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2011/2012 Fall and Winter Indoor Registration Just because summer ends doesnt mean your soccer season has to! Sign up for the fall/winter indoor program at OSC now leagues for all ages and skill levels. For more information visit www.oakvillesoccer.ca Proud sponsor of Oakville Soccer Club *Returning players: register online or in person at the Pine Glen Soccer Centre. *New players: register in person at the Pine Glen Soccer Centre. Proof of age is required. Register now as age groups may fill quickly with no guarantee of placement if put on a waitlist. Sports 72 SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2011 By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Damian Bourne saw the large box on the gym floor but he couldnt have imag- ined what it would be used for. Then Steven Stamkos, who has scored more goals than any other NHLer over the past two seasons, crouched, thrust his arms in the air and jumped on top of it. Before he jumped, I didnt think that was humanly possible, Bourne said. Later, after watching Stamkos squat 410 poundsmore than double the Tampa Bay Lightning stars weight and participating in on-ice sessions with NHLers Jason Spezza, Luke Schenn and rookie of the year Jeff Skinner to name a few, Bourne walked away with a better appreciation of what it takes to reach the games highest level. It just shows what you have to do to get to the NHL, said Bourne, one of 42 bantam-aged players from across Canada that was invited to the Allstate All- Canadian Mentorship Camp recently put on by the NHL Players Association. Its a whole other level of intensity but I think now I have a better chance of getting where I want to be. Bourne definitely has the size to suc- ceed. Just 15, the forward already stands 6-foot-5. But hes also got the skills to go with that size, which is what puts him among the best bantam players in the country. Obviously hes a very big kid and he uses his body well to protect the puck, says his coach with the Mississauga Rebels, Geoff Schomogyi. And he skates extreme- ly well for a kid his size. The five-day camp touched on every aspect of becoming a professional hockey player, from on-ice skills to nutrition and fitness to financial planning. Among the most interesting parts of the camp for Bourne was the sports psychology aspect. Paul Dennis, the Toronto Maple Leafs player development coach, spoke to the Bantam gets an early glimpse of what it takes to make NHL LOFTY GOALS: Damian Bourne recently participat- ed in an NHL Players Association men- torship camp designed for 42 of the most promis- ing bantam-aged players in the country. After working out with NHL stars like Steven Stamkos, Jason Spezza and Jeff Skinner, the 15-year-old Bourne got a greater apprecia- tion of what it takes to reach the NHL. ERIC RIEHL / OAKVILLE BEAVER See Bourne, page 73