STEELE SPORTS

After months of watching the Steele County Blades tear up the ice at the Four Seasons Centre and imagining how fun it must be to be a full-time athlete, I knew I had to take a deeper dive into the life of a Minnesota junior hockey player.
Helping me look was first-year defenseman Aiden Pethick.
What caught my attention about Pethick right away was that his route to Steele County was even more unconventional than my own.
A native of Barrie, Ontario, Canada, Pethick came to Minnesota this season to play for the Blades and is currently immersed in the full experience that a junior hockey player can have.
“It’s been awesome. When I got here in September, the first practice I was obviously a bit nervous. You know, a new team – a new country for that matter – definitely something different moving away from home, but it’s been great honestly. I think it was the right decision and it’s just fun getting to be with the boys and skate every day,” said Pethick.
According to Pethick, most days start with an early-morning skate around 7 a.m. that varies in length depending on the team’s game schedule.
After the morning skate, athletes are free to go about their day; which can vary greatly from athlete to athlete.
Pethick, the equivalent of a senior in the Canadian schooling system, said that most of his weekdays involve 3-4 hours of schooling via an online “at-your-own-pace” system that will eventually make him eligible to graduate on time with his classmates back home.
As for other athletes on the team, life may not be as simple.
With a team ranging in age from 19-21, many athletes are high-school graduates who are looking to eventually go to college, but currently work jobs to support themselves until the time comes to go back to school.
Another major difference between athletes on the team is living situations.
While some athletes are local enough to live at home, other athletes like Pethick have gone the route of joining billet families.
Billet families are essentially families that volunteer to take in young athletes and shelter them while playing for the team.
In the afternoon, players reconvene for practice or prepare for a game, depending on the schedule.
According to Pethick, as a hockey player there is no better way of life than being able to wake up and do what you love every day.
As is the case with many of his teammates, Pethick is looking to continue his academic and athletic career in college.
Until then, Steele County fans will be able to watch Pethick and the Blades on the ice at Four Seasons Centre.
The team’s next game comes on the road against the Hudson Havoc on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m.