UNITY — In an event, the first of its kind, a summer basketball camp is being held in Unity in July.
A former UCHS student and basketball player, now university student and former Regina Thunder football player, Zenon Orobko, said there are many reasons he decided to offer a basketball camp in the community.
“I’m from here and the basketball community has been strong and growing from as far back as I can remember. I can still recall being in Grade 4 and playing in the Steve Nash program with coaches Darren Stifter and Jeremy Wagner. The second reason would be the recent success of basketball in Unity and the surrounding area. The zenior boys are back-to-back silver medalists at Hoopla and the girls are back-to-back bronze medalists.”
Orobko also notes the success of the McLurg girls’ basketball team this past season. He says basketball has never been more popular on the global, national or provincial scale and the only place it can go is up.
Orobko’s background in basketball are key to his decision to host a summer camp in his hometown. He said one of his “aha” moments came from after winning at silver medal at Hoopla in his Grade 11 year then returning for his senior year to discover even more players had signed up for the basketball program.
“I've also coached Grade 7 boys with Matthew Snell for three consecutive seasons and that jumpstarted my interest in coaching at the next level with just how much fun we had in the gym with the boys.”
How does he keep up with his education aspirations, coaching and other opportunities he is involved in? “I actually decided to end my football career this spring. After two great years with the Thunder, I chose to move on and focus on my life with my coaching and teaching career.”
Orobko says he is still busy teaching at Campbell Collegiate spring camp and officiating flag football in the city, as well as subbing as an EA with the Regina Public Schools.
Multi-sport development
“This has been a great experience for me being in a classroom and seeing teaching from a different perspective.”
A believer in multi-sport development for athletes, Orobko has also officiated hockey this past winter including attending Hockey Sask. Officiating Development Mode Camp in Lumsden in December. He primarily officiated midget AA, junior B and was a linesman for midget AAA and junior B hockey as well.
Orobko says the camp in Unity this summer will be the only one of its kind, this year at least, but is hoping to make this an annual event and perhaps expand in the future.
“Coaching will be part of my life until I no longer can. I believe that coaching and teaching go hand in hand and that the best teachers make the best coaches. Wherever I am, I plan to be coaching one sport or another.”
Having recently finished his second year of education at the University of Regina and now subbing as a special educational assistant with Regina Public Schools, Orobko is also involved with Golden Ticket Sports based out of Saskatchewan and is part of their internship program.
“Golden Ticket Sports internship has been a blast so far, learning under experienced coaches and great people Chris King from Lloydminster and Tanner Brightman from Regina.”
Orobko will be leading the summer basketball camp with Jade Belmore. Belmore is a forward for the U of R women’s basketball team, winning Canada West rookie of the year in 2022, as well as helping lead her team to a Canada West bronze medal.
“Jade is very committed to being a positive role model in the world of basketball and will be a great fresh face in the UCHS gym for this camp. Another benefit of having Jade out is her impact on women's basketball in the province. With three local teams medalling at Hoopla this past season, the love for the game is at an all-time high and seeing Jade as an influence in the women's game should be a point of interest for all female basketball players.”
Orobko says, “The goal of this camp is, above all else, to grow interest in the game of basketball. Players get the most out of the game when they are having fun with their friends, so we are hoping to extend that into a basketball capacity while also growing the learning element of the game. Decision making, skill development and understanding of the game will all be key focuses around the main concept of growth of the game and, of course, fun.”
Feeling like he, himself, experienced amazing coaches growing up in Unity that included Stifter and Wagner, Orobko also gives a nod to his dad, Pat Orobko, Quinn Maze and Justin Meredith.
“Coaching is one of the best ways to give back to the community, so this was a no-brainer. Now it is pretty cool to think that my former coaches own kids are the age that I will be coaching. Basketball in Unity has only grown since I was young, and I’m excited to see where it can go.”
