In hockey, among the tough guys, there is a common call. When they are getting ready to throw down, they often say “Come and Get it”… Dan Sullivan is a tough guy. As he jokingly says, he earns his money in the penalty box. But that is only the Dan Sullivan that the fans see on the ice.

There is another side to Dan… When he was a kid, he couldn’t afford to go to formal hockey camps. And he wanted to do something about that for youngsters that were coming up now. So, five years ago he started the Come And Get It Hockey Camp.

Dan wonders if his path would be the same if he had been able to go to a lot of camps as a youngster. Maybe he would be known for his skating and shooting prowess rather than as the guy that makes sure nobody takes a cheap shot at his teammates.

Hockey camps aren’t anything new. The Duluth Ice Forum, in Duluth, GA, hosts several each summer. But Dan’s camp is a little different. He takes kids of all ages and skill levels. He also doesn’t care if kids can’t afford it… he finds ways to help them come to camp. There are sponsors that give away scholarships and options for reduced fees. As long as the ice fees and food are covered, he is happy with it.

And there is something else different. He knows that most parents have to work, so he structures the camp differently. Kids can be dropped off at 7:30 in the morning and picked up as late as 5:00 in the afternoon. Many camps are only half a day.

And the kids are busy during that time… The camp officially starts around 9:00 with an hour of power skating. The kids then take off the gear and grab a snack. They have off-ice activities (classroom for the older kids, games for the youger ones) until they dress in for the 11:30 to 12:30 stick handling session. After theat, they grab lunch and then work on off-ice physical conditioning… and the little kids watch a movie for part of the time. Finally, there is a scrimmage each day from 3:00 to 4:00. That is three hours of ice time, two hours of off-ice training and some down-time.

At the last camp, the number of skaters had swelled so much that they had to be split into two groups. Dan bought some more ice time and adjusted the schedule so that all of the kids got more ice time. The coaches worked double shifts on the ice to make sure the kids got a great experience.

But there is something else cool about the camp… the other instructors. It isn’t about the money for the the other coaches, either. In fact, these guys fly to Atlanta from all over North America to help with the camp. And they basically volunteer their time. Some play in the ECHL (East Coast Hockey League), some on the NHL. Others are upcomong players that are under contract to NHL teams. A couple have retired from professional hockey. Aside from the Gwinnett Gladiators, Dan’s team, the Atlanta Thrashers, Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres were all represented. There were also a couple of Ontario Hockey League (OHL) teams represented as well.

Coach Dan, Coach Turtle, Coach Josh and the others love working and playing with the kids. It really shows. The kids are worn out every day and ready to go back the next day.

But there is one last thing… There is a code of conduct. Aside from being required to listen to the coaches and act respectably, there is another layer. The big kids are expected to help the smaller kids. they help get them dressed out, they encourage them on the ice and off. They also are expected to act as good examples. And while the word “dude” is over-used in the locker room, other words and concepts that the little guys don’t need in their heads are not. And when the 5 year olds refer to the 16 years olds as “teammates”, we know that the philosophy is successful.

The Come And Get It Hockey Camp has been on the front page of the Gwinnett Daily Post. There are multiple mentions of the camp on the Gwinnett Gladiators’ website as well. When Dan began the camp in Augusta, the NBC affiliate there did a story about it.

Planning will begin shortly for next year’s camp schedule. If you would like to bring the Come And Get It Hockey Camp to a rink near you, or sponsor the camp, let me know and I will pass word to Dan and his staff wife.