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Tuesday January 16, 2018 Edition
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Jamboree Mites Win Saint Albans Andrew Irving Mite Hockey Tournament For Second Year

Coaches LtoR: Shawn Combs, Doug Mandigo, Bill McKinley, Eamon Del Giacco
Players LtoR: Back row: Wally Combs, Nora Wilson, Reaney McKinley, James Hellyer. Front row, Maggie Collins, Jude Grant, Rio Daniel, Zach Mandigo, Case Pitner, Tyler Munson, not pictured because of illness Rhys Del Giacco.
photo by Jackie Rivers
Coaches LtoR: Shawn Combs, Doug Mandigo, Bill McKinley, Eamon Del Giacco Players LtoR: Back row: Wally Combs, Nora Wilson, Reaney McKinley, James Hellyer. Front row, Maggie Collins, Jude Grant, Rio Daniel, Zach Mandigo, Case Pitner, Tyler Munson, not pictured because of illness Rhys Del Giacco.

Tuesday January 16, 2018

By Cookie Steponaitis

While Americans know of whom we speak when the term the ‘boys of summer’ is mentioned, it behooves us to salute the increasing numbers of winter warriors who take to the ice for fun, sport and victory.
    The Jamboree Mites are coached by Eamon Delgiacco, Bill McKinley, Doug Mandigo and Shawn Combs and although they call Memorial Sports Center in Middlebury, Vermont their home base this talented team has games all over the region as part of growing hockey programs for children and adults. Teams are the Mites (eight and as young as four years old), Squirts (ten and under), Pee Wee’s (twelve and under) and Bantam (fourteen and under) who meet at Memorial Sports Center at least twice a week for practice and twice a week for games. The teams are not affiliated by town or school and are open to all who wish to participate.
    The Memorial Sports Center provides programs for trying hockey, learning to skate and introduction to hockey programs and is a place for both youth and adults to see what the sport is all about. A case in point is Shawn Combs who is one the coaches of the Jamboree Mites and about three and a half years ago concluded a long stint of mixed martial arts training and shifted jobs, creating a need for a new sport and time in his schedule. Combs had never played hockey before and started at twenty-eight to explore the sport. There was a pick-up league in Middlebury and Combs found himself in a crash course in skating and picking up the fundamentals of the game. After clinics, workshops and helping out the Jamboree Mites while he learned, Combs signed up his son Wally for the team and became part of the coaching staff.
    Winning six straight games to earn the top spot at the Andrew Irving Mite Hockey Tournament this month is motivation for the traveling team, but no more important than the games played on the home rink and every practice. The semifinal game against Barre the Mites won 5-3 and in the championship, they faced Burlington to emerge victorious with a score of 7-2. A growing number of young girls are coming out to play and staying with the sport and local hockey teams are mixed and have equal room for all to improve skate and learn. A lot of families  are hooked and others looking to join the winter warriors of the ice should check out all the program offerings at http://memorialsportscenter
.org/ . Someone from the Jamboree program will get right back to you. Since there is no doubt that winter has arrived in the Champlain Valley, it is only fitting that those braving the ice for fun and skill get our attention for the time, commitment and love of the sport they have. The Valley Voice salutes the Mites for their win and for all who love this part of a Champlain Valley winter.


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