Midget Development Program

The Midget Development Program is a weekly camp for players (2006, 2007, 2008 AAA/AA birth years).

The main purpose of this camp is to teach players how to “think the game.”   This program is designed like a class at school, with a progression of skills and concept building being directly applied to games.  Players sign up as a forward or defenseman with practices and concepts being tailored to that position.  Practices will be high intensity and controlled scrimmages and games used frequently.  

Players must be AAA/AA level to sign up.  Schedule & detailed program explanation is below!  Sign up form at very bottom of the page!

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Cost: $405          ($22.5/hour of ice)

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• 10 Practices— 1 ½ hour Ice Sessions (15 Hours Total Practice Ice)
• 2 Full Games— 3- 15-minute periods (3 Hours Total Game Ice) 

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     TOTAL ICE = 18 hours

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• Jersey provided

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• Mark Zarbo Hockey’s Hockey IQ Video Database
  1. Access to online database of practice video lessons for players to review anytime
  2. Players are sent video lessons before each practice to review skills/teachings for that day

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• NEW! Pixellot Video Analytics Account
  1.  Players provided with a personal Pixellot Video account.
  2. This account will allow players to review the game and all “events” tagged from the game

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• Mark Zarbo Hockey Game Breakdown
  • Through the Pixellot account, Mark Zarbo Hockey will provide a general game breakdown (15 – 20 clips) based on skills/topics learned in practice sessions for players to review after the 2 games.

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• Great discounts on other Mark Zarbo Hockey programs for the whole family!
  • Signing up for our Hockey IQ Program makes ALL players in your family eligible for generous discounts to other Mark Zarbo Hockey programs.  For example, if you have 3 players in your family and you sign up at least 1 of them for our Hockey IQ (or any main program), all 3 are eligible for the below discounts.  It is our way of offering quantity & sibling discounts!
    • Discount for 3 v 3 Summer league ($185/player—normally $220/player–$15/hr ice – 16% discount)
    • Discount for Small Group Skill Sessions ($17/session flat rate—normally $25/single session– 32% discount)
    • Discount to Body Contact, Battling & Checking Camps ($110/player–normally $132/player–$18/hr ice- 16% discount)
    • Discount to our Defenseman Skills Camps ($315–$19/hr training, normally $350/player – 10% discount)

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Midget Practice Plans & Program Progression:

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The purpose of this program is to focus on individual and team foundational skills and concepts surrounding puck possession.  Research shows that the puck is outside the dots and near the boards ~80% of the game. 

For this reason, the first 3 practices are skill building in the areas of wall battles, puck retrievals, rims, making plays off the wall, puck protection skills, puck support skills, passing (finding windows), puck movement skills, small area play making & basic offensive puck possession concepts. The ability win puck battles, protect & support the puck and “make that next play” is the first step in teaching puck possession. 

The last 7 practices are position (forward vs defense) specific concepts and situations building off and application of skill building practices.  By the end of the program players will have a solid understanding of puck protection, puck possession, play making skills and position/situational specific skills.  

See schedule below for specific practice topics and order!  Note practices are subject to change based on the progression of the players & group during the program!

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About Pixellot!

We are very excited to add the Pixellot Video Analytics System to our program.  Pixellot is an all-in-one system that allows Mark Zarbo Hockey to post all game film, allows players to view the game and all “events” tagged by Pixellot as well as provides Mark Zarbo Hockey a platform to breakdown and send out clips from games to all players. 

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Design Your Own Personalized Summer Program!

At Mark Zarbo Hockey our mission Provide players of all ages & skill levels all-around programs, flexible scheduling, affordable prices/incentives & best in class training. Players will not find another program that is able to provide all of those parameters at the level Mark Zarbo Hockey does in the WNY/Buffalo area.

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Example:  A player signed up for Hockey IQ Development Program, 3 v 3 Cross-ice League and 15 Skill Sessions comes to 45 total hours of on-ice training. Applying discounts, price per hour comes to $18.77/hour ice! This includes all the supplied video lessons, access to Hockey IQ Video Database, breakdown of game film (Hockey IQ Program), Pixellot Video Analytics account & Mark Zarbo Hockey jersey!

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Why is this camp is designed the way it is?!

This camp is designed like a class at school.  It takes into account research recommendations into how youth learn best.

Prior to each practice players will be sent a video lesson on topics and concepts for that week’s session.  Players should watch these videos to get mentally prepared for the concepts to be taught.  Just like in school, teachers assign students readings from a textbook before going to class to introduce them to topics for that day.  

Players will then attend practices and go over the skills and concepts for that day.  After the practice session players should go home and re-watch the teaching video.  Research shows when a student reviews a topic learned within 24 hours, they are more likely to retain what they learned. 

After a base of skills is built, controlled scrimmages and scrimmage drills will be used to connect concepts/skills together and to games (Practice Tests).  The two games are tests, giving players the opportunity to use skills from practice in games.  After the game, players will be able to watch and study their shifts through the use of their Pixellot Video account.  This will give players an honest view of their play and a blueprint for their development moving forward.

This camp aims to teach players how to “think the game,” develop a base of knowledge to use their skills more effectively and provide a blueprint for moving forward with their own development.  To do that, players must become a student of the game.  This program will offer players every opportunity to become that student and improve their hockey IQ.  Practices and concepts will be age dependent with each practice building off the one prior. 

Outside of this camp, players are offered generous discounts to a host of other Mark Zarbo Hockey programs. This will allow players the ability make an all-around tailored program to their exact needs! 

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GOALIES!  For summer 2023, Bob Janosz Goaltending Staff will again be present to work with all goalies every practice session.  Goalies signed up for Hockey IQ Program are eligible to play in 3 v 3 Cross-ice Development League at discounted rate of $90 (normally $185 — 51% Discount!).  To sign up for the Mark Zarbo Hockey IQ program please visit Bob Janosz website (3 v 3 League Goalie sign up please use form below): www.BobJanosz.com

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Cancellation, Weather & Payment Policies!

Please see Cancellation, Weather & Payment Policy Page.  Click link to view.

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Thursday Midget Program Schedule (2006, 2007, 2008 AAA/AA)

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How do I sign up for programs?!

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To sign-up for programs, please fill out the form below.  Sign ups are ONLY accepted by filling out form below.

Step #1:  Fill out parent/guardian contact information.

Step #2:  Select how many players you are wanting to sign up for programs.  After selecting desired number of players wanting to sign up, that number of requested player sign-up forms will appear.

Step #3:  Fill out your player’s information.

Step #4:  Check mark the box next to all programs wanting to sign the player up for.  After check marking the box next to programs interested in, further information for that program will appear.  Follow directions for each program to complete sign up.

Repeat step #3 – 4 for the desired amount players wanting to sign up.

After filling out and submitting sign-up form you will re-directed to a new page to fill out liability waiver.  In addition, you will receive an email receipt of your sign-up form with copy of your sign up, invoice and payment information.  Please make sure to double check, save and print out this email receipt for your records.  You are responsible for all dates signed up for.

YOU CAN SIGN UP MULTIPLE PLAYERS AND/OR MULTIPLE PROGRAMS ALL ON 1 SIGN UP FORM.  NO NEED TO FILL OUT MULTIPLE SIGN FORMS FOR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS OR PLAYERS. THE SIGN-UP FORM BELOW LISTS ALL PROGRAMS FOR SUMMER 2023, NOT JUST THE PROGRAM DETAILED ON THIS PAGE.

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