ROCKY THOMPSON- Head Instructor
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| Coaching Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL) |
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| Coaching the OKC Barons ( AHL) |
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| Playing for the Calgary Flames ( NHL) |
Rocky was drafted 72nd overall by the Calgary Flames in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. Leading up to that, he played for four
years with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL. On and off the ice, Rocky is recognized for his leadership abilities and enthusiastic
character, as well as exciting style of play. With hockey being a true passion of his, he has enjoyed working hard to improve
himself as both a player and well conditioned athlete, and is familiar with the level of commitment expected of any developing
player.These redeeming qualities allowed him to move into the position of Assistant Coach with the Edmonton Oil Kings
WHL team in their inaugural season, and two more years following that . Rocky currently serves as the Assistant
Coach for the Edmonton Oilers AHL affiliate team the Oklahoma City Barons ( www.okcbarons.com).
As a player , Rocky played with the Flames organization
for two and a half years, before being traded to the Florida Panthers organization, where he stayed for the next three
seasons. At the end of that contract, although offered another contract by Florida, Rocky chose to return to his Alberta roots
and signed a three year contract with the Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club. Following this he signed a two year contract with the
St. Louis Blues hockey club.
"Rocky's been a fan favorite wherever he's been and plays the type of blue
collar hockey that people appreciate, " says current Boston Bruins asst. coach Geoff Ward . " The
one thing about Rocky is that he understands what his strengths are as a player and what his weaknesses are, and he does a
good job of playing to his strengths. He's great in the room in terms of his leadership ability and setting an example for
our younger players. You need the type of energy that Rocky brings to the rink."
As well as participating in various pro hockey camps to improve his own abilities, Rocky
has also spent many summers instructing them as well. Since incorporation in 2003, Rocky Hockey Schools has functioned
every summer in various cities across Alberta, including Sherwood Park, Medicine Hat, Fort Saskatchewan , and Hobbema. Rocky's
years of experience can clearly be seen in his effective program delivery style. His ability to communicate with even the
youngest athletes is amplified by his role as a father to his four young children ages 13,11,9 and 5.
Outside of hockey, Rocky is also an accomplished boxer, golfer and wrestler. Winning the Golden
Gloves boxing title as well as qualifying for the Canadian Junior Golfing championships in the past have all proved him to
be an extremely well rounded and talented athlete. Mental strength and commitment are qualities required to succeed at the
elite level of any sport, and he clearly displays these along with a top level of physical conditioning.
ELIZABETH THOMPSON BSc. Hon, MSc. Kin. (Director):
Elizabeth Thompson brings the Rocky Hockey School a professional level of information in the
area of training and conditioning, as well as exercise physiology and applied sports psychology for the elite athlete. After
completing an honors Bachelor of Science from the University of Waterloo she continued on to complete a graduate degree, a
Master of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Texas. While focusing specific parts of her course work on the sport
of hockey, she has a high level of understanding of the off ice components required to progress and improve as a competitive
athlete. Experience teaching this material to athletes of all levels comes from working with pro athletes themselves, right
down to instructing young children as a team coach and private strength and conditioning coach. She is AFLCA certified by
the Alberta Fitness Certification Board, and, as well as training elite level athletes she also reaches out to promote health
and wellness by teaching group spinning classes and boot camps to participants of varying abilities.
As an athlete herself, Elizabeth participated in soccer, rugby
and downhill ski racing at elite levels. Competing at the F.I.S level for many years, she won gold at the Junior Olympics
as well as the Alberta Cup G.S competition before retiring to attend university. As a member of the Druids Rugby club, Elizabeth
was selected as a member and the captain of the U19 Alberta Rugby Team and with them won the gold at the Canadian National
Rugby Championships. She was selected as 1 of 25 females across the nation to attend the Elite Athlete Development Program
in Victoria, B.C. to improve and develop herself as an elite athlete. Currently Elizabeth is competing in the sport of triathlon,
and finished in the top 10 in the Olympic distance at the World Masters Games in 2005,and 2nd at the Woody's RV World sprint
triathlon. In the summer of 2008 and 2009, Elizabeth competed in the 70.3 half Ironman triathlon - finishing the 1.9 mile
swim, 90km bike and 21.1 km run in under 5 hr 30min.
As a mother of four
children, ages 13,11,9 and 5 Elizabeth has experienced what it takes to effectively communicate with even
the youngest athlete. As well as teaching her own children, she has coached soccer at several levels as well as instructed
swimming lessons. Included in her university study was the kinesensory development of children , giving her perspective on
how children develop their gross and fine motor skills required to participate in sport. This knowledge allows her to over
see the dry land and class room curriculum of the school, and ensure that it appropriately reflects what the research supports.
OTHER STAFF:
Based on the fact that we are a "mobile" school, our on-ice
instructors will vary from community to community and year to year, but our standards never will. By bringing in high caliber
on-ice instruction in the form of professional players, former pro players, goalie coaches and off ice / dry land specialists,
we guarantee an elite level of hockey development regardless of location each and every year.
With the capability to hire a specialist specific to
each of the three main areas (on ice, dry land and classroom sessions) the athletes will get the best in each area, all week
long. Each professional in each separate area has designed a hockey specific curriculum, based on age and developmental stages.
While being specific to each activity, the three stations will all relate to each other in order to achieve a better over
all understanding of what is involved in becoming an elite athlete. We believe that there is much more to being a well rounded
hockey player than what goes on in practice and aim to teach this to the athletes.
Consistent with each school, in attendance as instructors will be head instructor Rocky Thompson,
a 14 year veteran professional hockey player in the NHL and AHL hockey leagues,and now a professional AHL coach with the Edmonton
Oilers affiliate team the Oklahoma City Barons; and director Elizabeth Thompson, a kinesiology professional with an educational
background including a Master of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Texas, and an honors Bachelor of Science from
the University of Waterloo, Ontario.
With Rocky's professional
experience as a player as well as coach and hockey school instructor, and Elizabeth's educational background specific to exercise
physiology and training and conditioning methods, the combination is a complete package of highly effective on-ice technical
instruction, elite level dry land training and class room sessions taught straight from a qualified kinesiology professional.
