Zabotel to teach at Shulus hockey camp

Nicola Valley youngsters will have a chance to skate with a star this summer.

The Second Annual Shulus Community Hockey School will set up shop at the Shulus Arena from Aug. 11 to 22 for players at all minor levels – from initiation up to midget. Head instructor Joe Quewezance says the big attraction this year will be former Merritt Centennial and Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick Casey Pierro-Zabotel. Quewezance says Zabotel signing on as a guest instructor has already provoked a spike in registrations.

“A guy like Casey brings in a lot of kids,” he says. “Being a young First Nations hockey player

definitely helps – he’s a role model already.”

Zabotel will help Quewezance conduct drills to enhance shooting, passing and stick-handling skills. The young skaters in

attendance will also receive intensive power skating lessons to improve stride, balance and acceleration on the ice.

Zabotel jumped at the chance to teach at the school. He says it’s a great opportunity to give back to the community.

“I just want to help out the kids,” he says.

Zabotel says his time on the ice with the Centennials and the WHL Vancouver Giants will provide a solid foundation for students while teaching his first hockey classes at Shulus.

“It’s a little easier with the experience,” he says. “It’s not hard to teach kids hockey skills.”

Quewezance says the school will offer a great opportunity for local minor hockey players. In the past, hockey parents would travel as far as Penticton to get young players into camps, but Quewezance says the Shulus school will provide every young player in the Nicola Valley a chance for summer instruction.

“It’s feasible,” he says. “We’re a camp that focuses on having a lot of fun – the kids just enjoy the week.”

The hockey students will spend time off of the ice as well. Each day, the school will have one hour of dry-land instruction to provide a more theoretical perspective on the game.

Quewezance says the camp will hold classes for six different age groups, and the groups will be limited to 20 students.

“That’s something that we like to go with because it gives the instructors an opportunity to teach the kids as much as they can,” he says.

For more information on the Shulus Community Hockey School, contact Quewezance at 378-5180. Registration forms are

available now at the Shulus Arena.