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Women-in-Hockey Digest      Monday, April 5 1999      Volume 01 : Number 406



In this issue:

   Re: Delphi Academy
   Small Comes Up Big - Times/Colonist Article

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Date: Sun, 04 Apr 1999 23:47:52 -0400
From: VICS HOCKEY SCHOOL 
Subject: Re: Delphi Academy

Hi Tina,

I would be happy to answer your question about Delphi Academy.
Three years ago, I lived in Vancouver (most beautiful city) with Langley
being a 1/2 hour drive from downtown.

I coached all the Goalies at the academy back then when they were 1st
beginning their program and I know most of the kids who attended the
program.

a) Their philosophy (accentuating sports with education) is a blessing
for the student athlete! They had small class sizes with super
student teacher ratios. Hopefully that is still the case.

b) They recruited Quality Teachers to work with their students. A Teaching
certificate was NOT ENOUGH!

c) The amount of ice time was very conducive to rapid player development!
Practices virtually every day with many games to use the skills they are
taught.

d) A format to provide excellent PRIVATE tutoring (educationally) and 
Individule Hockey training sessions.

The program DOES require a FOCUSED Student Athlete because the set-up
requires that the Student "Push-Themselves" to search for MORE education
and hockey learning. A Student who goes there and just "waits" for the 
information to come to them is WAISTING a potentially valuable experience!

I found their program to be rather EXPENSIVE, but, NOT over charging for the 
service provided!

TWO things in summary ..... a) Are you required to make a "Long term"
commitment to the program (or are you able to go year by year)?
Once your daughter begins the program I recommend you (as a family)
work through any problems which might arise during the year and 
do everything to COMPLETE EACH year! You don't want to waste a year 
educationally!
and
**** VERY IMPORTANT***
b) CALL Mr. ROY HENDERSON in Langley B.C. (604) 882-0789
Tell him you spoke with ME and you would like some more details
about Delphi because His son is going through the program right
now (3rd yr) Roy is MR. HOCKEY SCOUT (formerly with Philly-NHL)
and he "tells it like it is". If there's anything that has changed with
Delphi since I was there, He'll tell you!

I wish your daughter ALL the BEST and I know that if everything
works out with Delphi, she'll love the experience, the city and the people!






At 03:01 PM 4/4/99 -0400, you wrote:




Yours in Hockey,
God Bless

Vic LeMire
President
Vic's Hockey Schools

CHECK OUT OUR 1999 SUMMER PROGRAM
& HOCKEY BOOKS ON-LINE NOW!
Head Offices - 1-800 500-8427 to Register
or purchase Books.
Web Page -  http://www.flips.net/vics
E-Mail Address   -   email@hidden

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Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1999 09:15:47 -0700
From: "Phil & Debbie Cottrell" 
Subject: Small Comes Up Big - Times/Colonist Article

SMALL COMES UP BIG

by Jeff Rud

If you were looking for evidence of the strides made by women's hockey in
this country, there it was in the lobby of the Empress Hotel.

Sami Jo Small, the goaltending whiz of Team Canada, and I had been chatting
for half an hour. And as we spoke, a crowd of teenage girls had slowly
formed a few feet away.

Once we were done, the crowd converged. Looking for autographs, a chance to
say hello, an opportunity to touch a real live role model.

The irony wasn't lost on Small. She is now a beacon for hockey-playing girls
across Canada. But just a few years ago, she was playing "undercover" on
boys' rep teams in Winnipeg.

In fact, Small had precious little contact with the girls' game until her
recent burst onto the international scene.

She began playing hockey as a four year old in Winnipeg's suburban St.
Vital. Back then, there were no girls' programs, so she played with the
boys.

Because of her unusual first name, her short hairstyle and the fact she was
covered by pads and facemask, her gender usually went unnoticed. This
despite the fact she played on top boys' rep teams until she was 17.

"I never wanted to be singled out for being a girl," Small said. "I just
wanted to be singled out for the way I played. A lot of people had no idea.
Obviously, my team knew, but they treated me like one of the guys.".

Unfortunately for Small, the powers behind women's hockey didn't know,
either. Although at 13 she played in the Western Shield - the same
tournament she appeared at here as honourary guest this weekend - with a
Winnipeg senior team, she went virtually unidentified.

In fact, Small figured she had left hockey behind when she accepted a track
and field scholarship at Stanford, where she would rise as high as
fifth-ranked among NCAA javelin throwers.

But two shoulder surgeries stalled that career and Small turned back to
hockey. She began playing on the men's club (non-varsity) team at Stanford,
much to the chagrin of track coaches. And when that created waves, she went
back to basically playing hockey incognito.

Between her third and fourth years at Stanford - more or less on a flyer -
she attended a women's elite hockey camp in Calgary. She began working out
with Hayley Wickenheiser and was noticed by those with the ear of Olympic
coach Shannon Miller.

Instead of reporting back to Stanford, Small ended up in Miller's camp. She
would eventually return to school, but not before securing a job as Canada's
alternate goalie at Nagano.

Although she couldn't play or practice at the Winter Olympics, Small had
suddenly become a part of the national program. She would eventually shine
at the 1998 Three Nations Cup, posting a 1.08 average. But her finest moment
came last month in the world championships at Espoo, Finland, where Small's
brilliant goaltending was a huge reason Canada was able to avenge Nagano
with a 3-1 win over the US in the final.

It was that performance which vaulted Small into the celebrity status she
enjoyed here on the weekend. "It's definitely a different experience," she
grinned.

Small plans to experience everything hockey can give her. She hopes the 2002
Winter Olympics being in the US will pave the way for a viable women's pro
league. And in the meantime, after she graduates from Stanford this June
with a degree in mechanical engineering, the personable 23 year old may
explore the men's pro route.

"I don't know exactly where hockey will take me. I'd like to play men's
(minor league) pro. But I'm not really sure what level I'm at. I don't even
know where to begin looking...Who knows? I just don't want to leave any
what-ifs.".

Small believes playing on boys' teams sped up her development and provided
some of her biggest supporters.

"Not only the guys I played with, but against. It's the guys who were
calling me 'bitch' and all the names in the book that now are telling people
'I played against her'.".

Still, Small is pleased to see the rise of womens' and girls' hockey evident
in this past weekend's Shield.

"I think these girls are very fortunate to be able to play with women and to
have that choice all along. And also for it not even to be a question - for
parents to not even think twice about putting their daughter into hockey.".

Phil, Victoria, BC

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End of Women-in-Hockey Digest V1 #406
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