With winter just around the corner, West Ranch athletes are now able to practice and play popular sports on the ice again. Zoe Wokurka, Zachary War and Ryan Rhudy are some of the athletes here at West Ranch who play ice sports, such as hockey and figure skating.

Zoe Wokurka:

West Ranch junior and figure skater, Zoe Wokurka, began her journey on the ice in 2018. Over the past five years, Wokurka has improved her technique tremendously and has learned how to overcome the mental struggles that come with figure skating. Wokurka explained how figure skating is not only a physical activity, but also a mental challenge: “It requires a lot more thought than it seems, and it’s good exercise.”

Wokurka has faced many obstacles in her skating career, including the COVID-19 lockdown, which triggered a hiatus for two years. Overcoming the mental blocks that come with performing the various tricks in figure skating has been a struggle throughout Wokurka’s career.

 “Yeah, it’s always pretty scary to jump because you don’t know if you’re going to fall. And I’ve fallen a lot and hurt myself pretty seriously but you just gotta keep going,” Wokurka said.

With two hours of figure skating a day for five days a week, Wokurka learned to balance her time on the ice with school, extracurricular activities and her personal life. She does this by creating schedules to map out time for practice, homework and social activities. Beyond her commitment to figure skating, Wokurka is actively involved in Real Life Church and volunteers to teach hockey to special needs kids.

Figure skating has taught Wokurka many different skills, such as hard work, determination and perseverance. Wokurka explains that her goal for the future is to get “figure skating scholarships for college.” Whether it’s finding a break from the chaos of junior year to enjoying the exhilaration of spinning, Zoe Wokurka loves every aspect of being on the ice. She hopes to keep skating for as long as she can. 

Zachary War:

Another West Ranch student who participates in ice sports is Zachary War, a freshman who has been playing ice hockey since he was six years old. Through the ups and downs of his sports career, War explains the importance of connecting with his teammates in order to work well together on the ice. “It’s important to communicate with each other,” War emphasized.

During War’s years of playing ice hockey, he encountered many struggles, like most athletes. Fortunately, it did not discourage him from playing his sport. Most of War’s motivation comes from his close bond with his teammates and his desire to lead them to victory.  

War practices ice hockey for two hours every practice, four to five times a week. With hockey being a large commitment, War has found that sleeping late has helped him manage time for homework and other extracurriculars, especially during the difficult transition into high school. Ice hockey is a big part of War’s everyday life, but he also enjoys playing other sports like golf. “I just want to continue to play at the level that I do now” War states when asked about his future with ice hockey.

From years of playing ice hockey, War learned the value of his teammates and the importance of effective communication and having fun with them. War explains that “being able to create plays” with his teammates is his favorite part of playing hockey as it gives him a sense of belonging. He is determined to do his best to maintain his ice hockey skills and continue to play the sport that he loves alongside his teammates. 

Ryan Rhudy:

West Ranch senior Ryan Rhudy, has been a hockey player for 14 years. Over her long journey playing hockey, Rhudy explained the thrill of playing the sport: “I just like how much energy it gives me and how excited I am to be on the ice. Every practice, I’m just so happy to be there.”

“I learned a lot about working as a team and, you know, leadership. I’m one of the oldest on the team right now, so I’ve kind of taken on a major leadership role and I think that’s pretty important to me,” Rhudy described. 

When asked how she finds motivation to practice her sport on top of school work and extracurriculars, Rhudy discussed how she grew up watching hockey players in the professional league and she looked up to them, explaining how it has been her life-long dream to one day match their skill.

“I originally saw a woman playing in the Olympics, I believe it was Vancouver, and I saw women, and I already enjoyed watching hockey and I said ‘I want to do that,’” Rhudy explained. Today, Rhudy enjoys playing co-ed hockey in which athletes of any gender can play against one another.

Now as a senior, Rhudy has not only been playing hockey throughout high school but is also involved in the National Honors Society, California Scholarship Federation, works a part-time job and is president of the Link Crew Organization. 

“I just have to keep a pretty tight schedule, make sure I’m getting everything done on time and time management is a big thing when you’re a student-athlete,” Rhudy claimed, emphasizing that she needs to be extremely careful with how she manages her time. 

When asked what her goals for the future were, Rhudy explained: “I would love to make it for us to the championship this year. After high school, I’m a senior so I don’t plan to play in college but I do plan to coach and possibly get into front office management.”

From years of playing ice hockey, Rhudy has acquired leadership skills and recognizes the importance of teamwork, making it a priority while playing the sport. Ice hockey has become a crucial part of her life and she intends to continue playing because she loves being on the ice with her teammates.

By exploring different sports on the ice, students discover meaningful ways to enjoy themselves through their sports. Through the inevitable struggles and joyous aspects of ice sports, students learn valuable lessons that help them not only learn more about themselves but also help them in the future.