Over the last 6 weeks, we are running a 9 part Season Preview series to highlight the 9 Hampton Roads Whalers Travel Teams and the upcoming 2023-2024 hockey season. This week, we continue with part 7 of the series and the U14 AA team.
The U14 AA team will be coached by Marc Phelps for the 2023-2024 season. Marc assumed the head coach role mid-season last year for the U12 AA team, having previously been assistant coach for Whalers and other travel teams for many years.
“This year we are going to seek out the difficult challenges that grow our players and reveal true character,” said Phelps. “For our 2010s, that starts with learning to play a physical game at the U14 level. For the whole team it means never being content or satisfied, always playing with something to prove to ourselves and our teammates.”
The Whalers U14 team is playing at the AA level in the CBHL with a mixed birth year team made up of eight 2009's and eight 2010 birth year players.
Returning Whalers include: goaltender Austin Simpson, Carson Bloom, Teddy Rossiter, Jacob Schmier, Jackson Spear, Andy Blankenship, Noah Ellis, Ethan McElheney, Jacob Phelps, Mason Scourfield, and Trey Ulrich.
The team is happy to introduce some new players to the Whalers travel program, including: Ethan Jenkins, R.J. Teal, Jackson Ford, Adam Lubig, and Luke Riethmiller.
The coaching staff is looking to continue developing strong skills, smart game management, and accountability that will push maturing players to find the intrinsic drive to achieve more on and off the ice. Off the ice, the team is helping with numerous learn to play programs, setting up the next generation of Whalers players. On the ice, the team is already finding chemistry in small group sessions this spring, with plans for extra ice through the summer as players find time between numerous camps. As the season nears (the weeks of Aug. 7 and Aug. 14), players will have the opportunity to join the Whalers Junior players for two weeks of training.
The U14 AA Travel Team looks forward to a competitive season in the CBHL, as well as a tournament schedule that will expose players to teams and styles of play from beyond the region. This year's schedule will offer players many opportunities to grow, and the coaching staff is prepared with tools and resources beyond these for our hard-working players looking to excel.
