Oakland Bears News - Issue 8

#8, June, 2023

 OAKLAND BEARS 14A2023 Santa Clarita Memorial Day Tournament Champs

Welcome to the June edition of the Oakland Bears Newsletter. TRYOUTS ARE UPON US! Good luck to all the kids and I hope you make your chosen team.

I'm also thrilled to announce that our 14A Bears Spring team clinched victory at their tournament in Santa Clarita over Memorial Day weekend. This win adds another banner to our collection, and they seem to be appearing with increasing regularity. It's a testament to the hard work all the kids and coaches are putting in. I love to see it.

In this issue, we feature a personal account from one of our players, Max Lim. He shares the story of his team's season and their championship journey. Additionally, we provide a slew of updates from the OIC program, along with information about upcoming camps, clinics, and the much-anticipated return of the popular 3v3 pond hockey sessions. Let's dive in.

-Jason Dearborn

Camps start Monday June 12!

Group A is "Tier", and "A/BB" level travel players only.

Group B is "In-House" and "B" level players.

Coaches:

Eugene Murphy, Brad Martin, various rink coaches and special appearances!!

Contact

[email protected]

for a discount code if registering multiple weeks.

Week 1: June 12 - June 16

Week 2: June 19 - June 23

Week 3: June 26 - June 30

Hockey Camps are full day. 8:00am - 3:00pm

Drop off is 7:30am M - F.

First on-ice session: 8:00am - 10:15am

Dryland training: 10:30am - 11:15am

Lunch/Video session: 11:15am - 12:00pm

Second on-ice session: 12:15pm - 1:45pm

Dryland training: 2:00p - 3:00p

Pick up: 3:00pm

A Winning StoryHow the East Bay Bears won the 2022-23 Championship.

“This is a team that almost didn’t happen and next week, we play for the banner” - Team Manager, East Bay Bears JVC

Despite the constant struggle to field a full team, with most games played with just a single substitute on the bench, we managed to maintain an unbeaten streak for nearly half of the season. However, our winning streak came to an end with a loss against the South Bay Oilers, followed by two more losses. People began to lose hope as we slipped down in the standings, but we held onto the second seed, securing our spot in the playoffs with a 9-4-1 record. 

One advantage of having a small team was the amount of playing time available to everyone, resulting in strong team chemistry. This proved crucial during the elimination games, as our experience and cohesion gave us confidence. The playoffs saw us triumph with a convincing 6-2 victory over Leigh, securing our place in the championship game. Compared to the challenges we faced earlier in the season, the championship was a breeze. With an equal number of players and ample rest, our team's conditioning was a deciding factor in a resounding 6-3 win over Tri-Valley, clinching the league championship. I couldn't be prouder of this team, and I’m excited to see what we are able to accomplish next season!

Max Lim, CaptainEast Bay Bears, JVC