Belarus Blogspot

Exciting Times for Members of the Northern Edge Nation

As most of us know, this year Northern Edge conducted a search for 10 players to partake in an inaugural exchange program with the country of Belarus. From 200 applications, we were able to bring the number to 25: from 25, with the help of the Belarus Ice Hockey Federation, we selected 10 boys to travel to Minsk for two weeks of intensive hockey training.

Leaving this Friday, the boys will be heading to Minsk via Warsaw to compete with the best young players in Belarus. Read about all their experiences on neehs.com as Terry Santel, a father of one of the boys, writes a blog.

Read the Blogsport Here

Press Release

It is with great pleasure that we are announcing the winners of the first ever Northern Edge - Belarus Ambassador Program! In partnership with the Belarus Ice Hockey Federation and RBK hockey, we will be taking a group of young players to Minsk, Belarus for two weeks of intense hockey training and some awesome cultural experiences.

After months of preparing, NEEHS closed the application window with almost 200 entries for this inaugural program. "It was an eye-opening experience for us", said Todd Woodcroft, the director of the excursion. "Each entry was insightful and obviously took time to do. We want to thank every individual for taking the time to submit an application and we wish we could have taken everyone".

As it was, the response was so vast that the Belarus Ice Hockey Federation generously agreed to allow two more players to come over for a total of ten young men.

The following list comprises the ten lucky players and their hometowns:

• Blake Kelley, Woodbury, Minnesota
• Phillip Lux, St. Louis, Missouri
• Brennan McGuire, Bloomington, Minnesota
• Jeff Morris, Bettendorf, Iowa
• James Rafferty, Lino Lakes, Minnesota
• Logan Santel, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
• Eddie Schaeffer, Edwardsville, IL
• Patrick Simmonds, Ajax, Ontario, Canada
• Tyler Traill, Pickering, Ontario, Canada
• Nick Walters, St. Louis, Missouri

The ten players represent 8 different hockey associations, 2 countries, 4 US states and 1 Canadian province.

Instructors for the trip are also representing different hockey backgrounds. Leading the trip is Todd Woodcroft of the Washington Capitals. Joining NEEHS this year is Todd McLellan, assistant coach of the Detroit Red Wings. "To have an accomplished man like Todd McLellan is humbling for us," said Woodcroft. "I look at him and see what he has accomplished (Gold Medal, Calder Cup, NHL playing and coaching experience) and I know that the Belarussian players and North American players will benefit greatly from his teaching."

Rounding out the list of instructors are:

• Tim Velemirovich, Northern Edge Instructor
• Curtis Leich, Northern Edge Instructor
• Steve Walters, Northern Edge Instructor
• Brad Schwarzbauer, Northern Edge Instructor

Follow along on line with our travels, journals and photos throughout the summer. We are sure that there will be some great stories to share about this experience.

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Extending Hockey’s Borders:

The Inaugural RBK Hockey/Northern Edge Ambassador Program Description

In potentially the most exciting news in recent Northern Edge history, we are proud to announce that in the summer of 2007 (July 14 to July 29), NEEHS will be bringing up to 8 players to the country of Belarus to participate in the first-ever international hockey program in Belarusian hockey history. After spending two of the best weeks ever in Belarus last summer, NEEHS was invited to become the Official Hockey School of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation (BIHF). Now acting as the Skill Development Program Directors for the Belarusian Youth National Teams, the NEEHS ties to Belarus and their youth players have become strong.

Working with RBK Hockey, Northern Edge and the BIHF have developed a program that will bring several Northern Edge players to visit and partake in two weeks of hockey school in Belarus. Each player chosen will essentially be an Ambassador of North American Hockey: for two weeks, the NEEHS team will visit this Eastern European Nation and learn hockey skills with the best players in Belarus.

How are players from across the Northern Edge Nation going to be chosen?.

Players will be selected based on the following criteria (Click on the link at the bottom of this page for your application):

Eligibility Requirements and Deadline:

In order to be eligible to win this trip, you must already have registered for a Northern Edge Camp this summer

Upon Completion of your Application, please forward to Todd Woodcroft at todd@neehs.com. Applications must be received no later than Monday, April 2, 2007.

When will the winners be notified?

Upon receipt of the applications, Northern Edge Staff along with select BIHF and RBK Hockey Representatives, will review each application. The 8 players we feel best represent North America and Northern Edge will be chosen. These chosen players will be viewed as Ambassadors of Northern American Hockey who are dedicated to taking their game to the highest level. Winners will be notified by April 30, 2007.

What can you expect from this trip?

First and foremost, you can expect the absolute experience of a life-time. The Belarusian people are proud of their country and intense about their hockey. The country is very safe, the food is great and the hospitality is second to none: but the best part for you is that the hockey competition is fierce.

Prospective players from North America will be housed along with another American NEEHS player in a host Belarus family: already we know that a Belarusian Minister is anxious to take two players into his home! Culturally, the experience for NEEHS players will be outstanding: each player will get to train with these great athletes all day and then have unbelievable cultural excursions at night.

What about supervision of the players?

The Northern Edge staff, lead by Todd Woodcroft, will be with the players for the flight over, during the two weeks, and for the flight home. We anticipate some parent chaperones as well.
As a consultant to the BIHF, Todd is well connected with the Federation and personally knows the Minister who is sponsoring this program. Each host family will have a connection to the BIHF and we know that top-notch families are clamoring to be part of this ground-breaking program.
The attention to discipline and respect we bring to our North American based camps will be amplified during the Belarus trip – the experience will be remembered forever, but we will respect our hosts too!

What are the costs associated with this trip?

Apart from your airfare costs, this trip is fully-funded by the BIHF, NEEHS and RBK Hockey. The dates of the program are: July 14th-July 29th. Players and NEEHS staff will be traveling together, with no exceptions! (We do suggest purchasing travel insurance, this is a minimal cost).

All other costs (camp tuition in Belarus, lodging, food and transportation in Belarus, etc.), will be taken care of by the sponsors. Some spending money will obviously be necessary. We do suggest some travel insurance, but, like the spending money, the cost should be minimal.

Each applicant must have a valid passport (if you do not currently have one, you should begin this process immediately) to travel with and be at least 12 years old. It is our hope applicants serious in their desire to come on this trip will recognize the opportunity: we are looking for friendly, outgoing, well-mannered players who will represent North America and Northern Edge with respect, honesty and integrity. More rules will be given to winners and expected to be followed.

In Closing…

We anticipate this program to be as well received and we look forward to your application. If you have any questions, please email Todd: todd@neehs.com Good luck to all and remember the deadline to submit your application is April 2nd!

Click here to download the Belarus Exchange Program Application