Sophomore Max Bardy defends against the opposing team, positioning himself strategically as they attempt to shoot the hockey puck past him toward the goal. With focus and determination, Bardy stands there ready to block the shot and protect his team’s goal.
“I play for Indiana Elite 16U AAA,” Bardy said. “The team is based in Carmel, Indiana. We have players from all over the country. My position is defense. We defend rushes, block shots, and keep the puck in the offensive zone for my team.”
Ever since he knew how to skate, Bardy has been a fan of the game. He says playing hockey is a way that he develops relationships with his teammates, which are key to having good team chemistry.
“I have been playing for twelve years, since I was three or four years old,” Bardy said. “My favorite thing about hockey is hanging out with my teammates and practicing to get better as a player and a team.”
Many athletes admire a professional athlete and look to them as a source of inspiration. For Bardy, that player is Alex Ovechkin.
“I got into hockey watching on the television,” Bardy said. “All of the pros inspired me and made me want to play like them. My favorite player is Alex Ovechkin, and he was probably the main reason I liked playing.”
And he does like playing, traveling for tournaments and working to balance school and his sport.
“It is tough to handle school and hockey at the same time,” Bardy said. “So I try to get all of my work done in study hall. There are times during the school week when I have to leave early to go to tournaments.”
Since hockey isn’t a sport that the school offers, Bardy often has to travel out of state to his games and tournaments.
“I travel almost every weekend around the country,” Bardy said. “If I play far away, which I usually do, I have to leave school early to go there. I’ve traveled to play in states like Michigan, Indiana, Tennessee, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota and Pennsylvania.”
Another obstacle Bardy has faced is finding a college that offers hockey. Out of 365 Division 1 colleges across the country, there are only 64 hockey programs, but Bardy is looking to continue his hockey career in one of these colleges.
“I plan on playing hockey in college,” Bardy said. “I’m not sure which college I want to go play at though, but I want to play Division 1. I’d like to go as far as I can with hockey.”
