Fun on the ice

MILTON, Wis. — When Adam Meier was 15, he got a pair of skates and headed out back to the pond on his family’s farm. He wanted to learn how to play hockey, but first, he had to learn how to ice skate.

“I went out there and fell right down,” Meier said. “People typically get started when they’re younger, but I never did. I wasn’t around hockey, but I was interested in it. I also had a friend who played.”

Meier got back on his feet that day, and many days after that, determined to become a good skater.

“It’s not easy,” he said. “I practiced skating every day. It’s one of those things where you have to keep trying. … It takes quite a bit of practice.”

Meier and his dad milk 110 cows and farm about 300 acres near Milton. Meier also continues to play hockey once or twice a week throughout the year.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Meier said. “Everyone has their hobbies, but farmers typically don’t have a lot of time. They may hunt, fish, snowmobile. I like to play hockey. It’s my time to get away from the farm.”

Although his friend quit playing hockey after they graduated from high school, Meier stuck with it.

“You have to keep playing to stay relevant,” he said. “You also have to be in good shape. … I still skate out here just to get better. I always want to get better.”

In 2003, Meier joined a men’s hockey league that he continues to play in to this day.

“It’s pretty competitive; there are a lot of good players,” he said.

The players range in age from guys fresh out of high school to men in their 60s and every decade in between.

“I’m 44, and I’m one of the older ones,” Meier said. “As I’ve gotten older, there are younger guys who are faster. Fortunately, I can still keep up with them.”

Meier compares the fast-paced game to driving on the interstate.

“You have to keep up with traffic, drive the speed,” he said. “I’ve seen guys with less experience who can’t keep up, and they don’t last long. It’s not fun for them…and it slows the game down.”

Meier has endured a couple injuries along the way.

“It was pretty physical in high school, and I broke my collarbone and had a tooth knocked out,” he said. “Checking was legal. I wasn’t very good and got hit quite a bit.”

Meier said the men’s league can still get rough, but checking is not allowed.

“It happens, but we’re all adults now with jobs,” he said. “There are sticks flying and pucks flying, and you get your share of bumps and bruises, but no one is out to hurt anyone.”

Meier typically plays defense.

“I stay behind and keep other guys from advancing,” he said. “It’s like one-on-one competition while the game is going on. That’s what I enjoy. The guy tries to do his best move, and my job is to try and stop them.”

Meier said he enjoys the thrill of flying around on skates and likes scoring a goal.

“I don’t get many opportunities by playing defense, but I score a few every season,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun getting on the ice and competing against the other guys.”

Meier plays in every season, and in the winter, games can start as late as 10 p.m. In the summer, he may have to leave the farm early to play. The Meiers have a part-time employee who helps milk, making it easier for Meier to get to the rink. Meier recently bought new skates and said a good stick is imperative.

“It’s an expensive sport and a time commitment,” he said.

When Meier was originally learning how to skate, he would take a hockey stick and puck out on the ice with him as he practiced.

“I knew I was going to play and didn’t want to embarrass myself,” he said. “I watched hockey on TV and thought, ‘I could do that.’ Those guys make it look so easy, but it’s not as easy as it looks. Like with anything, you just practice and you get better. It took a while, but I slowly got the hang of it.”

There was a light by the farm pond that allowed Meier to practice even when it was dark. He also practiced at the local ice arena during open skating hours and read magazines to learn more about the sport.

“You have to stick with it,” Meier said. “Skating backwards is probably the hardest.”

The following winter, Meier knew the basics and joined a hockey team with the friend who had first inspired him. Milton High School did not offer hockey, so Meier and his friend made their own team through the Janesville J-Hawks teen league with kids from other schools in the area. There were no tryouts.

“It was basically recreation, but we were pretty good,” Meier said.

One of the dads volunteered to coach, and another dad was the team manager and scheduled all their games.

“It was a lot of fun,” Meier said. “We played some high school teams, and we traveled a little, but we had to find our own transportation. It took a lot of commitment.”

Meier was learning on the fly, but he said his friend helped him a lot and also lent him equipment.

“I didn’t know what I was getting myself into,” Meier said. “I was still learning the game, but it was a good fit for me. We weren’t competing to stay on the team, and the guys helped me out.”

His team had the last practice slot of the night, which worked well with Meier’s farm schedule.

“I would milk cows and then go to practice,” he said.

The games were on weekends — one or two per week — and his dad would do the milking so Meier could play.

“Just getting out there and playing, you figure things out,” Meier said. “Keeping up with the guys on the ice is how I learned a lot. You don’t want to screw up and have them get mad at you. You learn the hard way sometimes.”

Today, Meier’s four sons — Charlie, Alex, Jake and Joey — are learning how to skate on the same pond their father did. Meier has also coached his oldest son’s hockey team.

“Charlie was 6 at the time, and that was a blast,” Meier said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

As Meier continues to revel in the excitement of hockey every time he takes the ice, he said he is grateful for this opportunity.

“It’s a fun hobby I’ve enjoyed,” Meier said. “I thought with the farm and the kids I’d have to slow down, but my wife encourages me to play. It can be busy on the farm, but luckily, I can get away.”