Current & Aspiring travel players with birth years 2009-2016

Warrior Academy will, once again, focus heavily on individual skill acquisition and application in competitive situations to develop better hockey players. For optimal player development, USA hockey recommends a practice/skill session-to-game ratio of 3:1 for most of our levels. Because our regular season schedule makes this ratio nearly impossible, we believe we can use the spring season to accelerate the development of our players. Warrior Academy will be run by our hockey director Chris Wickersham, who has proven to be one of the top skills coaches in the state. Chris has been instrumental in structuring this program and will be driving content and execution at all levels.

Development will be guided by our programs Green Line Characteristics and our Mite program will rely heavily on our Mite Director and Mite 1 coach, Charlie Widmar. 

Skill Session Curriculum

• Skills Sessions: Age-appropriate skills will be introduced (e.g., skating technique, shooting, etc.)
• Position Specific Clinics: Select skills sessions will separate defensemen and forwards to work on position specific skills (less position-specific emphasis will exist at Mite level). 
• Scrimmages & Small Area Games: Competitive games designed to test and apply new skills
• Teams/Groups: Skills session groups will contain similarly skills players (e.g., top 2 team candidates grouped together) and be on the ice together 2-3 times a week. 
• Goalie Clinics: Led by Stu Gould and Good as Gould Goalie School staff.

Team & Skills Session Group Selection Process 

Teams and skill session groups will be determined based on regular season performance and / or an on-ice evaluation during the week of March 13. Players in one group can be moved between groups during spring based on performance. Our objective is to group similarly skilled players together. There will be no “team practices” as it is not our intention to use spring development time to work on systems. 

Games & Tournament Teams

Each player will play in a minimum of 8 games through either local tournaments and/or games/scrimmages.

Tournament participation will depend on strength of team, will likely include tournaments such as The Glacier Invitational, Border Battle, Windy City Rumble, and Chi-Town Shuffle. We will not schedule any tournaments over the Catholic school’s Easter vacation.   

Teams will be formed based on the evaluation in March. Last year, we announced changes to team rosters bi-weekly as a way to flex players based on performance. We will not be doing that this year. But, players can earn a spot on a higher team’s roster for a tournament or game. Those changes will be made directly with families. 

While games/tournament team rosters will largely stay the same, we want to offer kids “on the bubble” the chance to work hard and have the opportunity to be pushed in game situations. 

Key Dates

• Evaluations: Week of March 13
• Season: Wednesday, April 3 – May 25, 2023

Skills sessions days will depend on level and team assignment.

Participation

This program will be offered for the following levels/birth years: Mites (2015-16), Squirts (2013-14), PeeWees (2011-12), and Bantams (2009-10).

Players are welcome from inside and outside of the New Trier Township

Fees

$950 skaters, $475 for goalies

Schedule

Subject to change based on number of participants at each level. The Friday 3v3 drop ins are optional and will be flexible to accommodate scheduled games and tournaments. 

Goalies:

• Mite/Squirt: Tuesday 5:40 pm @ NSIA Studio 
• PeeWee/Bantam: Wednesday 7:50 pm @ NSIA

Mite Teams:

Gold group (Mite 1 & 2)

• Monday 5:40 pm @ NSIA
• Wednesday 4:20 pm @ NSIA 

Green group (Mite 3 & 4)

• Wednesday 5:30 pm @ NSIA
• Thursday 4:30 pm @ NSIA

3v3 Drop in (ALL)

• Friday 5:40 pm @ NSIA

Squirt Teams:

Gold group (Squirt 1 & 2 teams)

• Monday 6:50 pm @ NSIA
• Thursday 6:25 @ Winnetka 

Green group (Squirt 3 & 4 teams)

• Monday 6:55 pm @ Winnetka
• Wednesday  6:40 @NSIA

3v3 Drop in (ALL)

• Friday 6:50 pm @ NSIA

PeeWee Teams:

Gold group (PeeWee 1 & 2 teams)

• Monday 8:05 pm @ Winnetka
• Wednesday 7:50 pm @ NSIA  

Green group (PeeWee 3 & 4 teams)

• Tuesday 7 pm @ Winnetka
• Thursday 7:35 pm @ Winnetka

3v3 Drop in (ALL)

• `Friday 6:35 pm @ Winnetka

Bantam Teams:

• Monday 8:00 pm @ North Shore
• Tuesday 8:10 pm @ Winnetka
• 3v3 Drop in – Friday 7:45 pm @ Winnetka

Additional ice times may be added for Bantams based on registration. This may result in changes to the schedule.

For newer hockey players looking to improve their skills

This program is perfect for the child that participated in Minor Mite, Learn to Skate, is moving up from the Learn to Skate program offered by the Park District or is planning on participating in the House program next season.

Each session will consist of 30 minutes devoted to skill development in small stations to maximize reps. A strong emphasis will be placed on skating, as that is the most important area of focus for this age group. The last 30 minutes willbe cross-ice games designed to allow all participants to maximize “touches” and puck skills. The program includes 14-one-hour ice sessions.

Dates & Schedule:

Tuesday, April 4 – May 24, 2023

Tuesdays @ 5:50 pm and Fridays @ 5:25 pm. 

All sessions meet at Winnetka Ice Arena

Curriculum

• Skills: Focus on skating and basic hockey skills
• Cross-Ice: Games and competitions designed to maximize “touches”/reps. 
• Coaches: Program designed and executed by Hockey director Chris Wickersham and travel coaches 

Participation:

• Players who have already learned the basics of skating and are entering the house league program next year. 
• Typically for ages 5-7, but flexible based on skill level

Fee: $450