By Luciana Mendes
Staff Writer
Starting off the year at a new school is always frightening. However, senior Teemu Tiitinen joins the Coppell class of 2010 with a bright perspective on the upcoming year.
“It’s not easy coming into a brand new school as a senior,” Tiitinen said. “Everyone already has their group of friends that they’ve known throughout high school. I feel like a freshman all over again just trying to figure my way around the school.”
Tiitinen moved from Suwanee, Ga., in order to play left wing for the elite U18 AAA Stars hockey team. Though he had to leave behind his friends and family, it was an opportunity simply too good to pass up. Tiitinen is currently living with a host family. Although he has always played hockey at a high level, this is the first year Tiitinen has strayed away from home.
“Living with another family is so different,” Tiitinen said. “It forces me to become much more independent. For one, there is no one to remind me to do my homework or clean my room. Also, the family dynamics vary greatly from my home in Georgia. It’s definitely a learning experience for me.”
Tiitinen did not come alone, however. Junior Michael Lant, who played with Tiitinen on AAA Thunder hockey team in Georgia, also made the move to Coppell.
“It feels good to have a friend here already,” Lant said. “I mean, Teemu and I didn’t know many of the guys on the team before we moved here, but we have each other. It makes things easier. We just try to stay busy so we don’t miss home as much.”
After a thirteen and a half hour drive, Tiitinen arrived in his new home in Coppell only three days before school commenced. He was just in time for the new team to start practice as well. The U18 AAA Dallas Stars team is made up of 20 players. Like Tiitinen, the majority of the boys are not from Texas and also live with host families around the area.
“We practice for hours every day after school and are gone every other weekend for some tournament around the nation,” teammate Jeff McMinimy said. “It’s unrealistic for us to hope for a normal high school experience, but playing hockey at this level is worth it. None of us can go to Homecoming. I’m just hoping we have the weekend off for senior Prom.”
Tiitinen is not all brawn and no brains. At his previous high school, Tiitinen was an honor student and managed to maintain a 3.8 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
“He can speak Finnish, he’s in advanced classes, and he has one of the best work ethics I’ve seen,” freshman and teammate Tanner Karty said. “Teemu has got a good head on his shoulders.”
However, unlike many seniors anxious about getting into university, Tiitinen sets his sights elsewhere for the time being. He hopes to go back to his childhood home in Finland and play hockey after graduation. In fact, earlier this year he was selected for the 2009 Finland Under-18 National Team which competed at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial August 11-15 in Piestany, Slovakia.
“Playing on the Finnish team for the summer was such an incredible experience,” Tiitinen said. “I just want to see how I do staying far from home this year. Although I grew up in Finland, it would still be quite a jump to go back for a full year.”
