Goaltending Wahiawa Teen Consumed By Inline Hockey

Del.icio.us

Inline hockey goaltender Ben Barros. Photo from Michael Barros.

For 16-year-old Ben Barros, inline hockey is definitely all-consuming.

“I played baseball, lacrosse and soccer when I was younger, but I don’t play any other organized sport besides hockey now,” said Barros, a Wahiawa resident and incoming junior at Leilehua. “It’s been my main sport.”

Barros began playing inline hockey when he was 8 and has developed into one of the top players on the Island. A goaltender, he recently competed in both the 16-and 18-and-under divisions at the USA Hockey Inline Summer Showdown in Mililani, leading the Mililani-based Dookiefish to first-place finishes in both. In five games between the pipes, he compiled a sterling X.X goals-against-average.

Barros recently took some time away from the rink to sit down with the Central Oahu Islander for some questions.

How did you get started in inline hockey? What’s the most enjoyable part of playing? My older brother (Elisha) saw a sign on the side of the road, and he just wanted to try it, so he signed up. He played first, and then I got hooked on it, too. Now, our whole family plays. (Sisters Hannah, 13, and Olivia, 8, also play.) I like the pressure and the competition of playing in tournaments. It’s just fun.

How long did you skate before you felt comfortable on the rink? It took about a year maybe - one season.We usually rotated positions then, so you played wherever.

How did you come to be a goaltender? I was one of the youngest and the weakest on the team when I switched to goalie. One theory is that I think I was such a horrible player that they had to tell me I was good, and then I became good.

What’s it like being the last line of defense? I like that my position can change the whole game. If I keep all the goals out, we win. If I don’t, we lose.

I like the pressure. I strive under pressure. I don’t know why.

Who’s your favorite pro hockey team and why? My favorite team is the Washington Capitols because they have the best player (two-time defending NHL MVP Alexander Ovechkin) in the world on their team. (Barros and his family saw their first NHL game last winter while attending a Columbus-Washington game in Maryland.)

Who is your hockey hero and why? I like Pittsburgh’s goalie, Marc Andre Fleury. A couple of years ago I was watching him, and I thought he looked really good. Now, he has a Stanley Cup (ring).

Hockey players are known to have pre-game rituals? Do you have any? I usually put my equipment on the same way - I do it left to right. During warm-ups, I’ll also do the same (routine) - I take a couple of laps and I stretch the same way. Before the game, I usually sit quietly and in my mind, I envision myself making saves.

What’s your favorite pre-game meal? Usually, my games are in the morning or afternoon, so pancakes and eggs, and lots of Gatorade before the game.

Even some professional athletes have admitted to pre-game jitters - at least until the game begins.Are you nervous before a game?

Sometimes.Last year,when we traveled to the North American Roller Hockey Championships in San Jose (Calif.), I was nervous during the first game, but I was able to shake it off.”