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Randklev headed to natl. tourney [UPDATED]
Published 11:09am Monday, April 4, 2011 Updated 11:09am Monday, April 4, 2011Hard work and determination is what gets you to the top in sports and in life. Carter Randklev, only 11 years old, has shown both as he was chosen to the All-North American hockey team.
Carter was chosen by Micheal Swafford, a scout out of Minneapolis-St.Paul, to represent the area in his age group. Swafford noticed Randklev in a tournament held in Fargo at the end of February and felt that his talents were above and beyond the rest of the kids skating at his age.
The journey for Carter began at the tender age of two. Carter’s father, Jerome, remembers his son running around with a hockey stick and swinging at a puck. By the age of three, he had got his first pair of skates and was learning how to maneuver about the ice.
Jerome signed his son up for league play and the dream and hard work began. Carter fell in love with the sport as he grew older. Putting in work on the ice and at home, Carter was able to leap a head of his peers and see the benefits of practice.
“Sometimes Carter will shoot for an hour or two on the net outside our home and follow that up with and hour or so of puck handling,” said Jerome. “He has a true passion for the game and just loves hockey.”
This love for hockey has turned into a year round phenomenon for both Carter and his family as he not only plays in Fergus during the winter months but plays on a team in Fargo in the summer. Carter was selected by Coach Glen Bevold to play on his Metro 99s in Fargo, playing in about a tournament a month. The preparation for the tournaments finds Randklev skating a week before each tournament begins, working on all aspects of his hockey repertoire.
Not only has he been working on his hockey skills, but Carter has began strength training working with Paul Ratz over the summer and will continue his weight training at the Fergus Falls Fitness Center with Doug Becker.
Carter will now get an opportunity to test his skills as he travels to Philadelphia this summer to partake in the One Hockey International Elite AAA Competition.
The tournament will see teams and players from around the world. Carter’s team, Flypuck 99s, has players from all over including Missouri, Pennsylvania, New York, Saskatchewan and Quebec. One Hockey also promotes a chance for the players to be coached by former professional players and offers other activities for the families while at the tournament. The tournament also boasts an impressive resume of alumni that have participated and were drafted by NHL teams or are currently playing in Juniors.
“It is a really big honor. Carter is very excited about the tournament,” added Jerome.
This may be the first step for Carter on the fast track to playing at a very high level later in life. The possibilities are endless for this young hockey player, if he continues to work hard and follow his dreams.
Congratulations Carter! Good luck in the tournament.