Balancing Junior Year and Junior Hockey

   Aspen High School junior Charlie Van Allen had a very busy weekend. After finishing his demanding homework load, addressing student government related issues at AHS, and defending the net as the starting AHS boys’ soccer goalie, he enthusiastically shuffled off to the Aspen Ice Garden to play left wing for Aspen’s own age twenty and under Junior hockey team, the Leafs.  Van Allen, IB diploma candidate and vice president of the Junior class, is the youngest player on the team, and the only team member enrolled at AHS.  Despite his various commitments, Van Allen is always excited to hop on the ice.

   Each weekend he travels around Colorado with his team to compete against difficult opponents in order to gain experience playing at a competitive level and eventually attract attention from recruiters.  Already four weeks into the season, Van Allen and the Aspen Leafs are sitting on a comfortable 14-2 record.

   “The team is really doing well right now,” Van Allen said. “We seem to have some real chemistry out there. Fortunately, this means I’m gaining tons of experience and learning more and more with every game.”

   There are three tiers of Junior level hockey.  The Leafs occupy tier three, a stepping stone for eventually moving up into tiers one and two, the more competitive leagues, and ultimately on to college level hockey. All three tiers are U-20 teams, but Van Allen, at seventeen, is excited about getting an early start in the recruiting process.

   “I may be the youngest guy out there, but I was aware of that going into the season,” Van Allen said. “I’m in this league to gain experience and if that means taking hits from a few bearded nineteen-year-old gorillas, so be it.”    

   As he contemplates the future, Van Allen plans on eventually taking the experience he garners on the ice in Aspen to more competitive local leagues and, hopefully, on to college. However, at the moment, Van Allen is fully focused on his development as a player for the  Leafs.

   “Ideally, I will continue to grow as a player and move up when the time comes. But, for right now, I’m focused on my current spot in tier three,” Van Allen said. “Before I think to the future, I have to be able to work hard and improve my skills.  I feel that if I put in the time and effort, the rest will figure itself out.  But still, before I enter college, I am planning on taking a gap year to focus on polishing my skills and getting recognized by scouts.”

   During the regular week,  Charlie attempts to find balance between his athletic pursuits and his school commitments.

   “I’m not going to lie to you. I am often stressed out trying to balance all of my commitments.  During the soccer season, I went to two hockey practices every week on top of daily soccer practices.  This, with the addition of some of my tougher classes made my schedule pretty grueling,“ Van Allen said. “But, I really don’t view hockey as something I have to do.  Since I started playing when I was five, hockey has been my passion. I choose to play on this Junior team because I really do love the sport.  It relaxes me and builds my character.  While hockey does take up a lot of my time, it is also my motivation to continue to work hard in everything I do.”

   

Van Allen skates through defenders at the Aspen Ice Garden.
                                                                                      Courtesy of Shaun Hathaway
Van Allen skates through defenders at the Aspen Ice Garden.

   Catch Van Allen and the Aspen Leafs Junior hockey team play most Friday and Saturday nights at the Aspen Ice Garden.