Main Camp is Coming Up

Main camp for the Bismarck Bobcats is from August 6th-8th in Bismarck, ND. I have been thinking about this all summer, and I am so excited to get up there and play. I feel confident in myself because I know I have made a few big strides this summer in making myself a better hockey player. I've gained weight and I can tell a difference in my skating already because I am a lot stronger than I was at the start of the summer. I know this camp will be much more competitive than the camp in Denver; it is made up of the best players from each regional camp, their tenders (I am one of their tendered players), draft picks, and returning veterans. But I'm ready. A little nervous. A little nervous is good, though, because it makes me think about what I have to do and keeps my emotions down to earth. I don't know what to expect from the camp, but I can expect to show up in the best shape and with the best mindset I can have to give myself the best possible chance of becoming a Bobcat. After this tryout, the Bobcats will release their roster, and I hope to be one of the 23 players they pick. I know I say this in almost every post, but I can't help it: I can't wait for August 6th.

Summer in Colorado

Away from family and away from what I’ve known for the past 4 summers. It’s weird not being up in Minocqua, Wisconsin with my family, performing in Min-Aqua Bats shows, but I’m enjoying what I’m doing. I’m happy that I have the self-constraint to realize that the best thing for me to do is to stay at home and focus on hockey. I’ve made some sacrifices this summer, if living in the Vail Valley for a summer is a consequence…I’ve decided to stay at home in Colorado, while my family goes up to our lake cabin in Minocqua, Wisconsin.

Right now, I am the only one living in my house. It’s kind of an eerie feeling because no one is here but me. My dog isn’t even here to greet me every time I come into the house. The house has kind of become a hockey factory. All I do is shoot pucks in my garage or cook food for myself, as I eat a lot. I’m realizing what a tough job my mom has feeding me because I’m constantly either making food for myself, buying food for myself, or thinking about how I need to make food for myself. Buying the food hasn’t been very hard of late; I bought cereal, milk, and Oreos last time I went to City Market. The fact that I need to gain weight before camp in August has made the job even harder for myself, though, because I stuff myself every time I eat. Living alone in my house has made me appreciate the little things, and made me realize how hard being a mom would be. I have to water plants, do laundry, do dishes, go to the post office, take out the recycling, mow the lawn, buy groceries, all things I do when my mom is here, but it’s hard to balance all of these things without a mom around to remind me of what I have to do and focus on playing hockey too. I guess it’s a warm up for what I will go through next year.

I definitely am exaggerating a little because I’ve been able to focus on hockey pretty easily living alone. I’ve been skating a lot, as much as I can with the limited times that Dobson has to offer, and I’ve been working out a lot, doing little things every day and working out at Dogma twice a week. My workouts will definitely get harder as I build up to main camp on August 6th. It’s hard to believe main camp is only a month away, and soon after that the season starts. But I will be ready.

In the time that I haven’t been playing hockey I’ve been thinking about being up in Minocqua, but not a lot because that just distracts me a little too much. I’ve been enjoying the outdoors in Vail, though, climbing up to waterfalls in East Vail and tubing down the Gore Creek when my hockey for the day is over. Summer’s only just started, but part of me really wishes it was hockey season already. I want to get up there and prove myself already! Good news is I only have to wait another month. And I can make myself much better in one month.