SJ Sports: Far From Home

The beauty of Lake Placid, NY makes it quite a popular vacation destination for travelers. For 16-year-old Ashley Kilstein of Cherry Hill, however, it is her permanent residence for the next two years.

An ice hockey all-star, Kilstein is a junior enrolled in the National Sports Academy at Lake Placid, a school dedicated to the development of student athletes in winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding and, of course, ice hockey.

Like most people from the South Jersey area, Kilstein had never heard of this academy before this year. A student at William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, Kilstein’s high school did not have a girls’ hockey team. In order to pursue her passion for the ice, she competed on several club teams and in a variety of elite tournaments. In fact, while attending “Hockey Night in Boston,” a premier showcase of talented female players from all over the country, Kilstein learned of the academy’s existence.

Impressed by her talent, coaches from the academy recruited Kilstein and offered her a scholarship to attend that upcoming fall.

Within a few short weeks, Kilstein was unpacking in her new room in Lake Placid. “They approached me in August and school started in September,” she said. “I had to make a quick decision.”

And after visiting the academy, her decision had full parental support. “We wanted to do what was best for her,” said Martin Kilstein, Ashley’s father.

Kilstein had been playing competitive hockey since she was 12-years-old. Throughout her career she joined several club teams — the Wilmington Typhoons, the Washington Little Cats and the Princeton Tiger Lilies — all of which were a considerable hike from her Cherry Hill home. But the time commitment that hockey required was taking its toll on both Kilstein and her parents. “We were on the road a lot and that created a lot of stress,” she said. “It was hard to find time to do my homework.”

Now Kilstein does not have to deal with the perils of travel. Along with being part of the small Lake Placid community of only 76 students and enjoying the daily access to Olympic facilities and high caliber coaching, another added bonus to her new school is the carefully constructed balance between academics and athletics. Part of this balance includes an abbreviated four-day-a-week class schedule, which designates Fridays as a travel day for teams.

“We do a lot of traveling here,” she said, after returning from a weekend tournament in Maine. “But the school balances academics and athletics to fit your schedule and I think this has allowed me to focus more in each category.”

This schedule differs drastically from that of most traditional high schools. Practices aren’t after school, but instead occur before school. “We eat breakfast at 6:15 a.m. and then we’re on the ice for two hours,” said Kilstein. “I have a little break in my schedule before lunch and then I attend my classes from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.”

Although she likes her new home, Kilstein recognizes the intensity of the hockey program. “The season is so much longer here and we practice more than any of my club teams,” she said. “Also, the competition is more intense because there are girls on the team from all over the country.”

Kilstein is not complaining, though. In her eyes, this is an opportunity of a lifetime. “I definitely want to play hockey at the Division One level in college,” she said. “Now that I compete in this region of the country, it allows me to be around a lot more recruiting than I was exposed to in New Jersey.”

With the great possibility of being spotted by college scouts, Kilstein’s ice hockey skills are anything but cold.

“She is a power forward with a great shot,” said Bill Ward, the head girls’ ice hockey coach at the academy. At press time, Kilstein led the team with 18 goals and 11 assists. An independent conference team, the academy plays traditional preparatory school and club teams. In addition, several tournaments in Canada are included on the 50 game schedule.

“I am preparing them for what they are going to see on the college level,” said Ward, a former college coach. “Because Ashley played for such elite club teams, she is a little more familiar with the systems.”

Athletics aside, Kilstein, an honor roll student, is excelling in the classroom as well as on the ice. “I love the small classroom environment here,” she said. “I have a unique relationship with my teachers and I am learning a lot about different people and cultures.” Leaving home would be difficult for any teenager, but Kilstein is adjusting well to the many miles that separate her from her family. “Initially, it was hard for me to get used to being so far away,” she said. “But as soon as I met the other students here, they became like family to me.”

Kids tend to be more resilient than adults. And this may be true for Ashley’s parents. “I think it was a harder adjustment for her mother and I,” said her father. “We experienced ‘empty nest syndrome’ when our youngest child left home.”

Despite their normal parental concerns, both Martin and Rhona Kilstein are happy with their decision to allow Ashley to transfer to the academy.

“We wanted our daughter to have a better opportunity both academically and athletically and we are very pleased with the care, coaching and teachers at the academy,” Kilstein’s father said.

And their daughter agrees. “After coming here,” she said, “I can’t ever imagine going back to my old school.”

Content provided by South Jersey Sports Club.

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Author: SJ Sports Club--Grace Hagan