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12-- PORT PERRY STAR -- Wed., January 14, 1981 Sports Bill Wanamaker and Mike Tobin Coach the littlest' hockey players They take to the ice every Saturday morning at the Scugog Arena. : About 20 youngsters, aged three to six, dressed in full uniform and equipment, are getting their first taste of hockey, Canada's national winter pass-time (some say obsession). Under the watchful and patient eye of instructors Bill Wanamaker and Mike Tobin, the First Year Tykes as they are known, go through an hour and 20 minutes of skating and passing drills and an informal scrimmage with all 20 scampering after the puck. Bill, who has been working with this age group for the past four years, says the - purpose-is to get the youngs- ters--on skates, holding a" hockey stick, and taking part in very fundamental skills such as passing a puck. "We get them skating first, then put them through drills forward and back- ward, stops and starts. The big secret is not to push them, let them go at their own speed and develop- ment," says Bill. ¥ a Bill Wanamaker has a quiet word with one young- At times the ice surface looks more like a. swimming pool with the Tykes on their backs or tummies, arms and legs flailing away trying to get to their feet after the spills which occur quite often. But despite the falls, injur- ies are almost non-existent thanks to the regulation padding and full head-gear with face mask. Several parents watching their sons on the ice last Saturday morning told the Star that the improvement over when the Tykes began by Danny Millar Looking more and more like the championship contending team they were a year ago, the Beare Motors Bantam A's took a pair of impressive wins over Oshawa teams in Port Perry last week. ster during practice. The key is to let them go at their own speed, says Bill. FTA DT "has "done it last October is incredible. Bob Weatherall said his son Kevin, who just turned four on December 23, could scarcely move when he started in October. Now, Kevin is not quite in Guy Lafleur's league, but he is all over the ice, stopping, start- ing and making the tough turns. Bill Little said his five year old son Aaron showed no interest after the first session last fall. "We left him alone and last week he said he wanted to come back again. He's now They scored a surprising upset over Oshawa's competitive Lakeshore league team by a 4-2 count and then thumped the LNHL Black Hawks 8-0 in a Friday night exhibition contest. The two games have been renamed "The Jeff Johnstone Show" as the second year centerman put on a clinic on how the game is supposed to be played. He scored twice in the first game and set up the fourth goal. He was in on four of the first six goals in the Black" Hawks encounter before being thrown out during a third period fight. Johnstone started the season with a huge cross to bear--that of filling the fast moving skates of fellow center Donny Young--and he fashion. He is probably the swiftest skater on what is a very strong skating team and is an unselfish, excellent playmaker, especially when teamed with Steve Lee. But perhaps the strongest facet of his. game is the one that goes unnoticed. He is a superb face-off man. The first Oshawa match saw Port get off to a slow start as the good forecheck- ing unit forced them to turn --the=puck-over frequently-in their own end. Four times, Port defenders allowed Oshawa to gain the puck inside the blue line before the they managed to send it the length of the ice. Steve Lawson scored the first goal of the game at 1:05 when he blasted a slap shot behind goaler Paul Kingston after Johnstone was beaten on the draw. Oshawa showed up in red and white uniforms, the same colours as Port. Usual- ly when this happens, the home team switches to the white and red of the Midget B's team, but they had the following game. Port Perry was forced to use the Jr. C. MoJacks jerseys and after they fell behind, one Port fan- in standout - moving around pretty well and he enjoys it," said Mr. Little. Mr. Little and Mr. Weatherall joined with other parents in their praise of the two instructors. "Those guys have so much patience," said one. 'They |, take the time to explain things on an individual basis, and the kids really respond to that." ' The program is under the direction of Port Perry Minor Hockey Association, and cost for a full season is $35. Bantams B victorious pointed out that the sweaters were "jinxed." Defenceman Brian Steven- son, who has shown good improvement over the past few weeks, tied the score 2:30 into the second period on a screened slap shot from the point. Johnstone went off for slashing but as soon as he stepped out of the penalty (T urn to page 14) ar ET _ pa Soa id PAL nh x Mike Tobin has been handling kids of this age group for several year patience and methods drew the praise of several parents. Danny Millar After a tough practice session, even a five year old needs a bit of a break.