The Amarillo Bulls season opener is Sept. 15. The Bulls get players from all around the world and 19-year-old, Alex Lycett is one of them. Lycett is from Trenton, Michigan and has been skating ever since he was two. To get ready for the upcoming season, Lycett said he works out, shoots pucks, and stick handles everyday.

“My dad played hockey at Michigan State,” Lycett said. “I’m trying to follow in his footsteps and play division one.”

The Amarillo Bulls is a junior ice hockey team and currently has 25 players on the team. Many hockey players have started on a junior ice hockey team, but upgrade to a division one team. Lycett said that his hockey family means everything to him.

“It’s the best community in the world,” Lycett said. “I’ve met life long friends and amazing role models.”

There are 15 forward players total and Lycett is one of them. Lycett said being a teammate means you have to sacrifice yourself for the betterment of the team. Although he enjoys playing hockey, he makes school work a priority.

“The rink is the only place in the world where I am stress free,” Lycett said. “It’s actually necessary for me to get away for a few hours. It allows me to focus on school when I need to.”

Most of the Bulls players live with a local host family during the season, which is called a billet family. Lycett is currently living with sophomore Lauren Corea’s family. This is the second year the Corea family has been a billet family. 

“We form brother sister relationships,” Corea said. “We fight, laugh, and we’re just like a brother and sister, but just temporarily.”

At the end of the season the billet brothers go back to their hometown, but they may return the following season. The Corea family looks forward to the billet brothers coming each year.  They have had a billet brother that lives all the way on the outside of Russia. Corea said that when the billet brothers leave it is bittersweet.

“I’m sad and happy at the same time,” Corea said. “I’m ready for my freedom but not ready to see them go.”

Corea attends all of the Amarillo Bull’s games.  She enjoys going to all of the games and getting to take the sports photos for the hockey players.

“My favorite thing about hockey is being able to yell at them when they are fighting and when they score a goal,” Corea said.