Most people know about the sports like football, softball, soccer, or even cross country, but many people do not know about Air Academy’s hockey team.

“The biggest reason why I joined the hockey team was because I knew I was going to have friends to support me through the good and the bad,” sophomore goalie Brecken Douglass stated.

Most people know that a team should be supportive and have each others’ backs no matter what. One of the hockey team’s biggest strengths is that they are like a family, they support each other through the good and bad. After the hockey team resolves an issue, they then look forward to the next step or play.

Yet, every team also has its fair share of weaknesses, but the best part about AAHS is that they grow and improve together rather than separately. Douglass played a lot of sports when he was younger, but none of them excite him as much as hockey does.

When Douglass heard that Air Academy had a hockey team he had his mind set on becoming a part of the team. He heard that the hockey team was smaller than other teams in the area, but he thinks that it is actually better since he does not feel singled out, but rather an important member of the team.

This is a strong factor within a team because a student feels like an important piece of the team dynamic and not just a lonely bystander. Every team has something about it that makes it special, but what is special about Air Academy’s team?

Well according to Douglass what makes this team special is the fact that it feels more like a family than a team. When it comes to sports you usually have to maintain good grades in order to continue playing and Douglass states that Hockey does not distract him from his life because it is a major priority.

In conjunction with Douglass’ perspective, junior Izsak Tapolchanyi chose to join the Air Academy hockey team because of the unique dynamic.

“Air Academy hockey is special because of how special our student body is,” Tapolchanyi stated.

A large majority of the hockey players at Air Academy are a part of the JROTC program and the team unites together around this aspect. This further enforces the family that Air Academy Hockey is trying to create through the sport.

The hockey team adores the game and they have such a strong dedication for it. Especially when they have to show up to the rink at 5:30 am and 10 pm for practices.

As the season approaches, Tapolchanyi and the rest of the team would love nothing more than to have more school support at their games. Having fans from Air Academy would only further emphasize the closeness of this team and it could foster a great environment for the players.

This team has worked tirelessly to build a strong family and they will look to have a successful season.