The third annual Justin Williams Hockey Camp has taken over the Cobourg Community Centre.
Williams along with a number of instructors are teaching approximately 65 players between the ages of eight to 13 from across Northumberland America to focus on hockey specific skills acquisition and development as well as improved overall athletic fundamentals over the one week camp that ends on Friday, July 27, 2018.
The 36-year-old veteran NHL player is in his second year of a two year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Williams has won three Stanley Cups with the Carolina Hurricanes and Los Angles Kings and also won the Conn Smythe Trophy in the 2014 Stanley Cup finals with the Los Angles Kings.
All proceeds from the Justin Williams Hockey Camp are going to charity.
Over the last two years the Justin Williams Hockey Camp has donated $15,000 to Sick Children’s Hospital in Toronto in honour of Grace Bowen and $10,000 to the Smile Train.
The Camp also sponsors a Northumberland Minor Hockey Association team.
Williams graciously took time out of the Camp to speak to Today’s Northumberland.
TN:Do the players keep coming back or are you seeing new ones as well?
JW: We have a lot of returnees and that’s good, but we also have a lot of fresh faces. We’re a camp that no matter what skill level, you’re going to get better either way.
TN: Why is this important to you?
JW: The Camp is important to me because I’ve come to a time in my career where I’ve had some successes and with that success comes the responsibility of being a role model. I have a son now who is 10-years-old and I want to help him and it’s become a interest that I really enjoy coming watching them develop and teaching them. It’s a tribute to them as well because they are the ones who are looking me in the eye and their the ones who want to get better and that’s who you want as students.
TN: Did you ever think you’d be at this level where they are looking into your eyes, when I’m sure when you were young you looked in players eyes?
JW: You come to a point where you realize, ok, you have to embrace that role. There are a lot of kids in this Camp and there are a lot of kids wearing my jersey and hats around for the Camp and that means something to me. I want to present this Camp as best way as possible and myself and my instructors are doing that.
TN: You’ve given a lot back to this community with the Camp as well.
JW: That was one of the main things. We are a not for profit hockey camp. Everything we have we give to charity and try to keep it within the community. That’s extremely important to me. Really the community embraces that as well with the sponsorships to the camp keep increasing each year and people want to be involved and I’m thankful for that.
TN: You could have had this camp anywhere being where you’ve played, why Cobourg?
JW: Home is home. You never forget where it is. People keep asking me where home is and I feel it’s still here even though I don’t live here. My parents are obviously still here and plenty of friends and I enjoy coming back. It really wasn’t a question where I was going to have it. It was going to be here.
TN: You’re teaching all aspects of sports, not just hockey.
JW: I’m a huge proponent of playing all sports. I think a lot of people are adjusting to that. You can’t play hockey 12 months out of the year or you’ll get burnt out. I played a lot of sports when I was younger and I’m showing these kids sports maybe they have never seen before.
TN: Career wise, what’s the future hold for Justin Williams?
JW: We’ll see what the future has for me. I’m approaching everything right now, just enjoying the time I have. Because when I’m done playing, I’m going to miss it. There are only so many years you can compete against the best players in the world in a sport. And I’ve been able to do that for a long time and I know when I stop playing that will be one of the things I’ll miss because you’re not going to be able to get that competition anywhere else. I’m going to play as long as I’m productive and as long as I’m healthy and as long as my body allows and enjoy it.
TN: When I talked to you early on in your career you were intense, and you still have that intensity, but you seem to enjoy it more on the ice.
JW: The moment you start looking at this job as a job and simply a job that’s when you’re probably not going to like it as much. I enjoy playing hockey, I enjoy going to the hockey arenas, I enjoy playing in front of 20,000 fans and I enjoy the people I meet, the players I play with. Everything I have in life is almost owed to hockey.
TN: What’s it feel like when you walk out onto the ice, it is a job, and I’m sure you feel the pressure, but it must be an awesome feeling.
JW: It is. The most thrilling time of year is in the playoffs and I wasn’t able to do that last year. You want that taste again, the feeling of playoff hockey and I want to make sure Carolina is in it this year.
TN: How is it going into this season?
JW: We look good. We made some changes, I don’t know if we are going to make any more, we might, we might not. We haven’t made the playoffs in nine years so you can’t really do that status quo and think all is well. So there is changes in our organization, a lot of them, I don’t know how many more or if that’s it, but we’ll see.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
