Kleysen Transport , and his mom Barb , might not have been hockey people at the time , but they ’ ve supported Stephen ’ s hockey dreams every step of the way .
“ Oh , 100 per cent ,” he said . “ I would not be where I am today without them . They never pushed me , but they always , always supported me . My dad is the hardestworking guy I know , but he was just awesome . It really is great having parents support you the way my parents supported me .”
It ’ s important to note , that Tom and Barb have supported him through some tough hockey decisions . In the middle of the 2015-16 season , he decided to give the USHL a shot , left the Blues and went to Madison . After deciding Madison wasn ’ t the answer , he took a shot with the West Kelowna
“
I ’ D SHOOT PUCKS IN THE DRIVEWAY THREE
HOURS A NIGHT
”
Warriors of the BCHL and the decision has worked well for him . The Warriors acquired Kleysen ’ s right from the Blues in August of 2016 and his presence was felt in West Kelowna almost immediately . He played in all 58 regular season games and had six goals and 23 points Then , the coaches gave him an increased role in the playoffs and he dished out three assists in four games .
He ’ s a 5-foot-11 , 185-pound defenseman and has learned from not only playing the game , but from working with Align-Your-Mind ’ s Brain
Coach , Robert Broten .
“ Last year was my third year of junior hockey and as a result , I became more conscious of my responsibility to the team ,” said Kleysen , “ As a veteran , it was up to me to show up ready to play like it would be our last game every single night .”
“ After seeing several of my teammates suffer some unfortunate injuries , the importance of taking care of my body and mind became more apparent to me than it had in previous seasons . Coming into games mentally prepared , well rested and well-fueled made a huge difference in what I could contribute to the team .
“ It became especially apparent and more important during the playoffs . I wanted my energy to be contagious to the team on the ice . Those experiences have motivated me to push harder than I ever have this past offseason .
“ Working with Bob has helped me stay relaxed and confident off the ice . I have been able to do things I didn ’ t even know I was capable of , by believing in my ability and harnessing the confidence I ’ ve created .”
This season , Kleysen expects big things from the Warriors and they expect a lot from him . He ’ s a guy who is known to play “ a 200-foot game with a team-first mentality .”
If he stays healthy in both mind and body , that approach to the game he loves should carry him a long way . ❍
STEPHEN KLEYSEN # 19
96 | GAME ON | NOVEMBER 2017