BY SAPNA PATHAK
When Collin Bourque picked up a hockey stick for the first time at age 5, he did so without any expectations. Almost 10 years later, the opposite is true.
This summer, Bourque learned having expectations is exactly what helped him succeed in the sport. In June, the Goffstown resident was one of three Granite Staters selected to participate in the USA National Hockey development program.
A member of the New Hampshire Select 14U hockey team, Bourque was chosen by national scouts who watched the 14-year-old play at the Yankee Conference Festival in Burlington, Vt.
“I began playing hockey for fun and got more serious about it as I played it more,” said Bourque. “Then the more I worked with coaches that were specialized in hockey, I learned to set those goals to help me be a better player. I knew there would be scouts at the Yankee tournament. I think that helped me play harder, knowing they’d be watching.”
Bourque, who now plays for a team drawing players from the Boston-Metro area, began his hockey days in Hooksett before joining a travel team based in Salem. From July 15 to July 20, the center/forward traveled to Rochester, N.Y., and experienced playing with others selected for the national development program.
Though he knew scouts would be selecting players from across the region, Bourque recalled the moment he learned he’d been chosen for a spot on the national roster.
“I was sitting there in my mom’s office and she was with me,” said Bourque. “And we had to wait a couple days to find out who made the team, and it was on the Web site … I just saw my name on that list and couldn’t even believe it.”
Bourque recently began his freshman year at Bishop Brady High School in Concord, where he plans to try out for the Giants junior varsity squad; he will also try out for the school’s lacrosse team in spring.
“I’m pretty much playing a sport all year,” said Bourque. “But hockey is the top one. It’s my favorite, and I love everything about it. As I get older, it becomes more and more a part of my life and hopefully it gets me somewhere to the pros or something.”