Despite her team not medaling at the B.C. Winter Games, one local teen is grateful for the experience.Brittney Konkin, a Grade 8 student at Grand Forks Secondary (GFSS), played defence for the Kootenay regional select team at the Winter Games, which were held in Mission in February.“It was a really good experience,” she said. “It was so much fun and so great to be with my friends and play hockey.”Konkin had to travel to Nakusp in January to try out for the team. The tryout included dry land as well as on-ice training.“They evaluated you,” she said. “They had two scrimmage games where the coaches saw how you played.”The two-day tryout also featured fitness testing for all the players.“I think I did really good,” she said about the tryouts. “I hadn’t done a fitness test before but I think I did good compared to other people.”Konkin was the only player from Grand Forks to try-out. She did get to play with many of her teammates from the West Kootenay Wildcats, the Castlegar-based team she plays for in the winter.The Kootenay team was able to have one practice before flying out to Mission, and they practiced once while there.“I learned a lot,” said Konkin.The team played four times at the winter games and lost three and won one. They, unfortunately, didn’t qualify for the medal round.“I think I played well,” said Konkin. “The competition was way higher than I’m used to but it was easy to adjust to.”Konkin was one the younger players there but felt she fit in well with the other girls.She admits she was nervous before the first game but found it easier as the games went on.“I didn’t really want to mess up,” she said. “It was a pretty big deal. As I started playing, though, I felt way more comfortable and I wasn’t nervous any more.”She said she really noticed how much faster the play was at the games.“I learned a lot and got better as the games went on,” she said. “You couldn’t do as many risky plays. You couldn’t just carry the puck all the way up the ice.”Besides playing for the West Kootenay Wildcats, Konkin also plays for the Grand Forks Bantam boys’ team.She is hoping to get a scholarship down the road.“I love hockey—it’s all I want to do,” she said.Konkin is hoping to get into a spring hockey camp in Canmore, Alta., run by Olympic gold medalist Megan Agosta.

Grand Forks Gazette