Middle school student makes it onto San Jose Junior Sharks

Devyn Hotho started playing inline ball hockey in the parking lot at Meneley Elementary School when she was 5 years old. She did that for several years before she started going to the rink at the Pavilion in Carson City.

At the age of 9, the Lake Tahoe ice rink opened and Devyn started playing Pee Wee B, her first time in ice hockey. She played that for three years where she was the leading scorer and the third year she was also the assistant captain. Devyn decided not to move to Bantams at the age of 14. She had already received three concussions and several broken bones. The Bantams would have put her in with the more mature boys; they are pretty big at 14.

Now Devyn participates in ice hockey with the San Jose U14 Junior Sharks National Hockey Team. She is one of the youngest players on the team, was voted captain and the leading points leader. She travels four-plus hours every weekend for seven or more months a year. When they aren't playing girls' teams from the Los Angeles area, because it's too far away, they play the Bantam boys teams with no "checking" (no hitting, no full contact).

Wow, is she dedicated to this sport.

On weekdays, since she can't go all the way to San Jose, she practices a couple of times a week up at the Lake Tahoe ice rink and at home she shoots pucks everyday. She has a 4.0 GPA and she has been on the honor roll every year. Devyn is in eighth grade at Carson Valley Middle School. She was a point guard for CVMS basketball team. Go Tigers! She plays softball through Douglas County Parks & Recreation.

Most of her summer is dedicated to hockey camps. Last summer Devyn and four of her friends traveled to Dartmouth College in New Hampshire for a week-long ice hockey camp. She was the youngest one in the camp and she made it to the Elite Team, the first day at camp. This summer she'll be heading up to Seattle to see who can qualify to the National Women's Select Camp. She's made it past the first cut; and she was voted one of the best there. She will be competing against people in her age group from all over the West in May.

While competing with the San Jose team, she has only missed one game, when she was ill. She went to Colorado in November 2006 and the team won second place in that tournament. Then she got to go to Connecticut, but they didn't place there. In February, they got second place in Phoenix, Ariz.

Devyn's team hosted the Nationals this year on March 28 through April 1 in San Jose. Her team got a "bye," which means they didn't have to play in the Regionals to qualify. Even though they lost all three games, the last team they played went on to the championship game. Great effort. Better luck next year.

Devyn is truly an inspiration for all children who play sports with her enthusiasm, commitment and ambition.

-- Lisa Welch is a Johnson Lane resident and can be reached at 267-9350.