Everett, Wash.
Published: Sunday, July 13, 2008

Local kids learning tough love at 'Camp Love'

Former Tips star Mitch Love is helping area youngsters learn what it takes to be an elite hockey player with his new off-ice training camp

 EVERETT -- It was an unusual image, particularly for a sunny July evening.

There at Everett Sports Performance Center were a handful of youths, each tied to a pole by a giant rubber band and holding a hockey stick. The youths were repeatedly running away from the poles before the tension snapped them back, looking much like leashed canines being reined in by their owners.

Standing nearby, keeping a close read on his stopwatch, was none other than Mitch Love, and it all began to make sense.

The former Everett Silvertips captain and Everett's adopted son is spending the summer aiding the local youth hockey population with a brand new hockey conditioning camp.

Love, in conjunction with Everett Sports Performance Center, has been running a six-week program designed to expose youth players to the type of off-ice training required to become an elite player.

And for Love it's all about giving something back.

"When I was these kids' age, I was never given this kind of opportunity," said Love, who became a local legend during his two seasons with the Tips and now makes his offseason home in Everett. "There were never enough hockey players around my hometown (Quesnel, B.C.) who were willing to say, 'Hey, let's put a camp together for young kids and help them along the way, make them better athletes and better hockey players,' It's all I really wanted to do. We're here to make them better. I was never given that, so I want to give back to them."

The idea for the camp was berthed from discussions between Love and the Everett Sports Performance Center staff while Love did offseason workouts at their facilities.

"Everett Youth Hockey is kind of growing and becoming a pretty good entity here in town," Shannon O'Kelley, owner of Everett Sports Performance Center, explained. "So we wanted to do something special for the kids. Mitch is in town, works out at our place down at the arena, so we asked him to do a class. It dovetailed real nice with what we're doing and what he wants to do."

Thus the camp was born, beginning in mid-June and continuing through late July. It was divided up into two sections: one for ages 13 and up, the other for ages 12 and under. In total about 20 players signed up for the twice-a-week, one-hour workouts.

The camp involves drills and exercises Love learned throughout his hockey career, the same drills and exercises that have seen Love drop 20 pounds since his days as a Tip. For the most part, the drills and exercises are not hockey specific, instead focusing on building up the core muscles.

And this is no fluff camp. Love's program is vigorous, leaving the campers with flop sweat by the end of the workout.

But that's an easy price to pay for the campers, who are getting a chance to train with one of their idols.

"That's half the reason why I signed up, just so I could see him," said Anthony Patt, 17, of Arlington.

"It's been great," Patt added. "He makes it more fun for the kids. He interacts with you, he joins with you, he pushes you hard."

Said Ron Ford, parent and coach for Everett Youth Hockey: "My boys used to watch Mitch play a couple years ago when he was here and to them he's like Wayne Gretzky. And he's great with the kids, too. He takes the time to memorize their names and greet them by name and is really supportive out there."

As for his own hockey career, the 24-year-old Love currently finds himself in limbo.

Love spent the past three seasons playing in the American Hockey League -- the hockey equivalent of Class AAA baseball -- for the affiliate of the NHL's Colorado Avalanche. That journey included stops in Lowell (Mass.), Albany (N.Y.) and Lake Erie (Ohio), during which, in 155 games, Love amassed three goals, 14 assists and 465 penalty minutes.

"It's unbelievable hockey," Love said. "If you asked me when I played my last game as a Silvertip if I would have played in the American Hockey League, I probably would have told you no. But it's all about hard work and commitment, putting the time in to get to that level. It's one of the best hockey leagues in the world and I feel pretty fortunate to spend three years there and hopefully a lot more."

However, the Avalanche decided not to tender Love a new contract, making him a free agent. He hopes to catch on with another NHL organization and return to the AHL. He expects to know his fate by the end of the month.

"I'm going to play this game, there's no doubt about that," Love said. "It's just a matter of where it's going to be and in what situation. Hopefully it's with an NHL franchise."

But wherever Love lands he'll be back in Everett again next summer, showing the area's hockey youth how it's done.

"I'd love to make this an annual thing," Love said. "We have a great facility here in Everett and hopefully it will grow for years to come."

Nick Patterson's Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA