• Defensemen camps offer an opportunity to take your game to the next level.c?¡äne glac?? image by S??bastien Goetschmann from Fotolia.com
  
  Hockey camps offer an opportunity to improve your skills, meet other players and have fun during the summer or other holiday break. While most hockey camps teach general skills for all positions, a number of camps focus on skills that are specific to defensemen. These skills include body position, shot blocking, checking, backwards skating and coverage. Most defensemen camps are taught by skilled defensemen who have played at the highest levels of international hockey and know what it takes to win championships.
  
  

Simply Defense

• Simply Defense is "a program dedicated to defensemen, taught by defensemen." With camps in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Illinois, this camp focuses on both the physical and mental game of hockey defense. Program founder Jeff Blum, a former player and coach in the UHL, IHL, NAHL and CCHA, brings both his playing and teaching experience to the table at Simply Defense. Students participate in a variety of carefully planned drills that break down the essential responsibilities and skills of today's defenseman. They then apply these new skills in more advanced real game situations. Camps are available in the form of four-day summer sessions and two-day holiday clinics throughout the year.
  
  Simply Defense
  
  4087 Elaine St.
  
  Port Huron, MI 48060
  
  810-985-4529
  
  simplydefense.com
  
  

Defense First

• Defense First focuses on the mental and strategic subtleties of defensive hockey while at the same time developing the hockey fundamentals--like skating, puckhandling, checking, shooting and passing--that all players need. The camp combines a wide set of teaching methods, including on-ice and off-ice instruction, off-ice lectures, class discussion, and video analysis. Classroom topics include strategy, work ethic, nutrition, goal setting, and off-ice conditioning. Head instructors, who have included former pro players, lead a team of experienced defensemen dedicated to sharing their knowledge with developing players. Camps are offered in Lansing, Michigan and Toronto, Ontario.
  
  Defense First
  
  P.O. Box 922
  
  East Lansing, MI 48826
  
  517-579-9527
  
  defensefirst.com
  
  

International Hockey Schools

• Based in O'Fallon, Illinois, International Hockey Schools offers defense-specific camps for both Peewees and Bantams. Players focus on improving their defensive skills, such as positioning, open-ice checking, stick checking, angles, odd-man rushes, backward skating in the zones, jumping into the play and puckhandling. A typical day at camp includes three hours on-ice training, one hour off-ice training, one hour of video analysis and classroom time, and a one-hour scrimmage in the evening. International Hockey Schools offers special discounts for those who combine the defense camp with the Peewee or Bantam training camp for a complete hockey experience. All players receive an official International Hockey Schools jersey, report card, personal player portfolio and completion certificate.
  
  International Hockey Schools
  
  220 East State St. Suite 1-E
  
  O'Fallon, IL 62269
  
  877-447-1987
  
  incamps.com