Saturday 4th of July saw both Cian Breathnach and Paul Cummins arrive at the 2009 IIHF Development Camp in Vierumaki, Finland. They were certainly delighted to arrive at the camp having spent the day travelling from Dublin. Both will enjoy the camp until its conclusion on Sunday 12th July. Cian is a member of the U-16 Dundalk Bulls and will participate in the camp as a player on Team 2 (White). While there he will play with some of the most talented players from around the world in that age group and will receive world class coaching. Paul on the other hand will participate in the camp as part of the Learn To Play Instructors course. Paul is currently a player on the Kilkenny City Storm and runs an underage programme with his club. While in Vierumaki, he will learn valuable tips from some of the most experienced coaches in the world and he will surely return and impart this wisdom to those back in Ireland.
It’s a fantastic opportunity for both individuals and most definitely an experience that neither will forget as they will not only learn valuable skills but also make friends for many years to come. The IIHF Development Camp has been running for many years now with Ireland recently sending Catherine O’Reilly to the Women’s Camp last year where she participated as a player while accompanied by Ashley Moore and Jana Gerkena. The year before that, Niall Martin and Aaron Gribben participated as players while accompanied by Anthony Griffin. Previous players to have also participated include current Senior Team Ireland players Barry Higgins and Dean Kelly as well as former U-20 Team Ireland Player, Simon McCaul. Keith Daly and Pete Lawlor have also attended the camps as coaches.
We wish both Cian and Paul the best of luck in Vierumaki and hope they thoroughly enjoy themselves. We also look forward to hearing how they got on with some of the brightest future stars in ice hockey. However, if you cannot wait until they return then you can follow their progress here on iiha.org, www.iihf.com or on www.vierumaki.fi.
Photograph courtesy of www.derektuitephotography.ie