Josh Hamilton’s time on Liberty University’s ice has come full circle.
The growing senior forward and crew captain for the ACHA Division I men’s hockey crew got a jump to begin inside the application as a younger teen at Liberty’s summer hockey camps, which opened this week and run via mid-July on the LaHaye Ice Center.
“I cherished these camps developing up, and I’m just happy to be a part of them as a counselor now,” Hamilton said before taking the ice to work with the 6-12-yr antique Squirts, Mites, and Pee Wees in Tuesday afternoon’s consultation. “I like running with them all, but these kids are so amusing, and it’s constantly an excellent time to get out at the ice with them.”
Hamilton is taking a three-week ruin from his summer landscaping job to serve for a third yr as a camp counselor. In July, he’ll be counseling 13-sixteen-year-antique Bantams, in addition to the U16, U18, and Juniors players for a brand new Hockey ID Camp. All 3 camps are near ability with eighty attending this week and close to 100 registered for the following periods.
Just like the Club Sports crew he performs on now, Hamilton, a enterprise venture control major, stated the camps take a holistic technique to education — physically, academically, spiritually, and socially.
“That’s why we’re here, to assist them grow in their game and grow of their faith,” Hamilton stated. “The basics are critical to examine at this age as it simplest enhances with time developing up. Spiritually, I take into account being a camper and searching up to the advisors a lot.”
He attended Liberty’s camps for 2 summers, at 14 and 15 years old, and said he advanced his skating talents via operating at once with Flames Associate Head Coach Jeff Boettger even as camp counselors Dave Semenyna (a Club Sports Hall of Famer and all-time main scorer), former DII Assistant Coach Josh Tucker, and modern-day DI Assistant Coach Jonathan Chung were his mentors.
“I just in demand their walk with the Lord and their on-ice ability, and now, I simply need to do the nice that I can to be a good position version for these children,” Hamilton said.
Former Flames DI defenseman Matt Cruickshank, who is getting into his first 12 months as a Club Sports graduate assistant and DII assistant teach, has led day by day devotions with steerage from Sport Ministry Director Brian Davidson.
“Chapel time is probably my preferred a part of the camp,” Hamilton stated. “I desire they just see Christ in each of the advisors, even before the hockey. Hockey is vital, however in the long run, they’re to grow in Christ, and with a bit of luck we’re capable of point them in that route.”
Hamilton grew up playing teens hockey in Greensboro, N.C. He played two seasons of Juniors hockey in Alabama earlier than becoming a member of the Flames in Fall 2016, under the route of DI Head Coach Kirk Handy, who remembered the eager and talented younger camper from preceding summers.
“I were given to know Kirk and Jeff by way of coming to camps as a kid; that’s how I got on their radar,” Hamilton said. “I desired to come back to Liberty and referred to as them and it all labored out.”
Former ACHA DI and DII ladies’s hockey ahead Catharine (Burrell) Kelenic, who is completing her grasp’s degree in workout technology and vitamins & wellbeing this summer, is one of 4 on-ice teachers operating all four classes every day this week, together with DI women’s Assistant Coach Josh Graham (’10, ’12). Kelenic and DI women’s Head Coach Chris Lowes and DII girls’s coaches Sara Madero and Rena Leone will also help direct a Girls Camp for gamers 18 and under in July.
