the iceman winneth

A quick newsflash… The Guam Pacific Daily News just published a story on Nikko. BIG THANKS to the reporter Alex J. Rhowunio’ng for the story. You can check it out here complete with a photo and all.

I copied the story below in case the site is down. Enjoy!

The iceman winneth
Santa Clara’s Tydingco plays at top of his game
By Alex J. Rhowunio’ng
Pacific Daily News
ajrhowunio’ng@ guampdn.com
Originally published April 21, 2006

Theoren Tydingco continues to defy the odds.

At age 13, he just might be the world’s only Chamorro-Filipino ice hockey player — and he’s good, good enough to be a champion. His team, the Santa Clara Blackhawks, beat the Indianapolis Racers 4-0 in the finals to win the USA Hockey Peewee Tier II Nationals April 2 in Fort Wayne, Ind.

The 5-foot-3-inch, 125-pound defenseman — the son of Norbert and Cristina Tydingco of Newark, Calif. — lives the life of an elite athlete. He just returned from the Czech Republic and will leave for Canada in June for summer tournaments.

“Winning the national championships was an incredible accomplishment for Theo,” Norbert Tydingco said via the telephone. “It capped off an amazing year of successes that included winning the Best Defenseman Award at the Bell Capital Cup All-Star Game in Ottawa, Ontario, and being named to the Silver Stick International All-Star in Port Huron Michigan.”
Theoren Tydingco has played in summer tournaments near Calgary, Alberta, the past few years, and he’ll spend June through early July up there.

“This year, I am going to work out more to get into better shape,” he said. “I’m going to work on my weaknesses — my backhand shot, my quickness and (explosiveness).

“Now, I lift weights, do pushups and sit-ups for my upper-body strength,” he said. “I also do curls for more power in my shot.”

He added that he is not lifting to bulk up but to get the strength he needs for speed and explosion, and to help keep the risk of injury to a minimum.

Theoren Tydingco was with Team USA in the Czech Republic, where he represented the United States in an international tournament against teams from Austria, the Czech Republic and Russia.

“We played about five games, but we did not really have any competition,” Theoren Tydingco said matter-of-factly.

The closest game, he said, was a 5-3 win against the Russia Silver Sharks. The others were blowouts.

Despite his success on the frozen pond, Theoren Tydingco said he is “not very, very special at home.”

“(My parents) don’t treat me any different from my 8-year old brother, Brendan, and 22-year-old sister, Sonia,” he said.

Even his friends at Newark Junior High School don’t treat him differently.

“They still know me as a person, not different from any other … just that I have a hockey background,” said the seventh-grader.

Theoren Tydingco knows the importance of being grounded, and he carries that attitude into the classroom.

“I want to play professional hockey, but I keep my grades up and work hard in school first,” he said.

off to Prague

Here’s the official National Championship photo of the team. Nikko and Norbert are towards the left. I don’t think it’ll be hard to find their brown faces. It looks like the San Jose Sharks (yes, of the NHL) posted a story about the Blackhawks winning the National Championship. Here it is.

Nikko left for Prague yesterday. Earlier when I asked if he was excited about going, he looked a little sad and said, “I really wish someone in our family was going with me.” It’s tough because we can barely afford to send him, let alone one of us along with him. Luckily, he’s with trusted family friends, so I think he’ll be fine. My sister wrote this to me:

As we we’re driving out of our driveway, it was just me and Nikko in the car…he turned to me and said “I’m going to miss you mom. I going to miss all of you.” I looked at him and I see and feel by the look on his face that he wished one of us was w/him on this trip. I told him we would miss him so much.

I told my sister that if he plans on continuing on this path, he’s going to have to get used to being away from home. It’s just one of those sacrifices you make for the things you love. I hope he has a great trip and takes my advice about taking lots of pictures and keeping a journal.

He comes back next week.

Me: Hey Nikko, bite the medal. You know, like how the Olympic athletes do it.
Nikko: Huh?
Me: Just bite the medal so I can take the photo!
Nikko: (biting the medal) Ew! This doesn’t taste very good!
Me: Ew! You’re not supposed to taste it! (Click.)

words from the "Miracle" men

Below is a letter from Kurt Russell to the Santa Clara Blackhawks. Russell played legendary hockey coach Herb Brooks in the film Miracle. Note: Click on the letter for a larger view.

Below is a letter from Mike Eruzione to the Santa Clara Blackhawks. Eruzione was the captain of the gold medal 1980 Olympic Hockey team. As many of you may know, team USA in 1980 were known as the “miracle” team because they entered the games as total underdogs, and ended up taking the gold. Much like the Blackhawks, many didn’t think much of a Northern California hockey team, but the ‘hawks proved the nation wrong.

As Norbert mentioned in his note, these letters really inspired the team to pull through and play some great hockey. Although a little difficult to read, do enjoy the words from the new fans of the Santa Clara Blackhawks. I hope they inspire you as much as they did the team.

As they say… if you dream about it, it will happen. Check out this photo I took of Nikko. Okay, okay… I made him take this photo. (If you know Nikko, you’d know this was totally fabricated because like his dad, he usually sleeps with his mouth open! he he heeh!) I can’t help it if I have a great sense of humor and an artistic eye. ha ha ha! In case you’re wondering, these are the medals/trophies he’s taken home this season. Pretty impressive, huh?

a message from Coach Norbert

Hello all,

This will be the first of a series of entries about Nikko, Norbert, the Santa Clara Blackhawks, and their road to the national championships. If you would like to listen to an audiocast of the semi-final and final games, click here. Scroll down to “Tier II 12U – Ft. Wayne, Ind. – Eastern Time.” The Blackhawks played April 1st at 9am and 5pm and again on April 2nd at 11am. I’m not sure how long the audio cast will be up, so take advantage of them while they’re still there.

If you would like to see a write-up report of the championship game, click here.

The team has received numerous messages of support and are still recovering from a tiring, but exhilarating experience in Fort Wayne. Below is a message from Norbert. Enjoy!

[Note: Some things to look forward to include good luck letters to the team from Kurt Russell (star of “Miracle,” who portrayed Coach Herb Brooks), Mike Eruzione (Captain of the 1980 gold medal Olympic Hockey Team), San Jose Sharks Coach Ron Wilson, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. I’m also waiting for photos from folks. Finally, they should be featured in the next issue of “USA Hockey” magazine. Keep checking back for updates!]

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT

I want to thank those who posted, called, and e-mailed messages of support to our team. They were passed on to the team in the locker room before each game and they helped.

You should have seen the look in their eyes, when they were read letters from Governator Schwarzenegger, Sharks Coach Ron Wilson, Kurt Russell, and especially the one received from “Miracle” team captain Mike Eruzione.

Later in the tournament, they received congratulations and encouragement from other teams as they advanced closer and closer to the title game. Most notably from the entire Phoenix Firebirds squad who attended both the semi-final and final games and cheered loudly for the Blackhawks.

One of the most heartwrenching moments of the game came late in the third period after we had scored the goal to put us up, 4-0. Players, recognizing the fact that the game was in hand, asked the coaches to put the back-up goaltender in the game. He had played only two periods during the entire tournament and they wanted him to have his moment in the biggest game of their lives.

As the goaltending change was made with 1:50 left in the game, the crowd cheered loudly, tears of joy started to flow. You can hear the crowd in the webcast of the game.

Earlier in the season, someone posted that we didn’t get all the best players, and he was correct. We got the right ones!

When their hockey careers are over — some sooner than others — 17 players will look back at this season and smile. I am most proud of the fact that I was there to share it with them.

– Coach Norbert “Junior Boy” Tydingco

this just in…

I’m sure you’re all tired. SICK AND TIRED of hearing me gush about my nephew Nikko and his hockey career. If you are, read no further, as this is another post dedicated to my awesome nephew Theoren Tydingco (Theo to most, but Nikko to the family). Earlier today, Nikko and his team, the Santa Clara Blackhawks just won the Pacific District Championships. YEA! WOO! HOO! That’s right folks! In Las Vegas, the SC Blackhawks competed against teams from: California, Las Vegas, Washington, Oregon and (I think) Vancouver. Right now, all the stats aren’t posted and I don’t see any stories about the games. From what I saw in the stats, for the first three out of five games they played, Nikko had two penalties (in the same game?! shame on you! you rarely get penalties!) and scored two goals. (Keep in mind that Nikko plays defense, so a player who defends and scores is a total treasure – regardless of whether he’s related to me.)

Needless to say, I’m proud. PROUD!PROUD!PROUD! All weekend long we kept calling my sister asking if she got calls from Vegas about the scores. (Unfortunately, only my two nephews and brother-in-law made the trip.) Also, my mom swears she prayed a lot and that God was actually listening.

Nikko celebrates his fellow teammate score during the state championship game.

Next up for the Blackhawks is the national championship. This is definitely going to be a tough one! It happens at the end of the month in Indiana. Currently, the Blackhawks are heading back to California to their normal lives and training for the national championship tournament. Also, I’m sure the team and their families are celebrating. I know we are!

For those of you who read my previous post, I mentioned that Nikko scored a penalty shot during the California state championship game against the Ducks. Click here to see the footage. It’s quick (just a few seconds long) and check out his celebration gesture. 🙂 In case you’re wondering, I’m pretty sure that’s me screaming in the background. 😛 (If you know me, you’ll know which one is me.)

This is me and Nikko at the local gelato place. We went there with the cutie Bren (who took the picture) last summer. Nikko swears he’ll never have long hair like that again. Uh-huh. Yeah. Sure. Right. Fine. Whatever.

Nikko has had an awesome year in hockey and again, I am so happy and proud of him. The entire family is. My only wish is that my father and Norbert’s (my brother-in-law) mother were alive to see their grandson shine. Nikko never met my father and although he has met his grandmother, he was very young when she passed away. I’m sure they’re watching from above.

In true Joanne form, I have to mention this. For me, watching Nikko is a true delight, especially when I think about our families and where we come from. He’s an island boy on both sides. Historically, people from Guam and the Philippines are often ignored, forgotten, disrespected, silenced and expected to be ashamed of themselves. I think of my father and how these factors affected the way he lived and the way he died. But there are moments – like Nikko making that penalty shot – that help remove those silences.

It’s no secret that island boys don’t play hockey (That’s because back home, you don’t skate on ice. You shave it, pour syrup on it and eat it.) and that most people associate hockey as a haole sport. But when my nephew – the captain of his team – steps on to the ice, leads his team and plays his heart out, I can’t help but think of how important it is that people see someone like him do well in a sport like hockey. I see it in the faces of my family. I hear it in the voices of opposing teams who watch Nikko and constantly mispronounce his last name. I feel it when the crowd roars because he just scored a beautiful goal.

He gives our island people presence and a reason to hold our heads a little higher. This means the world to me (and to the generations of people who were denied that presence).

So anyway… we’re getting ready to welcome back the boys and wish them well for their journey at the end of the month. If you could, please do what you can to throw them some good karma (light candles, chant, burn sage, whatever…) for a good tournament.

My mom proudly poses with Nikko after winning the California state championship.