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Thursday, July 24, 2008

Cedar Crest Teen Defies the Norm in Front of the Net

By Harold Smith
Mountain View Telegraph
          Whose to say what's "normal", or what isn't for that matter?
        Take 14-year-old John P. Posler for instance. The high school freshman, who lives in Cedar Crest, leads a life that is rather outside the box.
        "He's actually fully matriculated into Clonlara (School)," said John's mother, Linda Posler, who has a PhD in instructional design.
        Clonlara is a private institution with a campus in Ann Arbor, Mich. It also has a home-based education program, in which John, who is considering a career as a marine biologist, studies online.
        John also plays the viola.
        Then, there's the matter of John's physical education. That aspect of home-schooling is accomplished by some families by having their children participate in traditional sports via Little League, parochial organizations or with clubs that compete in the likes of football and basketball.
        But customary, though John is a former East Mountain Little League baseball all-star, isn't the path John and his family have chosen to trod in pursuit of his athletic goals.
        You see, John is an up-and-coming junior ice hockey player. Yes, ice hockey — in New Mexico.
        "I think I made the decision to play hockey when I was 7," said John just prior to his 8 p.m. practice session at Outpost Ice Arena in Albuquerque on Monday. "I saw the movie, 'The Mighty Ducks.' I started as a mite. When I started, I was just a player, played mostly defense. Mainly, I'm playing for my age-group team now, but I travel, too. Up in Canada, I played with the older kids."
        John's choice of ice hockey isn't so odd when you consider his parents' roots. His father, John J. Posler, who recently retired after 25 years working for the city of Albuquerque, grew up in Michigan, and his mother, whose father played semipro hockey in New York, is from Massachusetts.
        "I played when I was young," his father said. "I was raised on a farm, played on ponds or swamps and lakes around the area. When my son was little (about 5), he went to a friend's birthday party here (at Outpost). He was skating around, and then he saw the little kids with their uniforms. He asked us, 'Can I do that?' And we said, 'OK.' We got him some lessons, and the rest is history."
        His New Mexico Icebreakers team won two state club championships, one in the peewee division for 11- and 12-year-olds and then one in the bantam, 13-14 age group.
        Even in ice hockey, John hasn't been one to follow the masses.
        "I became a goalie just because it's a lot more fun," he said. "It's more exciting. In the beginning, it was even exciting to get the new gear."
        John was a formidable presence during practice. Attired in his padded goalie garb with helmet, skates and gloves, he appeared much bigger than his stated 5-feet-10 and 145 pounds.
        "He's a real good goaltender," said John's coach, Paul Farias. "He's an excellent goalie for his age group. Now, he'll be playing triple-A bantam. That's the highest it (the skill levels) go in his age group. For every goalie, including ones with equal skills, it's his mind and the ability to focus that makes the difference. John has that, and he has the heart and desire."
        But to compete at the AAA level, John and his mother will be temporarily moving to the Phoenix area. There simply aren't enough AAA bantam players in New Mexico, and the population base in southern Arizona is such that AAA teams can be formed.
        "He does need some work on his lateral movement," said Farias, who played Division II club hockey while at the University of New Mexico. "But I'm not saying that's bad for his age. With his focus, he'll be able to continue to improve. I'll be happy if he can compete at the NCAA level some day."
        John, who is a Detroit Red Wings fan, will depart for Arizona next month. He'll stay there about six months.
        "But it isn't like six months straight," John said. "We may be gone for a month, then come back home for a week," he said.
        "I want to make it to the NHL," he added.