Jaret Fritts is a 15 year old hockey player who plays on the U16 AA team at the rink.  He attended the Johnstown Tomahawks (NAHL) main camp at St. Francis University this weekend.  Jaret started playing mites through pee wee in Hagerstown.  He was selected for the Washington Little Capitals Tier One team last season.  He is back for the upcoming season with the formation of the U16 AA team that will also play in the Diamond Division for the EJEPHL.  

Jaret attended the Swedish Elite Hockey Camp last month, which was administered by a professional coach from Sweden.  A guest instructor was Mike Letizia, who coaches the Tomahawks.  Coach Letizia saw enough in Jaret's abilities that he offered him a camp invitation.  Only 100 individuals were invited to this camp, which will host players from many different states.  Letizia was impressed with his skating ability, work ethic, attitude, and compete level.

Current and former teammates marvel at his work ethic, on and off the ice.  “I think it’s amazing that received the invite. He’s a really dedicated guy that’s got great work ethic and is beyond deserving of the opportunity,” said Will Callan, goalie on the U16 AA team.  Quinn Alley, a defensemen on the team, also grew up playing with Jaret.  “Jaret is the hardest worker I know,” he shared.  “Because of that, he is the best player on the ice no matter who else is on the ice.”

“Jaret has tremendous skating ability, a great work ethic, and his attitude is excellent,” says coach Chad Ziegler.  “He has put a ton of effort into his skating over the past several years and is at the rink nearly every Saturday doing private lessons with me. He's a leader among the U16 kids and works frequently with the younger kids in HISC programs.”

This is a great accomplishment for Jaret. He's put forth a lot of hard work and has really committed himself to becoming a very good hockey player. It's great to see him get invited to the Tomahawks Camp. This is a tremendous opportunity for exposure and a great opportunity to advance to a higher level of play. The NAHL is one of the top junior leagues in the world and a pipeline into NCAA hockey. Jaret has a great attitude and work ethic and has a very bright future in hockey and life.

So how did Jaret feel about getting invited to the camp?  "Saying that I feel honored is an understatement. It really just goes to show how much hard work pays off."

Congrats, Jaret!  We look forward to watching you play U16 at the rink this year, and look forward to following your hockey future!