades, hoping to improve their skills, or in some cases, learn the nuances of the game.

It was the first day of the week-long youth hockey camp being put on by Reggie Berg and Ryan Brindley — as well as the first of a few different clinics and camps organized by some of the players from the 2005-06 team. According to Berg, things went a lot smoother than the camp's first year last summer.

"The turnout was great and exceeded our expectations again," said Berg, Florida's all-time leading goal scorer. "We learned a lot of things ourselves from last year and had a clearer perspective coming into this camp."

Berg, 29, described the makeup of the camp as an even mix of new faces and returning campers, and he and Brindley enlisted the help of teammates from last year's team like Brandon Coalter, Ernie Hartlieb, Grant McNeill, Paul Cabana and Phil Osaer and ex-Blades David Lundbohm, Paul Esdale and Brent McDonald. Cabana and McNeill, who are both recovering from serious shoulder injuries, are not involved in the on-ice activities.

A few adjustments to the itinerary from the inaugural camp were made, specifically as it pertains to the classroom activities. This time around, the 29-year-old Brindley said, video is being used in order to break down some of the lessons being taught over the course of the eight-hour day. Nutritional lunches are provided daily courtesy of the Germain Arena kitchen staff, and after a one-hour group session, the kids are split into smaller groups based on their skill level to get more individual attention.

"It's a great way for the kids to not only learn a great deal about the game of hockey, but also to be able to spend time with guys they've looked up to on the Everblades," Brindley said. "We also look at it as a good opportunity for us to spend some time with the kids, which we don't get to do enough of during the season. It doesn't seem that long ago when we were attending camps like this, so it's a lot of fun."

Brindley and Berg are going to conduct more specialized clinics throughout the summer for goalies, forwards and defensemen when the dates are finalized they will be posted on the pair's Web site — www.bergbrindleyhockeycamps.com.

As for Hartlieb, his involvement with the youth hockey community doesn't end when this camp finishes Friday afternoon. The Detroit native who is recognized as one of the world's best roller hockey players is hosting his own in-line hockey camp at the Skatium in downtown Fort Myers starting next Monday morning at 9.

"At first I was going to have the camp at Germain but their facility was all booked up, so I worked it out with the Skatium," said Hartlieb, who helped Team USA win a gold medal at the 2004 International Ice Hockey Federation InLine Hockey World Championships, which are being held in Budapest, Hungary, next month. "When NARCh (the North American Roller Hockey Championships) are held down here it sparks up an interest and I wanted to increase interest in the in-line hockey with this camp."

Hartlieb convinced the IIHF to hold Team USA's training camp July 2-7 in Fort Myers, which means he will have the services of some of his teammates at more of his clinics. But for the one-week camp next week, Coalter and McDonald will be among those Everblades helping out.

In addition to giving back to the community, Coalter and McDonald will use the time to help prepare for the world championships as they — along with Berg, Phil Aucoin and Steve Saviano, if he's available — are going to join Hartlieb on Team USA in Budapest. Everblades athletic trainer Todd Wisocki was selected to be Team USA's trainer last month, so there will be a strong Everblades connection in Budapest beginning July 10 and concluding July 17.

"Last year we lost to Sweden in a shootout (in Finland) and wound up with the bronze, but this year we've got a familiar goaltender in net for us, K-Wol (former Everblades goaltender Craig Kowalski)," Hartlieb said. "He's with the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes right now as the third goalie in the Stanley Cup Finals, but he's going to be coming down here for training camp. Brindley wanted to play but he's Canadian, but I kidded him and told him he's not privileged enough to wear the colors of the red, white and blue."

Seven years ago, the world championships were held in Florida, and Hartlieb is hoping to bring the international event to Germain Arena right before NARCh makes it back to the Estero facility, where it's been held every other year since 2001.

There still are spots available for enrollment in Hartlieb's camp, and more information can be found on his Web site at www.bigernshockey.com .