Parker Salomon
Staff Writer
Costa Alumni and hockey player Austin Bowkus is entering the hockey minor leagues. Bowkus will be moving to Canada to join the Chilliwack Chiefs hockey team which is apart of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHl).
Bowkus started to play hockey when he was just four year old since his dad, Jack Bowkus, was a professional hockey player. Austin Bowkus originally played for the indiana racers, but when he moved to California he joined the Los Angeles Junior Kings team in the Tier One Elite League.
“I have always loved hockey and since my dad was a professional hockey player I get so many great opportunities in the hockey world,” Bowkus said.
When Bowkus played for the Junior Kings he traveled across the country competing against the top teams in the nation. Scouts from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), semi professional, BCHL, and National Hockey League (NHl) would watch his games and pick kids to join their teams. Bowkus ended up getting a call from Chilliwack inviting him to their spring camp in Los Angeles where he made their team.
“It has always been a goal of mine ever since I began playing hockey at four years old to make it to a minor League team,” Bowkus said. “I have basically been preparing for this moment for my entire life and I am so thankful it has come,”
According to Bowkus, the training for Chilliwack will be much different than what he is used to. He will be on the ice every day from 8:30 am to 11 am. After practice he will then workout and then begin classes with is academic advisor and a team teacher.
“Before I joined Chilliwack, school came first and hockey came second and when I join the team Hockey will be my number one priority,” Bowkus said. “I believe the extensive practice and rigorous schedule will allow me to become a better player.”
At Chilliwack, Bowkus is taking a gap year between High School and College. He plans on taking two classes, most likely math and english, for an hour to two hours each day. The main purpose of Chilliwack is hockey but school is also a main importance accordance to Austin’s dad Jack Bowkus.
“The school at Chilliwack won’t be too challenging and Austin’s focus will mostly be on Hockey,” Jack Bowkus said. “Having a less rigorous work schedule will allow Austin to reach his full potential.
According to Bowkus, he would love to get the chance to play professionally but he knows how difficult it is to get there. Bowkus plans on playing either division one or division three hockey in college and he hopes that will lead him to playing professionally.
“I have been playing hockey for all of my life and I hope that I can continue to do that,” Bowkus said. “It has been dream of mine to play professionally and I will do anything to make that happen.”
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