Enjoy every moment…

-          By John Harrington

I had the pleasure of meeting Mason Williams, Bears 05, via Zoom live from his dorm room at The Winchendon School in Massachusetts. He was between class and hockey practice with 45 minutes to spare (no commute = must be nice!). I got a kick out of Mason’s roommate/teammate appearing in the background, periodically, at times ready to answer questions and add some color commentary to our interview. I felt like I was in a Dorm-Room Time Machine, back in my college days, hanging with the guys. Those were the days…

Now in his senior year, with about 94 days left of his prep school career (yes, he is counting down the days), Mason reflected on the steps he had taken that brought him to this dorm room on the other side of the country.  And it all really began at 6 ½ years old, when he found himself at the Ice Station (now the Cube) for some random event (b-day party perhaps) and saw some kids skating. Mason simply thought, “That looks so cool,” and convinced his parents, both unfamiliar with the sport, that he should try it. (Yes! That is Mason’s proud father, Byron, in the picture above.) Thinking that this little desire and passion was just a fleeting moment and would soon come to pass, of course Mom & Dad said yes. Well, that desire and passion only grew stronger as Mason began travel hockey with the Flyers at Mite (8U) and jointed to the Bears 10U at Pickwick the following year where he was surrounded by like-minded players who were focused, disciplined and passionate.  Under the tutelage of Coach Andy Gevorkyan, Mason picked up the game quickly and after his Pee Wee (12UAA) major season, where that team won States, was looking for more at the next level. He never heard of the prep schools back East until he attended the Prep Camp hosted by the Bears. It was there he met the coaches and learned about all the options that were available. He knew this was what he wanted to do, without reservation. However, it was something his mother did not want him to do. And she certainly could not visualize their only child, across the country, far from home (and probably freezing). In my interviews/conversations, it’s very rare that I find both parents on the same page when it comes to this monumental decision. Usually, one parent is all in. And the other parent is all out. But what tends to happen, if the athlete is so committed, focused, and inherently wants this path, the opposing parent eventually accepts their child’s vocation, as it becomes impossible to deny.  And that was the case with Mason. The decision was made, and The Winchendon School in Massachusetts became the destination.

However, Mason still had his final season to complete.  He signed up for Bantam tryouts at the Bears, which can be a stressful time for any athlete, but add first year of checking into the mix, and you have powder keg of tension and emotions. Excited to impress the coaches, Mason took to the ice, and revealed his skill and talent for all to see.  He was feeling good about his game, confident he could make the team. And that’s when it happened.

CRACK!!!

A knee on knee hit by another player, sent Mason to the emergency room with a snapped femur. This was a major blow that would rock any athlete at any level. Devastated, he eventually had surgery and spent months in rehabilitation trying to heal and get back on the ice. Unfortunately, there was a complication, and the femur was not healing correctly. Mason, disillusioned, had to pick himself back up, start over, and get a second surgery. As the Bantam season left him behind, he was restricted to crutches for 11 months, with a plate and six screws inserted into his leg.  (He still carries this hardware in his femur to this day.)

In my experience, I have seen many a young athlete, after suffering such a horrendous injury, leave the game they once loved, fearful of the injury happening again, or afraid of not being able to perform as they did in the past. It is a mental, physical, and spiritual roller coaster full of sleepless nights wracked by anxiety.

Not Mason Williams.

He leaned into his desire and determination to play again. And he faced his fears.

He wanted to get back onto that ice.

After an arduous rehab, Mason finished sophomore year of high school in Los Angeles. He then reclassified and started his sophomore year again at Winchendon. This was key for few reasons: physically smaller for a young teen at 5’3, the extra year gave him time to grow stronger for the competitive hockey he was about to encounter, it gave him more time to develop into a mature and responsible student-athlete in order to adjust to the higher level of education, and the extra year helped him build more meaningful, personal relationships with his teammates.

I found this to be an amazing perspective for a such a young man, to be able to sit back, assess your own growth and development, and have the temerity to add another year of high school to your journey.  Although reclassification is common among hockey players, most kids that age would do anything to get out of school early. However, Mason patiently bided his time, knowing good things come to those who wait.

That plan paid off as Mason grew to 5’9 his junior year, and now finds himself a 6’2 senior defenseman, enjoying his new spectacular view and altitude on the ice.

Mason’s experience with Winchendon has been extremely positive. With over 280 students, and almost every one of them an athlete at the school (so his roommate posited from his bunk in the dorm room), he shares the campus with dynamos, like himself, with a singular mission; to be the best version of themselves in the classroom, in their sport, and in their community. He’s made amazing friendships from all over the world that will last a lifetime. But it hasn’t always been easy. Adversity always arrives when you least expect it. Besides the shocking break of his femur, Mason has been challenged with a knee injury, adapting to new coaches and systems, battling for ice time, competing against extremely tough competition, all while focusing on studies, being a dorm proctor, serving as Student Body Vice President and Co-President of Active Minds which is the mental health organization on campus. It is here that his perspective and realistic view becomes clear. We talked about how the NHL has @ 736 potential positions for players across the league (32 teams x 23 players per team), with maybe 60 job openings per year as players retire, face injury, or fade away and simply lose their spot to a talented rookie. The NHL is like a corporation recruiting top talent, where only the best of best in the world need apply. Young athletes are consumed with making the NHL, that they are blind to other possibilities and experiences. Mason feels many players look past prep school, Juniors, colleges, and club hockey very quickly, and fail to recognize the joy the game can bring at all levels. Many miss the “here and now” and fail to enjoy what is present before them on their journey. As his prep school years wind down, Mason is now focusing on college, forgoing Junior hockey, and looking perhaps to play club hockey. For him, he can’t visualize himself starting college as a 21-year-old, and feels hockey, the game he loves so dearly, has given him this springboard to finish his education now.  He has no regrets and does not have that FOMO feeling that can get the best of all of us.

It was a refreshing conversation, to hear Mason’s mature view on the next stage of his life. His positive disposition and zest for life is contagious, and will add value to any experience, career, team, or relationship he will find himself in. And you can attribute these attractive qualities to what he has learned on and off the ice.

Mason has offered his email address for anyone who has questions regarding his prep school adventure: masonwilliams24@winchendon.org