Season Coming Up Fast

Believe it or not, my season starts in a little over two weeks! This summer really has flown by, but it's been great to be with family and friends for a little while. I'm so excited for the season to start, but I'm also a little nervous. I'm going to be one of the go-to guys on the team next year, which is something I relish, but it's also a lot of responsibility. I'm up to the challenge. It's definitely a good nervous feeling. And I don't know if I would actually call it nervousness. Maybe it's more of an anxious feeling, to get back on the ice and get things rolling. I have high expectations for this year, and I don't think I'm the only one. My coach has challenged me to take some big steps and become a physical force on the ice, like he knows I can be. I want to be a shut-down defenseman, but also a weapon on the offensive side of the ice with my shot.

Although some people may think I'm taking the easy way out by staying and playing at the Tier III level with a coach I know and like, I have news for you: I am not staying in Boise because it's the easiest option. I know the level of perfection that the coaches in Boise demand, and I know the standard at which they hold all of their players. This season is not going to be easy, and in no way am I expecting it to be easy. I'm ready to work even harder than I did last year to keep improving and accomplish my goals, and I'm excited to take on new challenges that any new season holds and be a difference-maker and leader this year. Last year, I was the wide-eyed rookie who looked up to all the wily vets. When they turned up their level of play, I had no choice but to do the same. I know I'll be in a whole different role this year as one of those wily vets, and I'm ready to grasp it and make the most of it because in a blink, this season will be over. I don't want to look back and say I could've done more.

So, some people might guffaw at my choice to stay and play in the Western States Hockey League. But again, it comes down to what I think is the right move for me. It really doesn't matter what other people think because I'm the only one who can decide what's right for me. We are going to have a very good team. I think it's a good sign that teams in the NAHL that we were trying to scrimmage next season don't want to play us, probably because they'd be too embarrassed when a team in the WSHL--what league is that?--beats them.

I've really enjoyed this summer; I've been up in Wisconsin for the past few weeks, water skiing with the Min-Aqua Bats, but I've also continued to work hard off the ice, in the weight room, and on the ice to stay in shape for this season. I pretty much work out every day and skate whenever I can, although I think it is good to give myself a little break during the summer, seeing as pretty soon I will be on the ice 2-3 hours a day, 6 days a week. Don't get me wrong, though. Hockey is always on my mind. I'm always thinking about what I can do to get ready for this season, whether it's going on runs, doing agility footwork, getting on the ice, or going to the gym at the local high school here. There are some pro guys and quite a few junior players up here always looking for ice as well, so it's been fun to get out and skate with them. Those skates are hard work, but a blast. It's so cool to practice with NHL players! I'm excited to get the ball rolling here pretty soon. These next two weeks are going to go by fast, and I'll be back in Boise before I know it!

Visit to St. Olaf College

I'm up in Wisconsin now with my family, and it has been great. I love it up here at the lake. The boat rides, water ski shows, family outings, and life in the Northwoods in general never gets old. I really do get the best of both worlds: Vail, Colorado and Minocqua, Wisconsin. I'd say I'm pretty lucky. So you'd probably ask why I left this lakeside paradise to go to stiflingly hot Minneapolis for a day...I went on a campus visit at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, about 45 minutes from the Twin Cities. I've been looking at a lot of colleges, trying to open up some more options for myself, and what I like about St. Olaf is that it's an Ivy League caliber Division III hockey school in the midwest. It's a short drive from the Twin Cities, it's in a small, lively college town, and the campus is beautiful. It has great academic programs, particularly in math and the sciences, and it's easily accessible for my family and friends to watch me play.

My mom, sister, and I sat through a few presentations and question/answer sessions with faculty and students and then we went on the campus tour with a student guide. It was great to see the campus and hear people talk about the school because the previous time I visited the school, everyone was on Easter Break, and there was no one around and no campus tours taking place. I liked it a lot, and I could easily see myself going to school there.

After the campus tour was over, I met with the hockey coach and sat down to have lunch with him, my sister, my mom, and the admissions advisor in charge of students applying from Colorado. It was a great talk, where I learned a lot about the school and the hockey program that I didn't learn on the tour. Plus, the food in the school's cafeteria was great, which, as you know, is a big plus for me because that is where I will be spending a lot of my time. There and the ice rink. And of course the library too...I could tell that the coach was being very honest with me; he wasn't trying to sugarcoat anything, but he told me what kind of player they're looking for and the kind of commitment it takes to be a student-athlete at St. Olaf. He told us that 90% of the players they recruit come out of juniors; that's just the nature of college hockey today. The players they get out of juniors are more mature hockey players and people and more physically ready to compete at the college hockey level. He also said that what he finds is kids coming out of juniors are usually really driven to do well in school once they get there because they've been out of school for so long. I think I'm right in that boat. I find myself missing school sometimes. They seemed to really like me, though. He said he thinks I would fit in very well at St. Olaf--academically and athletically--and he believes they can turn me into a shut down defenseman with my size and my athletic ability. It really was a great talk, and I can't remember everything that was said during the lunch, but I got an overall feeling that I would really like it at St. Olaf. Here's a fun fact: after the season, I completed my St. Olaf application, making me the first applicant for the incoming freshman class of 2012. They were impressed by my promptness, self awareness of my on and off-ice talents, and my willingness to take a visit, all things that will help me as I move forward in this process.

So Official

My blog is now copyrighted under a Creative Commons license! It's amazing to me how easy it was. It took me about 5 minutes of research and less than 5 minutes to do it. Not only is this writing really helping me learn about myself and hockey, but it's also teaching me about the inner workings of the blogosphere, an ever expanding, crazy world. I've been really thinking about copyrighting this blog somehow, but it took me a while to actually do it because I thought it would take much longer than it did. Recently someone seriously suggested I copyright my material in case I decide to make a book or something like that in the future. I have read that anything you write online is technically protected once it's written, but a copyright makes things look much more official and could help sort out any problems with people stealing your work. Couldn't hurt!

Summer "Down Time" in Colorado

So, I know I haven't been posting nearly enough lately, but, in my defense, I've been very busy. I've been camping with my dad, going on trail runs, mountain biking, getting a colonoscopy done (TMI?), celebrating my dad's 50th and Father's Day, hanging out with friends, playing a little golf, working, making movies, waterskiing, doing some Pilates, working out, and, of course, playing a little puck here and there. I have just a few side-hobbies, things I like doing to keep me busy. And, as you can see, I live in a place that offers a wide variety of outdoor and indoor activities to do just that: keep people busy. Not everyone has a mountain in their backyard that they can run up to get a quick workout in, or world-class camping sites within a 20 minute drive, or 13 golf courses in a 30 mile stretch of valley. (Granted, I haven't played much golf in the valley because it's so expensive, and I've only gone twice, but I have gone, so I can put it on my list of side-hobbies.) And I know for a fact that not every hockey player I'll be playing against next year has 8,000 feet of elevation to train in, so I've been trying to take advantage of that through a little cross-training, like mountain biking or trail running.

I've been using this summer to get as far away from hockey as possible, while still staying in good shape for hockey and still playing hockey as much as I can...if that makes any sense at all. And I think it definitely is healthy and normal for hockey players and coaches to try to get away from hockey for a little while in the summer, do some things you couldn't do during hockey season, and get the love back a little bit. Junior hockey has a long, grueling season, and it's definitely nice to come home and get some good, quality family time and some relaxation time in the summer. As I've said before, I think juniors is about trying to break kids down to see who is really cut out for the commitment of being a college hockey player. It's nice to have a little time away from hockey, even though I'm still always thinking about hockey: what I should be doing, what I could be doing, what I need to be doing, and what I am doing. But, obviously, summertime is a much less stressful time than in season, and it's nice to be able to stay busy, even when I'm not playing hockey every day.

So now's probably a good time to explain some of the side-hobbies I described above, like Pilates. Some of you are probably thinking, "Wait...Pilates? Is he serious?" Yeah, I'm serious. I've been doing it for the past 2 months or so, and it's been great. I sort of had the same misgivings about it when I first started, but I think it's really made my core a lot stronger and taught me how to tap into that source of energy before or even after my legs get tired. From what I hear, a lot of athletes are starting to do Pilates: David Beckham, Tiger Woods, and Kobe Bryant all include Pilates in their training regimens. I have gotten and still do get a lot of flak from my friends when I tell them I'm going to a Pilates class, but I could care less because I know it's going to help me; I can already feel it helping me. And, as for that colonoscopy, I don't really need to explain, but it wasn't anything serious. I have been doing a little movie-making with some friends as well to satisfy that little bit of "theater kid" that I still have in me.

I don't want you to get the wrong picture: that I'm getting lazy during the summer months, that I'm not putting in the work I need to in order to play at my best next season. I'm still working very hard. Whenever I get in the weight room, thinking about winning a national championship in Idaho next year is what drives me to work harder. Envisioning some of the things I want to accomplish next year really helps me push myself in the weight room and when I get on the ice. But, at the same time, summer is nice because there is that extra time to get away from the game at appropriate times.

And now I'm off to Wisconsin for 3 weeks on Thursday to see my mom, brother, sister, and grandparents. But don't fear! I'm bringing my hockey gear also. Don't get me wrong, though. When I'm up there, I'm going to be doing just a little water skiing as well!

10,000 Views

Wow! 10,000 all-time pageviews. That seems like a big number. I don't know if it actually is for a blog like this, but that's still pretty cool. I have one blog entry that has almost 2,000 views! That seems crazy to me. Anyway, I'd love to get more feedback from readers: how you like the blog, what I could do to make it better, and even just more comments or followers. I think you have to be a follower to comment, and from what I've heard, there are more than my 37 followers actually following me. So, let me know what you think! How could I improve my writing? Is there a particular post/posts that you like?

Plans for Next Year Set

Yesterday, I committed to going back to Boise to play for the Idaho Junior Steelheads. I've been talking with my family a lot about what is right for me. This whole juniors process is so stressful, as I'm sure you can imagine, because there is so much uncertainty in everything. Where am I going to be living next year? Who am I going to be playing for? Should I go to this tryout? Should I go to that tryout? What should I be doing right now in terms of looking at schools? Anyway, my decision came down to the fact that I want to go where I will have the best experience, get the best coaching, and have the most fun. I had fun in Idaho last year. And I can't say that I was having fun in Bismarck or New Mexico because I wasn't playing as much as I would've liked; I was unbelievably stressed because I felt like every mistake I made--even in practice--would lead to me sitting on the bench. When I got to Boise, I had a coach who actively worked with me, who told me something to improve upon every time I came to the bench, who helped me learn to think while I play, and who believed in my abilities. I've learned that having a great coach is much more important than playing at the highest level: the contacts he has, the things he can teach me, and the recommendations he can give for me when the time comes are all so important.

When I went to the Under Armour Hockey Showcase, I went to a seminar and heard that you should stay in the same spot until you stop developing. I haven't stopped developing and learning in Idaho, so why would I leave?

I'm so excited about the decision I've made. I'm going back to a place where I know what to expect, and where I know what I will get. I'm going to live with one of my best friends on the team last year. And I'm going to be a big part of a team whose ultimate goal is to win a national championship. After going to nationals last year, we all want to go back there and win it all, and I think we will have a good chance. From what I've heard, there is a good group of guys coming back from the team last year. It's going to be a really fun year, and we're going to have a good team.

When I called my coach to commit, he said he's ecstatic that I'm coming back; he's very excited to keep working with me, and he's looking for me to take a big step next year. The only thing holding me back is myself. I need to take a step next year and use one of my biggest assets: my size. He doesn't want me to be a dirty player; he just wants me to be a player who is harder to play against. I can be that player, but I just need to find that inside of me because I'm the only one who can bring that aggressive side of me out. He said he's been getting a lot of interest from professional teams asking him to come coach for them, so it's good to hear when kids want to come back.

Now that my plans are set, I can really start to focus on working out and preparing myself for next season. It's hard to focus when there are so many options, so many thoughts swirling in my head, causing stress. But now my plans are set, and all I have to do is prepare myself in the best way possible to have a great year next season. I can start setting goals for myself and really hit the weight room with a purpose to make those goals achievable. I want to win a national championship and be one of the best players in the country at the Tier III level. I want people to watch me play and say, "Who the hell is that kid?? And why is he playing Tier III?" I know I'm going back to Idaho for all the right reasons, and I am so excited!

Lesson From the Swedes

Last week, I had 8 Swedes staying at my house. They were on a road trip across the country and needed a place to stay, so my mom opened our home to them on their way through. One of them was on the BMHS hockey team with me in 10th grade, and we stayed in contact over the past few years; he let me know when they were coming through Vail. It was so much fun! Definitely one of the highlights of my summer. We did a lot of fun things in 3 days, like rafting, hiking, camping, and barbequeing. But that's not really the reason I'm writing this blog post. All 8 of them were on gap years, where they work and travel around the world all year. And at least half of them were going to take a second gap year next year. They said that it is overwhelmingly common for kids in Europe. After they graduate from high school, they go see the world, mature a little more before university, and they figure out what they really want to study once they go to university. It's a different culture over there. Here kids graduate from high school and go straight to college, even if they don't know exactly what they want to study. At least to me, it seems like it's sort of taboo to take a year or two off from school before college in the US, even though it's necessary for me to play juniors to accomplish my goal of being an impact player at the college level, even though I am completely driven to still go to college after this next year of juniors, and even though I really don't know exactly what I want to study when I get to college yet.

Recently, in TIME magazine, I read a statistic that says 85% of college graduates live with their parents after they graduate. I don't know how skewed that data is by how many are just living with their parents temporarily while they look for jobs, but that is still a lot of kids living at home after college. I don't want to be on the bad side of that statistic, and I don't think my parents want that either. That's why I need to start researching majors and possible careers now, before I get to college, so I will study something I want to study. I think a lot of kids in the US are rushed to grow up; they go to school, not knowing exactly what they want to study, and then before they know it, they've graduated with a degree in something they don't want to do for the rest of their life. Maybe I'm biased because I'm trying to justify my decision to take 2 years off before college, but I don't think it hurts to take time to really figure out what you're interested in before college, especially in this economy when jobs are so hard to come by for young college graduates. Some 19 year olds probably know exactly what they want to do with their life--and it's probably good for them to go straight to school--but I think the vast majority of 19 year olds are like me, and don't know what they want to do with their life; my dad just turned 50 (old!) and he says he still doesn't know what he wants to do with the rest of his life. But I do know this process is helping me grow up in a different way than college would've.

Albert Einstein said when someone asked him why he didn't remember his own phone number, "Why should I memorize something I can so easily get from a book?" He never memorized anything he could look up in less than 2 minutes. I know school teaches you how to think bigger, how to think about the big picture. But I also think school, generally, teaches you some things that are unnecessary to learn and memorize, like specific dates of treaties or conferences. It's good to know approximate dates, but I think it's unnecessary to put effort into remembering the exact date of the signing of the Treaty of Paris. I was talking to my mom the other day, telling her how much I think I've learned and matured in just the past year. I've learned how to handle failure, how to keep working hard when things aren't going my way, and I've learned how to talk to people. I couldn't talk to coaches before this year; I always waited for them to call me, and even then I always got nervous. A few weeks ago, I proactively called the head coach at Princeton, just to ask him for advice and talk to him about some decisions I have to make this summer. I don't think a lot of kids could do that. And I know I couldn't do that just a year ago. I haven't learned about Greek Moral Philosophy yet, but this year I did learn how to talk to people and be around people in a competitive environment, which, personally, I think is much more valuable than memorizing the fundamental theorem of calculus. I've learned that it's important to put yourself out there and not be afraid to talk to people because, believe it or not, like me, they are just people also.

Anyway, I expanded on a little lesson I learned from the Swedes, but the bottom line is that I'm happy I'm going through with this process and following my dream because it's helping me mature in other aspects of my life that I needed to mature in, and these are lessons that will only help me when I'm in school, and when I'm looking for a job after school.