About the Future Firebirds
The Future Firebirds are an evolving group of kids, ages 5 – 14, eager to learn the game of hockey, develop skills, enhance skills, and have fun. It must be fun, otherwise, why do it? So that’s our motto: Learn, Play, Have Fun!
Who We Are
Our participants include beginner to advanced players. Some participants just want to have a team they can call their own. Other participants play on teams, but still come back to the Future Firebirds program. They continue for extra instruction, to enhance skills, and because our program is made to be fun. The teams they participate with are mostly in the Jr. Firebirds program and currently include 6/U, 10/U house, 10/U travel, 11/U travel, and 12/U house. One player that started with us 4 years ago plays with the 10/U Ice Raiders AA travel team, but is with us every chance he gets. The reason? We do things teams don’t!
What we Do
We skate – a lot – and introduce skills such as:
- basic power skating
- proper stance
- stopping
- crossovers
- tight turns
- striding forward with power
- backwards stride
- stickhandling
- passing
- shooting
- faceoffs
- goalie specifics (for goalies)
We also use mini-games to make learning and using the skills listed above more fun:
- football (yes, you read that correctly)
- torpedoes
- asteroids
- landmines
- tag
- keep away
- track
We also throw in some hockey action … 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2, 3 vs 3, 3 vs 2, 5 vs 3, 5 vs 4, 5 vs 5, and pond hockey. And of course, playing rules. We make up some of own, too, to keep it fun for all.
Experienced Staff
Our lead instructor is Mick Carroll. He has been with us since 2016 and has been coaching since 1999, including an internship in 2006-07 with the U/17 US National Team at USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (USNTDP) in Ann Arbor, MI. (now in Plymouth, MI). He is also a USA Hockey Master Certified Coach. He is assisted on ice by many qualified coaches, referees, and aides. His other involvement is with disabled hockey and the Grand Rapids Sled Wings, promoting sled hockey and assisting in their camps and tournaments.
Program Location
Our program is sponsored thru Flint Iceland Arenas, located west of Flint, MI in Clayton Twp., on Elms Rd. about 1 mile north of Corunna Rd. (M-21). Flint Iceland Arenas is a big facility that offers multiple sports and events, including indoor lacrosse, soccer, pro wrestling, cornhole tournaments, and yes, lots of hockey. The facility also offers winter training for baseball and can be rented for other events including gatherings and birthday parties. It is also the preseason home of the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League, thus our name… The Future Firebirds!
BE A FUTURE FIREBIRD
The Learn, Play, Have Fun program!