ST. PETERS, Mo. — They may be a bunch of 10-year-old boys, but they have big dreams.
“Make it to the NHL and be a superstar,” said one boy.
“No. 1 draft pick; I really don’t care what team," said another.
Right now, their team is the AA Sting. They’re on the ice at the Rec-Plex in St. Peters where their dreams are being cultivated.
Their coach Ken Kozma said this is a big development age for a lot of these kids.
“Playing more of, we’ll call it, 'big boy' hockey," the coach said.
That means child-like shenanigans are not tolerated.
The attitude of the Sting is shaped long before game day. The commitment begins in practice with drills, skating, shooting and doing it repetitiously.
“We practice at least 3 to 4 times a week. We’re at the rink anytime we have those practices at least 2 to 2 1/2 hours," Kozma said.
The young players' hearts must be in it to be this dedicated, coupled with focus and attention. It’s a combination that’s paid off for the Sting this season.
“Played in two out-of-state tournaments, had a great run in both of them. Went 6-0 in both of those tournaments," Kozma said.
They’re winning and learning that things don’t happen just because you dream it. Success comes with a price and sacrifice.
“You can’t just sit on your couch and hope you’ll be in the NHL, you got to put in the work.”
Kozma is already seeing the potential.
“They’re very focused on reaching that goal that they all have, which is what we want them to strive for as well," he said.