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Midvalley youth hockey program will launch this winter, aims for diversity

Midvalley resident Sheldon Wolitski aiming for diversity by including Latinos and girls in program

Sheldon Wolitski is passionate about hockey. He will launch a youth hockey program at Crown Mountain Park this winter.
Courtesy photo

Sheldon Wolitski has come up with a plan to share his love of hockey.

The former hockey player at the University of Alabama Huntsville and successful businessman will construct a temporary ice rink at Crown Mountain Park in El Jebel this winter. Wolitski and his company Colorado Extreme will pay for ice time, skills coaching and all equipment for youth that sign up for the program. The divisions are U8, U6 and a broader “learn to skate” program.

“It’s zero cost to the parents and kids,” he said recently. “We have a goal of 100 kids. We already have 50 (enrolled).”



He is aiming for diversity. He wants at least 25% of the participants to be girls and another 25% to be Latinos. It is open to youth who were born between 2012 and 2017.

Youth can sign up at http://www.coloradoextreme.org.




To help with recruiting, he’s hired bilingual speaker and former college hockey player Carlos Ross as manager of hockey operations. Maybelline Beiring, also a former college hockey player, will be a defensive coach.

The program will run five days per week from Nov. 1 through March 31. The ice time will be reserved for the youth 8 and younger from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The rink will be available for rent outside of those hours. Wolitski also is reserving Saturday evenings for pick-up hockey games.

“We want to create some time for pond hockey, which is what we called it where I came from,” he said.

The temporary ice rink will have a refrigeration system and a canvas cover. Wolitski is confident the ice will be usable through the winter since it isn’t subjected as much to the elements.

Wolitski is the entrepreneur with a goal of building a midvalley recreation center. He said he is still working on the idea but will delay it because construction costs are currently so high.

“I just kind of pumped the brakes on that,” he said.

He continues to look for a perfect midvalley site for the facility.

scondon@aspentimes.com

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