The future for Junior Nate Schweitzer is in the palm of his hands. It’s now or never.

For many boys who walk through the BSM locker room doors, the only thing on their minds is winning, but for Schweitzer, there is so much more. As he starts to shape into his captainship role, there is more and more pressure put on his young shoulders. On top of being a captain of the BSM hockey team, he has the pressure of being on the national team, recently committing to play college hockey, and keeping up his 4.0. For many people, this would be way too much, but for Schweitzer, it seems almost too simple.

His passion for his grades challenges the stereotype of the jock hockey player. Schweitzer has valued his time for not only his academic life but also his athletic career. “Once the season starts, I basically just get into a routine. On days that we practice, I always study and do homework at night, but on game days, I try to get stuff done at school during free periods, so once school is done, I can just focus on the game. It takes hard work, but it is manageable,” Schweitzer said.

Yet––without him knowing––his efforts off the ice are admired by the rest of his team. “Schweitzer is a great leader who is a good example for everyone both in the classroom and on the ice,” sophomore Jack Olson said.

Sophomore defenseman James Callahan agrees, he has always looked up to Schweitzer. “He is a great leader. His work ethic is something that everyone looks up to,” Callahan said.

As his junior year progresses, all Schweitzer can think about is this coming hockey season. Unable to hold in his excitement,Schweitzer can’t wait for the season as the time ticks faster to the first puck drop, “I am excited about everything. From the new locker room to the team we will have. We will have a tight group of guys this year that can do special things. We are going to surprise a lot of people this year. We can’t wait for the season to start,” Schweitzer said.

Schweitzer has been playing hockey ever since he was three. But back then he would play around on a rink his dad set up in his backyard with his older brother. For thirteen years, Schweitzer has been constantly working on his skills on and off of the ice. Early morning practices, one on one training, coming in early and staying late.

But only recently his time and dedication started to pay off and in big ways. “This summer I played on the USA U-17 5 Nations Team,” Schweitzer said.

Schweitzer and the rest of his team traveled to Budapest, Hungary, and Slovakia. In a matter of two weeks, the boys on the team became brothers, while also getting a record of 4-2. Schweitzer talked fondly of his summer adventures, going on to say. “There is no feeling that compares to putting that USA jersey on. I got chills every time I did,” Schweitzer said.

As well as playing for the USA team, Schweitzer gets to look forward to playing for Colorado College. Going into his junior year, he doesn’t have the normal worries of the college search. Schweitzer recently decided to continue his academic and athletic career at Colorado College. “It was everything I was looking for and I think it is the best opportunity for me as a player, person, and student,” Schweitzer, who committed to Colorado in September, said.

Without his routine, Schweitzer wouldn’t be able to balance everything. As he looks to the future and remembers the past seasons, he has learned what matters the most. He has a remarkable future ahead of him, but he chooses to focus on what matters most now: BSM hockey. “The biggest thing is treating everyone with respect.” Schweitzer said.