By Kim J. Harmon

 

While most of his students were no doubt getting ready for the 2006-07 school year by shopping for new clothes, new shoes and new backpacks Newtown Middle School social studies teacher Paul Esposito was in Oslo, Norway, playing ice hockey.

Well, he wasn’t exactly playing ice hockey but he was training about three dozen Norwegian and Russian players while working with Russian, Swedish and Norwegian coaches at the International Hockey Camp in Oslo.

About a dozen international players had come to Danbury back in July for a five day camp at the Danbury Ice Arena and in August it was time for Danbury coaches and a couple of players from Immaculate High School (where coach Esposito is an assistant) to make the return trip to Oslo.

“It was a lot of fun,” said coach Esposito. “The (Norwegian) kids come from as far away as eight hours and were very eager to learn. I had them skating very hard.”

The local contingent spent eight days in Norway and most of it was spent immersed in ice hockey – about 12 or 13 hours a day with skills training, classroom theory and exhibition games. Coach Esposito didn’t have a whole lot of time to see the sights, to figure out the Kroner or get used to the really long days but did have a chance to sample to local cuisine with the other coaches.

“It was a fantastic trip,” coach Esposito said. “It was my first time overseas and it was nice to see a new culture.”

Coach Esposito will return to the International Hockey Camp next summer for a week to 10 days and expects to bring along about 30 local youth hockey players – some who had the pleasure of hosting Norwegian players in July – to experience the faster European game with the larger rinks.

“It will be intense,” coach Esposito said, “but it will be a lot of fun.”