Up until about three years ago, I had never embraced the sport of hockey. I had gone to watch the Alaska Aces (Anchorage’s local AAA team) a few times as a child and, like many, was intrigued by Coach Bombay’s wisdom in The Mighty Ducks.  Other than that I had a negative outlook on the sport.

When I watched hockey, all I could see was a bunch of men trapped in a box with knives on their feet and clubs in their hands looking to pummel anyone who got in their way.

From what I observed, the culture of the sport seemed to embrace the machismo attitude our society associates with the typical alpha male. It looked and sounded all too dangerous for me. Through meager observation I had come to know a few “facts” of the game, yet I had never even picked up a stick and or hit a puck. Pretty odd for a kid who grew up surrounded by ice in Alaska, huh?

Hockey’s roots in Alaska are not as deep as, say, Canada or the Northeast region of the U.S. After all, how deep can roots grow after only about 50 years of statehood? Nonetheless, it is immensely popular in ‘The Last Frontier’. Many of my friends are lifelong hockey players, and according to them, it is the greatest sport ever invented. Though I always respected their dedication, I could never saw the luster of playin’ puck.

My friends were not alone in their love of the game. In Alaska, just about every high school has a hockey team, and most of its participants are also a part of another traveling or all-star team. After high school, if one does not go on to play college, there are numerous adult leagues (not full contact) for all skill levels with which one can get involved.

There are also “pond hockey” sessions at some of the local rinks. For about five dollars you can show up to one of these rinks and participate in a pick-up game for an hour and a half. Now, you may be wondering how I know of such leagues and facilities with such lack of interest in the sport during my adolescent years. I am now glad to say that the little black puck persuaded me to change my mind—and my hobbies.

Growing tired of my usual activities and aching to try something new, I began exploring my options on how I could get involved with the sport. I was skeptical and felt a little like a hypocrite for wanting to play hockey, but my curiosity got the best of me and I finally found my in.

I begin my hockey career by enrolling in a beginning hockey class at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. I was looking to take some gym credits to break up my academic day and hockey class seemed like the perfect opportunity to explore a new sport while getting a break from studying.

I was like a baby moose walking on ice and couldn’t handle the puck to save my life, but I was hooked. After a few days of practice it became very clear to me that it takes huge amounts of endurance, hand-eye coordination, tenacity, and dedication to become a hockey great.

I continued going to class—one hour a week—for the entire semester and eventually got comfortable enough to attempt playing outside of the beginner’s circle. When I arrived at a new school in Washington, I joined the school’s club team (no try-outs required, thankfully) and began playing three times a week.

Our team was enrolled in a full-contact league. In hindsight, this was probably a horrible, unsafe decision on my part, but I didn’t care. I had so much fun in my hockey class and learned how protective the gear was that I was fearless and consequently beat up every game.

I would get out on the ice and as soon as I touched the puck, a freight train of a player from the other team would put me in my place. Ouch. Ten seconds later I would be back on the bench, licking my wounds.

After a few games I eventually learned how to avoid danger and enjoyed the last couple games I played in. All in all, despite getting the wind knocked out of me numerous times, it was a great experience and I hope to continue to play.

Not only is hockey a highly physical and competitive sport, it is a good work out. Skating is great for your legs and core (like downhill skiing) and it is pretty easy on the joints.

Skating while handling the puck and playing in a game requires a high level of alertness and quick thinking. However, it can take years to master the sport, something I will probably never attain.

Hockey is not like basketball where if you are 7 feet tall and have never touched a ball, the right coach could have you in the NBA in a few years.

If you don’t play the sport of hockey from the time you are a child, you have slim to no chance of ever making it big. I am 100% certain I will never play at a high level, nor am I attempting to attain such a feat, but I am very excited to continue to practice and hopefully get better at the sport over the coming years.

Life is unpredictable and for that I wanted to share my experience here. I never imagined I would land myself in this machismo sport. I am over six feet tall, and with gear and skates on I am sure I look a lot bigger and macho than I really am. I had to actually play the sport to realize that the macho attitude I expected from everyone on the ice was almost non-existent. In reality, the aura surrounding the sport is more of a comradery among players and an intense feeling of pride.

My experiences with the sport made something that seemed so distant and foreign for so many years suddenly apart of my daily grind. By embracing hockey through my class, my adventures with a club league, and playing with my friends and other Anchorage locals, I feel like I have become a more authentic Alaskan.

If there is a sport or activity you have been curious about, no matter what the reason, I would highly encourage you to give it a shot. Who knows, maybe you have a hidden passion out there waiting for you, just like my hockey stick was waiting for me, to grab it by the horns!