While our Colorado adventure was full of scenic drives, roadside stops, and bucket list moments… the main reason for our trip was something a little extra special: Mason was accepted to attend the Air Force Academy Hockey Camp in Colorado Springs!
As a hockey family, this was a big deal. Not only was it a great opportunity for Mason to grow in skill and experience, but… hello — hockey camp at the Air Force Academy?! So cool. We knew it was going to be an unforgettable week.
On Sunday, we made our way to the Academy to get Mason checked in. We found the hockey table where he received everything he needed for the week...his jersey, a warm-up shirt, a lanyard with his credentials, and an Air Force Academy cinch bag to carry it all in.
He got to meet the hockey director, who was super welcoming, and then one of the camp counselors walked him down to his locker room for the week. That alone had us all in awe. We kept saying how incredible it was for him to be doing camp at this historic and honorable place.
Monday was the first official day of camp. We dropped Mason off early that morning but came back shortly after to watch his first ice session. After his first practice, things took a turn: the hockey director pulled Mason and three other boys aside to shift them into a new group.
Apparently, a large number of players who were originally signed up for the first session decided last minute to attend the second week instead...which threw off the group sizes. Mason initially ended up in a group with mostly 17- and 18-year-olds, so they moved him to a group more his age.
The shift changed his entire daily schedule...including the next ice time...so we ended up staying at the Academy pretty much all day that day. It wasn’t exactly what we had planned, but we were just grateful he was where he needed to be.
The camp ran Monday through Friday, from 7:45 am to 4:45 pm every day. That’s a full day of hockey... in theory. But here’s how it actually looked:
Highlights (The Pros):
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Practicing on the Air Force Academy ice — such a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience!
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The instruction was solid — good skill drills, and lots of scrimmage time during ice sessions.
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The jerseys were awesome — Mason loved his, and so did we.
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Let’s not forget — we got to go to Colorado!
Not-So-Great Parts (The Cons):
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There was way too much downtime between ice sessions...like, hours.
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The counselors didn’t plan any activities for the kids off the ice, so they just kind of sat around.
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Most of the other kids were boarding and staying on base… which meant a lot of them were really enjoying their “freedom.” A little too much. According to Mason, some were snorting Sweet’n Low packets for fun. Yikes.
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There were only two ice sessions per day (1 hour 15 minutes each), and the rest of the day was pretty unstructured.
All in all, we’re so glad we went. It was a unique opportunity, and Mason got to do something not many kids can say they’ve done. The location was amazing, the coaching was solid, and we made memories that stretched far beyond the rink.
That said... we’re not totally sure we’d return to the same camp. While the experience itself was special, we were a little disappointed with the lack of structure and engagement off the ice.
Still...this trip was a blessing in more ways than one, and we’re so thankful Mason got to be a part of it. One more adventure in the books!
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