Hayden Tanner is a junior in high school who is able to balance his academics and sports at the same time. Hayden plays hockey, while also being enrolled in several AP classes, and he still manages to succeed in both areas. He has made many memories through hockey, as well as friendships and lessons that have bettered him as a person.
Hayden has a passion for hockey, and that helps him be mentally healthy during high school. Although things can get tiring sometimes, Hayden thinks he is better off with the sport.
“Overall, I am definitely better off mentally because of hockey,” Hayden said. “It’s a fun sport, and being on the team is a great time. [In] the past two years, I’ve noticed maybe a bit of burnout start to happen with all the practices, workouts, and the school stuff. It all gets to be a lot after a while. The last stretch of the regular season I really noticed that, but I still love it.”
There are many reasons for hockey benefiting Hayden’s mental health, but one of those reasons is the people. He has made many new friendships through the sport since he started out at a young age.
Hayden cherishes the friendships he has made throughout his time in the sport, and he has met some of the best people in his life because of it.
“I’ve met some of my best friends from hockey. Even starting at youth hockey,” Hayden said. “Some of the connections I made there have lasted all the way up through high school. I’ve met a lot of new people, especially after making the high school team, that I talk to every day.”
Hayden not only sees the clear benefits hockey has for him and the friendships that have made him better off today, but also the joy of the game. The way everyone has a responsibility to do something and work as a team is a viewpoint that Hayden has to keep not only to play well, but also to have fun doing it.
The sport brings him a lot more to his life, and he knows that it’s not just about winning. It is about being a team and doing things together no matter if that’s winning or losing.
“My favorite thing about the sport is the team aspect. Rarely can one person win a game,” Hayden said. “It takes everyone’s commitment and dedication to playing their best to win. Obviously, some players make more of an impact than others, but everyone needs to make a play at one point or another in any given game in order to win.”
Throughout Hayden’s years on different teams, he believes to be lucky on the physical side of the sport. Hockey is a very mental game, but also a physical one. He has had one concussion and a broken hand.
Although these injuries had him out for a while, he knows what to be grateful for. Hockey is a contact sport, which means things get physical very often, and he is lucky to not have received the short end of the stick.
“Physically, I would say I’m more tired in general. The lack of time due to hockey commitments and school definitely takes away from my sleep,” Hayden said. “I’ve been pretty lucky with injuries, and I’ve only missed three high school games so far. I know people that have missed entire seasons due to injury, so I’m very fortunate to only have gotten the minor stuff.”
Hockey is a big part of Hayden’s life, but it has never been for the worse. Academically, Hayden still gets good grades, which shows his ability to juggle school and athletics. When he isn’t focused on school, he is focused on the game. Being on the ice has given him many things to look back on.
Memories are a part of life, and Hayden has made some of the best through hockey, whether that’s with his team or with the friends that he has made during all of his seasons.
“My favorite memory is playing at the USA hockey arena in the semifinals my freshman year,” Hayden said. “We ended up losing, but being able to play in a big game like that was really special for me. I had never played in a game as big as that in front of that many people before, so it was definitely a big moment.”
Through hockey, Hayden has learned it is important to be yourself. Playing his own role is useful on the ice and also in the real world. Hayden thinks it is better for everyone to be committed to taking their own responsibilities, and that’s how teams succeed.
Hayden has been at this sport for 14 years, and he has learned and grown from every experience. If he were to give advice to anyone who is new, this is what he would say.
“I would tell someone in hockey to be engaged at every practice and game,” Hayden said. “Looking back, it genuinely makes a difference. Even if you’re not playing your best that day, making an effort to be engaged in everything you’re doing can make more of a difference than you would think.”
