Grillo's MN Hockey Camps ... The BEST

[trojans45]

My son attended 2 weeks at the MN Hockey Camp in Nisswa and will say it is the greatest development camp in North America.<br><br>Chuck Grillo, Dean Grillo and staff which incidentially includes Pittsburgh Penquins chief scout Greg Malone, run a class organization. <br><br>The serious players are there all summer long and the setting is spectacular.<br><br>If you want your son or daughter to get to the next level in their game ... get to Nisswa. Regardless if it's peewees, bantams, HS, jr.s, college or the NHL. <br><br> <p></p><i></i>

[CrabsMcChaffee]

While at the camp what do they work on as far as skills go? Is it mostly skating or is it an all around deal? Also how much does this camp cost and whereabouts is it located? bcuz i dont know where nisswa is. <p></p><i></i>

[Hockeyfever]

Nisswa is located just outside of the brainerd area and it costs about $650 for one week i believe, give or take a few bucks. I attended the conditioning camp which basically is getting you ready and in "game shape" for your up comming season and is more on ice drills and skating than it is working on specific skills. There is also the select series which i don't know exactly how that is run. Most impressive part of the camp in my opinion were the extensive/intense dry-land sessions daily. they have a very well run camp <p></p><i></i>

[power92]

how do you prepare for a HS, College or pro season in a week?<br>Hope you have some money.<br>I'm sure it is a great camp, if you are there for a month 2400 dollars later.<br>Just my 2 cents.<br> <p></p><i></i>

[tooold2tell]

This is exactly what is wrong with our game today!!!! I know you all feel like in order to keep up, we need to play year round. $650/wk??? You know what I could do with my family vacation for that amount of money? It makes me sick to my stomach listening to people spend there summers in the hockey rinks. If the player is good, he will be good, donnot try to buy your son a hockey game!!! Maybe I'm getting tooold2knowanybetter, but this year round hockey at these young ages is an absolute joke! <p></p><i></i>

[elliott70]

I think kids need to train for hockey (or fill in the sport) year around. Too many kids sit on their buts with computer games, TV etc.<br><br>I do not agree with spending $650 per week fo rmultiple weeks.<br><br>A summer training program should be something like this:<br><br>Monday afternoon - roller blading with your buddies to a swimmin' hole <br>Monday evening - playing baseball on your local team<br>Tuesday morning - mowing the grass (non-rider) for Dad<br>Tuesday afternoon - riding your bike to Sha-Sha and stopping to climb the fire tower.<br>Wedneday morning - fishing with friends by casting off shore.<br>Wednesday afternoon - shoot a bunch of pucks with your little sister or brother<br>Thursday - skate at a local camp for $100 for once a week for 6 weeks.<br>Friday morning - ride your bike to the library and read a book about the history of hockey<br><br><br> <p></p><i></i>

[allthenet]

Like most things in life. opinions differ. I would rather see money spent on sports camps than video games and movies. I respect any parents decision on where they think their hard earned money is best spent but, I don't see how sending a kid to hockey camp (whatever the price) can hurt thier game?? <p></p><i></i>

[hockeylife79]

yes its better to have ur kids out doing things other than sitting on their rumps all day but they also need to have a childhood and maybe give some things a rest. take a break from hockey and go on vacation and hang with friends and have fun instead of training for somethin they will either have to give up or just play little pick up games (which who really cares bout the skills). i'm sure you would rather look back on your childhood and be like oh i did this and have cool stories than not learn ne thing but how to get better at hockey. and on that note just doing the pick up games and having fun playing street hockey you get skills you'll never learn at a camp. but use that money to do somethin fun because they will only be kids once! <p></p><i></i>

[puckhead89]

It is beyond me how a post like this could turn into bashing....but it did....again. Give the guy a break that started the post...he was sharing information, while not valuable to everyone, will certainly be considered valued by others reading this post. <p></p><i></i>

[elliott70]

I think everyone is sharing thier opinions not bashing the person that started the thread or Grillo's camp.<br><br>Some people like to send their kids to camps (all types).<br>Camps provide a variety of level of experiences. Should a person rely on sending a kid to 4 or 5 different weekly camps throughout the summer as a method that will send his kid to the next level (and even if it does is it worth it) - that is the debate. And that is what happens to threads - people provide an opinion and the topic weaves to where the posters take it.<br><br>Again, just my opinion. <p></p><i></i>

[STUD07]

Peter Twists Elite High Performance camp in Vancouver, British Columbia has to be the best camp. He trained the Vancouver Canucks for 11 years. his camp is an intense 2 months of 2 hour workouts 5 days a week and 2 hours of skating 4 days per week. only a handful of people in the conditioning world can compare to him. and i dont think that the Grillos are one of them. you really do need more that 1 or 2 weeks to see big improvements! <p></p><i></i>

[puckhead89]

It wasn't your post that got my dander up, elliott70...it was the poster (tooold....) that responded in their post by saying something like "this is exactly what is wrong with our game". My suggestion is if anyone wants to take a thread somewhere else with their "opinion", please do so but on a new topic. The guy who started this post was sharing good information...unlike the poster who wanted to talk about where the game has gone wrong by spending too much money on hockey...take it to a new post. <br><br>These posts are good for sharing information....if everybody is going to jump down everybody's throat at every little thread, this board loses its intent...everyone should remember that. <p></p><i></i>

[RLStars]

Well said Puckhead <p></p><i></i>

[elliott70]

Don't be too harsh on TOOOLD, he is a good hockey guy.<br><br>Sometimes his passion takes over his tact. <p></p><i></i>

[tooold2tell]

Well, at least one person, Hockeylife79 understood my post. Wow, tough crowd! As far as my tact; if saying what in your own opinion is wrong or right, a bashing, then I'm so sorry, I really am. <p></p><i></i>

[MNPuckster27]

One thing no one has mentioned about sending younger kids (say ages 8-14) to these camps, regardless of the price of them, is the expirience they get by going away for a week or two to hockey camp.<br><br>As far as training goes, sure, just keeping the young kids active by riding bikes, playing other sports, and skating at the local rink with their hometown buddies is as good of an off-season work out that any young kid needs. Then as they get to high school, workouts become more intense.<br><br>As far as expirience, 9 out of 10 (or more) kids that participate in youth hockey and even high school hockey are not going to go on to big time D1 college or professional hockey. The memories they will have when they look back will be of hanging out at the camp with new friends, meeting players from all over MN, and being able to say that they stepped on the ice and were coached by some of the great players that work at a lot of these summer camps (D1/pro players). <p></p><i></i>

[elliott70]

And that is the real value. Life experiences - memories.<br>And camp - education, sports, whatever can provide.<br><br>For me, sending your kid to several camps with the expectation that he will be an 'A' player as a reuslt is wrong.<br><br>Giving that youngster a well rounded base with an education in work ethic, respect, and fun AND then let he/she commit themselves to improving to the A level is, I think, what we all want for our kids. <p></p><i></i>

[traveler]

Are all those kids setting around playing video games any worse than us out here in cyber space making believe anyone cares what we believe? <p></p><i></i>

[puckhead89]

Now that's a good point! Too funny! <p></p><i></i>

[elliott70]

Funny!!<br><br>But our opinions do mean something. At least to ourselves. <p></p><i></i>

[JLS 81]

I kind of thought the guy who jumped all over elliot70 was way out of line especially with the personal attacks. That is well below the line of respect one should carry when making commentary. It has been my opnion that the comments posted by elliot70 have always been well thought out and his restraint shows he is a true class act. <br>If you want to send your kid to camp go for it! The Grillo camp is for....well as Joe Souchary would put it......vast prosperity baby!!!<br>I am in too olds camp as my kids pretty much play sports year round....just not hockey for 12 months. <p></p><i></i>

[puckhead89]

JLS,<br><br>Did I miss someone's post? Who lodged personal attacks on Elliot? I don't see them anywhere under this post topic. <br><br> <p></p><i></i>

[east hockey]

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>I don't see them anywhere under this post topic. <hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br>That particular post was deleted.<br><br>Lee <p>____________<br>Message Board arsonist since 2005</p><i></i>

[Lbow7]

if you really want to know about this camp, you should visit their web page. This is a camp that is totally committed to physical, mental and social growth of a player. you will find that this is not a place to go and get an autograph and t-shirt from a D1 or pro making their apperance on Sat. when mom/dad come to pick you up. their coaching staff consists of real life coaches, ranging from high school to the professional level. and yes, they are with the players both on the ice and during dryland. their alumini list of players is very impressive and equally impressive is their list of coaches.<br> <p></p><i></i>