BILOXI, Miss. (WXXV) — Nothing pairs with a warm Saturday morning quite like a cold rink, skates and plenty of goals.
“I think it’s really fun,” Elliot, an 8U player, said. “We learn a lot of new things, and our coaches are very nice and I really love it.”
“It’s amazing,” fellow 8U teammate Fen said.
For South Mississippi’s Junior Seawolves, the final Saturday in February marked a milestone: the first and only home game of the season for the 6U, 8U and 10U programs.
“I just had my first game and my first goal, and I’m happy about it,” 6U player Beau said after his game.
It’s something that means a lot to the young athletes. They’ve been sharpening various skills all season, as explained by a trio of 8U players.
“Passing and doing drills,” eight-year-old Hudson said when asked about skills he’s loved learning.
Additionally, they got a bit of an early-morning boost that came from introducing their sport to the community.
“Growing the league is the biggest thing, and the more exposure we can get, the better,” Junior Seawolves 6U and 8U coach Chris Aldrich explained. “I know the kids were ecstatic to have a home game today, and a lot of friends and family have come, and that alone helps try to grow our sport.”
The dedication that the programs have is unmatched. Nearly every weekend, the Junior Seawolves pack up their bags and head to either Lafayette or Pensacola to face the only other junior hockey programs in the area.
“It’s really special because we get to travel [to] some games, have fun with our team,” 10U player Zoey said. “It’s a really special way to, like, bond with people.”
A chance to stay home for the weekend and welcome some friendly competition from the Pensacola Junior Ice Flyers was exciting all around, even for those opponents making the long trip. Some enjoyed an overnight stay along the Mississippi Coast.
“We stayed in a hotel for one day,” Pensacola 8U player Dawsyn explained. “We got up and had breakfast and came here.”
Others woke up early for the roughly two-hour drive.
“We woke up early this morning and just [drove] all the way here,” Ice Flyers player Maddox said.
When asked about how the drive went, Maddox wasn’t shy to share his involvement.
“[It was] good, cause I only had to stay awake for 30 minutes,” he said.
Regardless of wins and losses, all young athletes are united by a sport that’s still growing in the South while looking to chase Olympic medal dreams… just like Team USA did one week ago. Several athletes shared their excitement for the gold-medal winners.
“They won the gold medal, and we haven’t done that for 46 years… that’s a fact I know about that,” Pensacola 8U player Gentry said.
“I’m just really happy that the fights were good,” fellow Pensacola teammate Riece added.
“It was really cool,” Junior Seawolves standout Christiano said. “I saw it on TV. It was awesome. Overtime… it was amazing.”
“It was cool when the US won in overtime against Canada,” Seawolves player Hill said. “That was really cool to see.”
Pensacola 8U player Joey also added that he watched the match, saying he was very excited with the outcome.
These young athletes are proof that with some determination and sacrifice, young Mississippi kids could reach the biggest stage one day.
“You’re the only kid at school who does that usually, and, like, a lot of people don’t know about it,” Seawolves 10U player Alex said. “When you do get the chance to play it’s just really special, because if you live in a state like Mississippi that doesn’t have a lot of hockey and you get to play, it’s like living the dream.”
