The Under 16 path is an important first step toward the Team Alberta Under-18, which competes at the National Women’s Hockey Challenge or Canada Winter Games.
It is used to educate the athletes as to what will be required of them physically and mentally if they want to progress into the Team Alberta Under-18 program. Players will already be armed with the knowledge they need and will be ready to step their training up to the next level more efficiently.
2007 will see Hockey Alberta run the first Team Alberta Challenge. This is an additional Under 16 female program designed to provide an opportunity for athlete evaluation and development in years the Alberta Winter Games does not run.
The Team Alberta Challenge was created to provide consistent development in much the same way the Alberta Cup works for the U16 male program. Hockey Alberta has developed a competition where zone teams compete against each other in a tournament as well as learn valuable tools in off ice sessions. While at the same time athletes, coaches, trainer and director of operations are evaluated to continue in the U16 and U18 development path.
