A local hockey school hit the ice last week and lived up to its name by showing girls the very basics of how to play.
The Back to Basics Hockey School was held over the last three weeks and operated by owners and Amherstburg residents Bill Atkinson and Dan Pettypiece. It was held Tuesday and Thursday evenings at the Vollmer Centre in LaSalle.
“We’re teaching edgework, like inside edges, outside edges and skating forward and backward,” said Jason Rauth, one of the camp’s instructors.
It was Rauth’s first year at the camp and he got involved through Atkinson. The two will be causing a Windsor Wildcats U15 girls team this season and Atkinson invited Rauth to come out.
“It’s awesome because it’s legitimately what it says,” said Rauth. “It’s back to basics. You learn how to hold a stick, skate, pass and shoot. You already see the improvement (in the players).”
Pettypiece said the camp went well, though was down a bit in the number of participants. Enrolment started quickly but a lot of other schools took place during August and he believes that impacted them.
“There are only so many pieces of the pie to go around,” he said.
Players from ages 6-10 and 11-16 participated. Older girls also helped instruct the younger players.
“The kids are awesome,” said Pettypiece. “They work hard and don’t complain.”
The instructors were great with the kids, he added, and they have fun teaching them how to play the sport.
Atkinson agreed it went well, noting their school lives up to its name by teaching the basics.
“We’ve been around a long time,” he said.
Atkinson said he has been coaching with Pettypiece for about 40 years. While he’s not sure how long the school will continue, he added he is sure he’ll coach with Pettypiece somewhere.
“I’ll never, ever regret being on the ice with the kids,” he said.
Atkinson said he coaches the children of players he coached years ago while Pettypiece has coached generations of the same family as well.
Casey Sutts, another of the camp’s instructors, said there was “100 per cent improvement” in the players from the first day to the last.
“It’s back to basics with all of the skills they need,” he said. “Start to finish, it brings them back to square one.”
For those players with basic skills, it helps refine them even further, Sutts added.
Hockey school presented by Amherstburg coaches
By Ron Giofu
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