When one thinks of high school sports in Montgomery County the typical sports like baseball, basketball and football are the ones that come to mind.
For North Montgomery sophomore Luke Kirkpatrick none of those are his interests. The one Kirkpatrick loves, and plays isn’t offered in West-Central Indiana. Instead, the sport Kirkpatrick has been in love with from the first time his dad took him to a game as a kid is hockey.
Kirkpatrick is currently playing for Zionsville’s club team and that entails traveling to Indianapolis five to six times a week for practices that usually start at 8 p.m. or later.
“I was just three to four years old, and we were living in Fort Worth, Texas at the time and my parents decided to take me to a Fort Worth Brahma’s game,” he said. “I just remember seeing one of their players who had a black eye. He was a very strong and aggressive player and I wanted to be just like him.”
Luke’s dad Nolan also recalls that fateful day.
“Luke was right down there against the glass fogging it up and really having a great time,” Nolan said. “That player then during warm-ups threw his shoulder into the glass and it was right where Luke was standing. He tugged on my pant legs and told me that he wanted to be just like him. He wouldn’t be quiet about for months, so I bought him a pair of skates thinking that he’d fall down the first time and give it up. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
“We moved to Minnesota shortly after that where hockey was more prevalent up there and then fast forward 12 years later and here, we are in Montgomery County.”
The move to Montgomery County wasn’t by accident. Luke’s grandfather became ill. He had to help with the move, adjust to life at a new school, find a new hockey team, and find time to just be a kid. That’s a lot to put on a teenager’s plate, but Luke kept his head on straight and is continuing to thrive with the sport, even if that means making long late-night trips to and from Indianapolis.
“I didn’t let being here in Montgomery County and there not being any options of playing hockey stop from me from continuing to play,” he said. “I’d honestly travel hours if it meant that I get to continue to play this sport. Everyone on that team continues to push me to become a better player each and every day. The captains, the coaches and everyone involved with the team is really open and welcoming. I couldn’t have asked for a better team and family to be a part of. It’s really helped me become a better player, student, and just overall person in general.”
Convincing people that this was the life he lived wasn’t easy at first. On the Zionsville Hockey Club’s website, the practice schedule consists of practices 9-10:15 p.m. Tuesdays, strength and condition training 7:15- 9:15 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursday practice from 8:45 -10 p.m. and Fridays through Sundays consists of games that the team plays.
One day Luke wore one of his team hoodies to school and that’s when people began to really believe the crazy life that this sophomore lives.
“One of my teachers didn’t believe me until I wore that hoodie to school one day,” he said. “I have friends on the soccer team, and they practice usually from about 6-8 p.m. and here I am telling them that I have practice at 9 p.m. and don’t get home until about mid-night. All they ask me is how I manage it? It’s been kind of a culture shock to me because when I lived in Minnesota, small town hockey is what everyone did.”
Kirkpatrick’s love for the game of hockey has already rubbed off on some of his friends and people that he’s met. The Kirkpatricks currently live in Waynetown and Luke is sharing his love for the game there.
“A kid that I knew, his name was Sawyer Pierce and I taught him how to roller blade,” Luke said. “He’d ask me every day if we could shoot pucks together and that’s something that really stuck with me. When I sit down and think about it, me doing that is really what got me into the sport to begin with. It’s all about the older guys helping the younger guys who will be the future of the sport. I just wanted to be a part of that.”
Luke will continue to play for the Zionsville club team the next two years as it’s become a part of his who is he is. It’s important to note that while maintaining his busy lifestyle, Luke also keeps his academics first. He maintains a 3.5 GPA while working a part-time job and volunteering to mow lawns for elderly people in his neighborhood.
His goal is to continue to play hockey in college and ultimately pursue a career as an athletic trainer for a professional sports team or become a marketing consultant.
The values the game of hockey has taught Luke are similar to other sports.
“When you play about 60 games a year, teamwork is everything,” Luke said. “This sport has taught me discipline and adversity too. When you get knocked down on the ice, you must get right back up and not let it get to you.”
While it’s not available here in Montgomery County, Luke and many others are still making sure they get to do what they enjoy. The Zionsville Hockey club has about seven different schools represented on the team.
For more information on the team, visit online at www.zionsvillehockeyclub.teampages.com.
