A Student-Athlete’s First Semester: Hockey, School, and Growing Up

The kind of growth you can only see as a mom.

When my son left for college, I kept thinking about everything he had already been through- the tough seasons, the politics, the moments he felt misunderstood, the times the game he loved felt heavier than it should. I’ve written before about how hard it was for him to transition into a classroom, too. Hockey was always his safe place. The classroom was where things got tough for him.

And to be honest, I wasn’t sure how this part was going to go. Sitting through long lectures… studying for actual college exams… talking to professors… keeping track of assignments… balancing hockey… working… all of it felt like a lot for someone who’d spent most of his life chasing pucks, not textbooks.

But this semester?
He surprised me- and maybe even surprised himself.

He learned how to study for his math tests, and passed.
He showed up to every class- even the early ones.
He communicated with his professors when he’d miss for hockey, and he actually talked to them when he needed help.
He kept a job, managed his schedule, and somehow balanced it all without falling apart.

He didn’t give up when it got overwhelming.
He didn’t hide from the hard parts.
He just… figured it out and grew from it

.

And then came the part none of us expected.

My son and four other new recruits didn’t just join the university’s hockey program this year - they changed it. They walked into a team that had lost almost every game in seasons past. A team that struggled to find its footing. A team that needed leadership, energy, and belief.

Those boys brought all of it.

Suddenly, they’re winning almost every game. Suddenly, people are paying attention. Suddenly, this team is being talked about- not as the struggling program, but as the one turning heads. And to see my son be a part of that turnaround… that hits different.

This is the same kid who once felt defeated by other parents’ opinions. The same kid who was labeled, misunderstood, and blamed for things no child should carry. The same kid who, at one point, looked at me with tears in his eyes and said he didn’t want to go back on the ice.

And now he’s helping build something special -on the ice and in the classroom.

It’s emotional for me, not because of the wins, but because I know the road he took to get here. The long nights. The self-doubt. The quiet strength he didn’t even know he had. The resilience he built through every difficult moment.

He isn’t just succeeding as a hockey player.
He’s becoming a student.
A teammate.
An adult.
A young man who doesn’t run from challenges- he works through them.

Watching this transformation happen from a distance…That’s the part that brings tears to my eyes, every single time.

He walked into college unsure of himself, and he’s walking out of this semester with confidence he earned the hard way. And as his mom, there’s nothing more I could ask for.

If you’ve ever watched your child fight through doubt and come out stronger on the other side, I’d love to hear your story. Drop a comment or share this post with another hockey parent who needs to see it.
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