Since the age of three, senior Layne Martin has been playing hockey with only one goal in mind: to play Division I college hockey.
“To achieve this goal, I will have to have dedication on and off the ice all the time,” Martin said. “I will have to make every tryout I can and take every possible opportunity that comes my way.”
After three years of playing high school hockey, Martin decided to skip his senior year and get a head start on his goal by making the Toledo Cherokee, a Tier II Junior A hockey team.
“This team is composed of players under 21 and I’m the second youngest on the team,” Martin said. “It has helped me tremendously to play with players who are better than me because I learn more in every aspect of the game. I have to give my all every second of the game and I always have to be improving in order to keep up.”
After playing on the Cherokee for most of the season, Martin decided to only practice with them and instead play for the Team Toledo U18AA team.
“I wanted to finish out my year with my U18AA team at nationals,” he said. “It's not every year that players get a chance to go to nationals and I didn't want to pass up the opportunity."
After gaining experience with the Cherokee and Team Toledo, Martin plans on making a Tier I National American Hockey League (NAHL) team in Michigan.
“Next year I am not going to college, I will be taking a year off to focus solely on hockey,” Martin said. “I hope to make an NAHL team because college scouts often attend these games. If a scout recruits me, I can still receive college athletic scholarships even after taking a year off.”
Martin decided to play for the Junior A Toledo Cherokee and U18 Team Toledo because it increases the chances of achieving his goal, compared to only playing for his high school team.
“Playing for these teams rather than high school increases your chances of playing for a Division I college team tremendously,” he said. “Hardly anyone who only plays high school hockey makes a Division I college hockey team."
Although the senior is no longer playing for the Cherokee, this will not hurt his chances of making a Division I college team in the future.
“I will be playing more time in each game on this U18 team and there will be scouts at all of the games recruiting for higher level junior teams,” Martin said. “It's a great opportunity to be recognized because we are currently ranked #1 in the nation and scouts will want to see us play each game because of that.”
Martin’s motivation comes from his family and close friends believing that he is capable of making a Division I college team.
One of those people is his brother, sophomore Andy Martin.
“He works hard every time he steps on the ice,” Andy Martin said. “He can continue to improve enough in order to make a team.
“Also, he stays out of the trouble (drugs, alcohol) that could stop him from going. He knows that if he wants to make it, he can’t waste his time doing those things that will get him into trouble.”
Besides helping him financially, his family supports his decision to take a year off after graduation.
“It was ultimately Layne’s choice to take a year off and focus on hockey,” mother Tiffani Martin said. “I only said one thing to him about his decision. I said that if he went to college and never tried, he would always wonder if he could.
“College will always be there, but getting an opportunity to play college hockey won’t be. If he doesn’t end up making it, at least he tried. I don’t want him to have regrets.”
Love for the game will continue to inspire the senior to achieve his goal.
“The adrenaline rush is my favorite part of the game,” he said. “I would give up everything to play hockey. Being on the ice with 20 of your closest friends while doing something you love is the greatest.”