Most teenagers spend their weekends working part-time jobs or catching extra sleep from a long school week. For sophomore Laken Schmidt, she can be found traveling by car, bus or even plane to her next hockey tournament.

Schmidt spends her time outside of the classroom playing for the AAA ranked hockey team, the Kansas City Storm, and traveling the United States and Canada playing her favorite sport.

“We go to Minnesota, Nashville, Chicago, Denver, Omaha, Indiana, Texas, St. Louis, and even Canada,” Schmidt said.

She currently plays proudly on an all-girls team this year, but that has not always been the case. 

“This is my second year on a girls team and I prefer the girls team more because you get to have a fun time with the same gender and playing with the girls is just way better,” Schmidt said. “My most proud moment is when I came onto Storm last year and got first line center as a rookie the second game.”

Hockey takes some serious skill and lucky for Schmidt, she has what it takes in order to play. 

“My skills and strengths are being fast with the puck and shooting quickly,” Schmidt said. “I play center because I am aggressive and I skate fast so I can get to the boards fast.”

Being on the road constantly can be tiring, but when with the right people it can be fun.

“My favorite parts about my team is just hanging out in the locker room and the lobby at tournaments with all of the girls,” Schmidt said. “ On the road we usually sleep, play games, watch movies, and listen to a lot of new music and rock to get us hyped up.

Whether it’s traveling on the road with her teammates or lacing up her skates to hit the ice, Schmidt is fully dedicated to the game.

“Hockey literally means everything to me,” Schmidt said.