Hockey roots lead to Air Force team success

Published Aug. 5, 2016
By Senior Airman Apryl Hall
Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- He was just seven years old when he picked up a twig for the first time. Growing up in Rhode Island, hockey was all around him, but was never something he thought about getting involved with. It wasn’t until a family friend suggested he give it a try when his passion for the game was discovered.

“My mom’s best friend wanted me to join a roller hockey league with her nephew,” said Senior Airman Jamal Holland, 5th Operations Support Squadron targets analyst. “After I played my first game, I fell in love with the sport.”

For three years Holland continued playing roller hockey in Rhode Island. At 10-years-old, his family moved and he decided to step up his game.

“The moment for me that made me want to pursue the sport long-term was when I made the switch over to ice hockey when I moved to Texas,” Holland said. “I had a natural skating ability when I first started playing, but just like anyone else, I had to work and practice to become proficient at it.”

And work at it he did. Holland immersed himself in the sport. Over the years he became a force to be reckoned with on the ice. His 6-foot-4-inch frame stood just over 6 feet 6 inches on skates. Flying down the left wing of the rink, not many got in his way.

His senior year of high school, his talents led his team to a state championship. Upon graduating, he joined a junior league based out of British Columbia, where he played for six months. During his time in Canada, he began thinking about his future outside of hockey. He gravitated toward being part of a team, so naturally, he looked into the military.

“I joined the Air Force mainly to work on my education and travelling would be a good addition to that as well,” Holland said.

After two years of being active duty and a little over a year stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, Holland learned hockey could still be a big part of his life in the Air Force.

“Joining the Air Force team kind of came out of nowhere,” Holland said. “I knew I would want to continue playing once I got to my first duty station, but I didn’t think too much into playing in an Air Force jersey.”

While playing on an adult league in Minot with some Airmen who already played on the Air Force team, Holland got his foot in the door. Halfway through the Air Force team’s season, Holland was asked to play in a tournament with the team.

“That’s when it all started,” Holland said. “I’ve played in plenty of games, but the first time I had the Air Force jersey on, it felt like I was a part of something bigger. It was a total honor.”

The team won that first tournament in Texas, which Holland admits is still one of his most memorable moments on the team he’s been a part of for nearly two years now. When the team repeated the tournament victory the following year, he knew he was a part of something special.

With the success of tournament victories and big wins, Holland’s time with the Air Force hockey team has been a whirlwind. He dons the Air Force jersey for big tournaments against other bases and Armed Forces tournaments. While the rush of being part of such a big honor is fun for Holland, he still loves the game he fell in love with at its simplest form.

“My favorite part of the sport is just being around my friends who have the same love for the sport that I do,” Holland said.

For Holland, hockey is more than a sport. It’s his way to be a part of the team he knew he wanted to be on when he first picked up a stick at 7-years-old.