The Pond… Where Hockey Players Are Made
You play the way you practice… So why not practice better?
The Burlington Pond is open all year round with a main focus on constant development and immediate correction. Our progressive drills touch on all aspects of skating and skill development with a concentration on efficient techniques.
Whether it is your first time on the ice, or you lost count a very long time ago, The Pond has something for you. The Pond offers clinics ranging from private 1 on 1 instruction to low student-instructor ratio clinics and team instruction. Providing players with the tools they need that will give them the edge over the opponent.
A perfect balance of proven old school basics and new wave approaches for:
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Learn to skate
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Beginner power skating
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Advanced power skating
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Edge control and technical training sessions
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Shooting
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Stick handling
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Agility & quickness
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Over speed
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Body checking
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And much more!
Supplement your existing hockey programs with a customized Pond program. Our instructors are passionate and committed to making our players the best they can be. They all highly experienced including professional hockey players and world level figure skaters. Let us help you take your game to the next level!
Meet our Head Instructors!
Specializes in:
- Power Skating- All levels; Beginner to Elite
- Puck handling/Shooting
- Hitting Clinics
- Defense Clinics
- On-ice Tune Ups
- skating agility
- quickness
- explosive lateral movement
- puck handling
- passing and shooting skills
- forward & backward acceleration
- forward & backward cross-overs
- escape moves
- pivots
- gap control
- angling
- separation speed
- understand how to limit time and space
- vision of the ice
Coaching Experience:
- 15 year Owner & Head Instructor at The Burlington Pond
- Runs and oversees all clinics and programs at The Burlington Pond
- Works with teams of all levels on all round essential hockey skills
- 25 years experience coaching at a High Level
- Jr. A Burlington Cougars
- AAA Burlington Eagles
- AAA GTHL Mississauga Reps
- Nelson High School Hockey Team
Player Experience:
- Sr AAA Dundas Real McCoys
- NCAA Oswego State University Scolarship
- 1st All Star Team (for 3 years)
- Jr. A Burlington Cougars
- All Star Team
- AAA Burlington
Other Info:
- Author of the children’s book “The Best from Within”; an inspirational book to help children believe in themselves.
Michele has a vast knowledge of skating skills as well as techniques due to my many years on the ice at a high level of competition. She was trained by some of the best National and Olympic coaches known to the sport of figure skating.
Michele’s tactical advantage is providing players with the tools they need that will give them the edge over the opponent in situations such as: races, puck battles, gap control, transitions, separation speed and acceleration.
Once players can master their hockey posture and body mechanics their edge quality, stride and movement becomes more powerful, stable and less tiring.
As body positioning improves, the players overall speed and power will improve.
Specializes in:
- Power Skating & Edge Control
- Maximizing techniques
- Stride work
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- Hockey posture
- Knee & ankle movement
- Inside, outside & extreme edges
- Transitions
- Pivots
- Mohawks
- Crossovers, Forward & Backward
- Quickness
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- Lengthening strides
- Creating powerful strides
- Acceleration
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- Figure Skating
Coaching Experience:
- Power Skating & Edge Control at The Burlington Pond, Hockey Training Centre since 2009.
- Works with players from beginner to the Jr. level.
- Burlington Eagles City Rep: A-AAA Teams – Power Skating & Edge Work
- Burlington Bulldogs: Select – AA Teams- Power Skating & Edge Work
- Burlington Barracudas Girls Rep Association: A & B Teams – Power Skating & Edge Work
- Have worked with various Rep Teams outside Burlington
- Laurier Varsity Figure Skating Team
- Ryerson Varsity Figure Skating Team
- Skate Canada Level 1 Certified Coach
Skating Experience:
- 2009 World Champion – Synchronized Skating
- 2008 & 2009 National Champion – Synchronized Skating
- 9 time National Competitor (Novice, Junior & Senior Ladies singles events)
- Western Ontario National Team Member
- Represented Burlington & Canada at Competitions around the World
Other Info:
- Inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame
- Honors B.B.A Bachelor of Business Administration, Laurentian University
Specializes in:
- Hockey Skills
- Power Skating
- Shooting Instruction
- Power Skating- All levels; Beginner to Elite
- Puck handling/Shooting
- Hitting Clinics
- Defense Clinics
- On-ice Tune Ups
- skating agility
- quickness
- explosive lateral movement
- puck handling
- passing and shooting skills
- forward & backward acceleration
- forward & backward cross-overs
- escape moves
- pivots
- gap control
- angling
- separation speed
- understand how to limit time and space
- vision of the ice
Minor Hockey Playing Career:
- AAA Burlington Eagles
- AAA Mississauga Reps
Player Experience:
- Selected in the 2006 O.H.L. Priority Draft – Sarnia Sting
- Jr B. Brantford Golden Eagles
- 2009 Sutherland Cup Champions
- Jr A. Burlington Cougars
- O.H.L. – Sarnia Sting
- Men’s Varsity Hockey – Ryerson University
- SR AAA Dundas Real McCoys
- 2015 Robertson Cup Champions
Graham Agnew is a player graduate of the Hamilton Huskies AAA organization where he played from 1980-1988. He went on to play one year with the Grimsby Peach King Jr B club winning Rookie of the Year and then Leading Scorer honors the following year with his home club, the Hamilton Kilty B’s. Graham has been coaching in Burlington for the past 5 years and coached the 2015, 2017 and 2018 Burlington teams to be Alliance Champions. Graham is a certified D1 Hockey Coach, has 4 years of experience as a trained Burlington Bulls Baseball Club Development Coach, and has previously taught as golf professional with the CPGA in Canada.
Specializes in:
detail-oriented development
hockey IQ – tips and tricks
face-offs with multiple options
puck protection
power skating, FW/BW
edge work – balance
stick handling
quickness
passing
agility
shooting- stationary/off 1 foot/slap/snap/wrist/backhand/1 timer
body contact
James Austin
Coaching Experience:
- 20 years coaching experience at a high level
- Clinics and programs at The Burlington Pond.
- NLT Burlington Eagles
- Works with teams of all levels on all round essential hockey skills
- AAA Burlington Eagles
- AAA Chicago Illinois
- Learn Hockey Burlington Eagles/ Burlington Junior Eagles
- NSHDA Illinois Spring Hockey
- Burlington Bayhawks
Specializes in:
- Puck handling and shooting
- Small area puck control
- Acceleration, agility and speed with the Puck
- Escape and evasive moves with the puck
- Puck protection
- Cross-overs with the puck
- Balance
- Passing and vision of the ice
- Quickness
- Explosive lateral movement
- Pivots
- Angling
- Separation speed
- Edgework
- Power Skating – all levels beginner to Elite
- Hitting Clinics – body contact
- On-ice Tune Ups
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Ice Dimensions
Pond Alumni
Eric Cairns – New York Islanders
Darnell Nurse – Edmonton Oilers
Steve Webb – New York Islanders
Sam Gagner – Pheonix Coyotes
Cory Conacher – Buffalo Sabres
Alex Hutchings – Rochester Americans
Brett Flemming – Hershey Bears
Greg Gibson – Robert Morris University NCAA
Andrew Reis – Colby College NCAA
Brent Vandenberg – Niagara University NCAA
Mike Lomas – Sudbury Wolves
Matt Stanisz – Owen Sound Attack
Byron Elliott – St. Micheal’s Majors
Brett Halstead – Sault Saint Marie Greyhounds
Trent Bourque – Sudbury Wolves
Mitch Gaulton – Erie Otters
REFUND/CANCELLATION POLICY:
The Burlington Pond requires 72 hours prior to cancellation for all bookings (private lessons, rentals and parties) The Burlington Pond reserves the right to bill the customer the full amount of the booking if cancellation is made without sufficient notice. All refunds will be issued as a credit on account towards any future registrations or bookings at The Burlington Pond. Registrations include clinics, rentals, parties, private lessons and camps. Credits on account are valid for 6 months from withdrawal date.
*League Players Only Refunds will only be issued once a replacement player has been placed on a team. In other words, the amount of the refund will be based on the total number of games paid for by the replacement player, not the total number of games played by the withdrawing player.
All refunds will be issued as a credit towards any future registrations or bookings at The Burlington Pond and must be used within a 6 month period.
All registrations will be subject to a 13% HST Fee and a 4% Administration Fee.
