Olympic hockey star leads camp to turn girls into champions

As a three-time Olympic women's hockey player, Angela Ruggiero knows a thing or three about what it takes to succeed in her sport.

She also knows a thing or three about what it takes to run an effective camp for girls aspiring to be hockey players. And when organizers suggested she move her camp to the North Shore where many participants live, she decided to keep the Girls Hockey School at The Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville for the second year.

Ruggiero enjoys the amenities the arena provides, including the park across the street from the facility.

The camp welcomes aspiring youth athletes under 17 years of age to learn how to play like a champion, both on and off the ice. Ruggiero will be joined by players from the USA National and Olympic team to host the youth camp from Monday to Friday, June 28 to July 2.

This is the area's only hockey camp solely for girls, said Todd Finner, hockey director for the village of Bensenville, which runs The Edge.

"I think it certainly gains excitement to run a women's camp, and (the community) has a following through word-of-mouth to come to the camp," he added.

During the camp, players will spend time training on ice and on land to improve agility, balance and endurance, according to the camp brochure.

"Angela basically wants to teach the girls they can do the training themselves at home," Finner said. "They don't need a lot of equipment or special gear. They can do it themselves like the Olympians do."

Camp organizer Gary Soukup, whose daughters have attended the hockey school, prefers this camp because of the individual attention each player receives. Ruggiero and her team taught one of his daughters a slap shot and another daughter how to lift a puck. He said that type of training isn't something a player expects to receive during a hockey camp.

Also, a portion of the camp will be dedicated to talking about how to mentally prepare for a game, how to have a winning attitude and how to get the grades to attend college. Soukup said he appreciates that Ruggiero includes this educational part in her camp because it shows young athletes how she got to where she is today.

The camp costs $495. Players are split into two groups: athletes who are 12 year and under, and athletes 13 to 17 years old. A limited number of spots are available in the older category. For information, visit Angelaruggiero.com.