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Education and fighting: Steelheads’ Radke reveals importance of both
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When rookie forward Kyle Radke was recently interrogated, he revealed the importance of an education and the many reasons why professional hockey players fight.
The once-young kid from Baskaw, Alberta attended the University of North Dakota and excelled for four years while playing for the Fighting Sioux through four Frozen Four appearances.
During that time he worked on fine-tuning his hockey skills, gaining friendships, and working towards a degree in Recreation and Tourism Management, three major components in his life.
Radke had always wanted to play professional hockey, but knew that with the dangers and competitiveness of the sport it was smart to have a back-up plan. His plan was to get a degree in an area he desired at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. “A pro hockey career isn’t as secure as most jobs. Any shift could be your last,” Radke said.
After hockey, Radke may even go back to school to pursue his hobby of culinary arts. Radke suggests to the younger athletes of today to stay focused on their goals, but not to forget to get a good education and find time to relax and clear their heads.
The other subject Radke bared was the intense topic of fighting in hockey.
During the scrums at Qwest Arena the Boise fans go crazy, but sometimes fans do not fully understand why the players fight. Radke exposed that sometimes fights occur to even the tallies from a prior cheap shot, get a hot player flustered, or even to show that you’re not afraid to take on their toughest athlete. The most important reason to fight, though, is to change the momentum of the game. It is a good way to fire up your teammates and get the crowd back into the game.
“Fighting isn’t always done with anger and sometimes you just know when it’s time to start one,” Radke said. Within the professional hockey realm, players have great respect for the game and for each other. Rarely will one see players carrying on personal vendettas once game time expires.
“After games we usually shake hands with the ones we’ve fought on the ice,” Radke said.
Radke and the Steelheads take the ice against Phoenix while they clinch their place in the playoffs this weekend.
They play at Qwest Arena in their final home series this Friday and Saturday, April 3 and 4. For discount tickets at $11 with a free beer or small drink voucher, visit www.idahosteelheads.com/boisestate, click the “buy tickets” icon and type in ‘username: BOISESTATE’ with the password ‘JASON.’
The preceding article was written by Jason Switzer, a marketing student participating in the Idaho Steelheads Internship Program presented by The Arbiter. For additional information, visit idahosteelheads.com/boisestate.
JASON SWITZER
Special to The Arbiter
