Ryder Chilcoff — Hockey Player

Chilcoffs team wins the Silver Stick Pacific Qualifier.

Chilcoff’s team wins the Silver Stick Pacific Qualifier.

Q: Can you explain a little bit of what you do?

A: I play hockey at a National level for the Anaheim Junior Ducks. My team did very well – we won the California Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) championship, which basically means we were first in the state, and we placed 3rd in the nation in the 3A division of the 2014 USA Hockey National Championships for 18U Tier II. I have also been invited to a few juniors camps. For example, I was invited to the camps of the Prince George Spruce Kings of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) and the Bismarck Bobcats of the North American Hockey League (NAHL).

Q: When did your love for hockey start?

A: I started playing hockey at a very young age, around four or five. I grew up in a hockey family, and because we were from Detroit we had to be Detroit Red Wings fans. That got me into the sport, and watching it on TV with my family made me love it even more.

Q: Is it hard finding the balance between riding, school, and your social life?

A: Finding my balance is mainly due to time management. During the season, I am usually on the ice four or five times a week. The practices are at night, and I usually get home around 11 at night. But I find time to sleep because I have two free blocks which really helps…But my free blocks also help in my time management as when I’m at school, I finish my homework during my time. For my social part, most of my friends are on my hockey team. So I basically hang out with them every other days between practices and games.

Q: How many hours do you put in?

A: For the time I put in, it’s over ten hours a week. The season runs from August to early May, and my vacation is basically the month of July.

Q: What do you plan to do with it later in life?

A: [I] don’t really know what I’m going to do after high school. I can go two ways; juniors or college. I can go to juniors and play a few there and possibly play Division 1 College. Or I can go straight to college and play Division 3 or club. I do not plan on playing professional, but I think that I am able to play through college. With that said, I have one more year and hope to figure it out then.