By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
About 70 hockey players from across Saskatchewan (and a few from outside the province) took part in the inaugural ‘Prospects on the Prairies’ Elite Female College Showcase, which was hosted at the Martensville Recreation Centre from Friday to Sunday, June 19-21.
The event was hosted by Alyssa Wiebe and Willow Kleiboer with Phenom Female Hockey Advancement, a company dedicated to helping female prospects advance their game to the next level both on and off the ice.
The purpose of the showcase was to offer elite female hockey prospects the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and abilities to university and college coaches and scouts.
“We never had a showcase like this for female hockey prospects in the province,” said Wiebe.
“Many female prospects leave the province to participate in other showcases in Manitoba, Alberta, B.C. and as far away as Ontario. We thought, ‘Why not bring this opportunity to Saskatchewan and showcase the great talent we have while including other western provinces?’”
As part of the showcase, the female prospects registered individually and were placed onto one of four teams, Wiebe said.
Each team was put through off-ice testing and cognitive training, four highly-competitive games, one skill session led by college/university coaches and two off-ice classroom sessions focused on a Q&A about college recruiting “and the importance of preparing one’s body physically and mentally for the next level,” she added.
As to why the event was held in Martensville (aside from the ice being available), Wiebe said they chose to host the showcase at the Martensville Recreation Centre because the building offers top-tier amenities.
“We utilized their arena, locker rooms, turf, classrooms/meeting rooms, and the catering by Hector’s Grub Hub was outstanding,” Wiebe said.
“We received many compliments throughout the weekend on how perfect the facility was and the amenities in the Martensville community for families.”
As for the future of the event, Wiebe said many of the prospects and their families have expressed interest in returning for a second showcase.
“The response was absolutely amazing throughout the showcase and the feedback we’ve received after the event is so positive,” she said. “We have been reassured how important this was to local families and prospects.”
Participants in the ‘Prospects on the Prairies’ Elite College Female Showcase were split into four teams, with each team playing four games throughout the weekend. In the photo above, a “White” player goes for a shot on the “Grey” net on Saturday, June 22.
In this photo taken by Reid Kissel, Phenom Female Hockey Advancement co-owners Willow Kleiboer and Alyssa Wiebe pose with two jerseys signed by all the players at the inaugural event.