Next stop: UW

[img1]Damir Alic isn't new to the game of hockey.

His playing days began as a 6-year-old in Germany. Now, as center for the Everett Silvertips, the 18-year-old is getting ready to attend the UW, where he'll enroll next fall.

Alic was born in the former Yugoslavia in 1987, but left the country with his family in 1991 after the Balkan War began. The family made its home in Germany for six years before coming to the United States.

As a child, Alic loved to play sports, but found his true calling when he began playing hockey, his mother Lenka, recalls.

"In Germany, a lot of his friends got into trouble at an early age," she said. "But hockey kept Damir away from trouble and it made me, as a parent, really happy."

Alic and his older brother Sasha would frequently spend afternoons at the ice rink, which allowed them to form a close bond.

"We always loved each other, but like all brothers, we loved to fight against each other all the time," Sasha said. "I always protected him and he was always on my side no matter what."

School, hockey and work have caused the brothers to drift slightly apart, but they remain close.

The Silvertips team joined the Western Hockey League (WHL) three years ago and made its home 30 miles north of Seattle in Everett, Wash. While the Seattle Thunderbirds have been a well-known name in the Northwest hockey world for the past 20 years, the Silvertips are quickly becoming a top team in the league, now in the conference finals of the playoffs.

The majority of players in the WHL -- a junior hockey league that can pave the way for a National Hockey League career -- are Canadian-born. The league has a total of 20 teams, five of which are in the United States.

American-raised players -- not to mention local talent -- are rare in the league, which is part of what makes Alic unique. He is the first person from Washington to play for the 'Tips.

Jay Varady, the team's assistant coach believes that by coming from "a non-traditional hockey area," Alic has overcome substantial odds against him.

Each summer, the 'Tips host a training camp for prospective players from the United States and Canada.

When Alic received a phone call from Varady, who invited him to attend the camp, he was unsure about his future. He was supposed to leave that day to attend a hockey camp in British Columbia but decided that because Everett's camp was closer to home and in a better league, he would change his plans.

"He came to training camp and impressed the scouts with his tireless work ethic," Varady said. "After making the team, he continued to excel because of his dedication."

Alic joined the Silvertips last fall and has proven a worthy addition to the team. He played in 58 of the 72 regular season games and scored five goals while adding five assists.

"Damir has added a physical presence to the Silvertips line-up on a consistent basis," Varady said.

Alic's parents and brother are strong supporters of the team and enjoy watching the games. The highlight for Sasha is watching his younger brother hit an opponent and hearing the crowd cheer and yell his name.

While he likes scoring goals and making plays on the ice, Alic believes there are other important aspects to the game.

"I enjoy playing with friends and teammates that you can trust on and off the ice," he said.

Alic intends to continue playing with the Silvertips while attending the UW next year. In order to make the transition easier, Alic will attend classes at the Bothell campus, which is allowing freshman to enroll for the first time this fall. He will take classes in the morning, which will allow him to return to Everett in the afternoon for practice.

Due to the intense training and game schedule for the Silvertips, the majority of players who are attending college take online classes, Varady said.

After graduating from Foster High School in Tukwila last spring, Alic opted to take a year off from school. He knew he wanted to attend Washington eventually, in part because Sasha is a junior majoring in computer technology. In addition, most of his classmates from high school are enrolled at the UW, he said.

Making the transition easier is the Bill and Melinda Gates Scholarship Alic earned, which will cover most of his college expenses. This academic scholarship is awarded to students in select Washington high schools, based on financial need or other reasons.

There are several steps to the application process, including writing various essays about life experiences, education and the importance of receiving the scholarship, which is good at any Washington university.

After making it past the first round, Alic spent a day at Seattle University with other potential scholarship recipients. The day consisted of group tasks and "answering questions that are about life and the future of the world," he said.

The final round was spent at Eastern Washington and Gonzaga, where he was able to get a taste of the college experience.

The Silvertips and the WHL also offer a scholarship for each year a player is with the team, which pays for one year of tuition, campus living and books. Alic plans to use this scholarship to pay for anything the Gates Scholarship may not cover.

"If a player plays four years for the Silvertips, then that player will have four years of scholarship money available to pursue any secondary education options they desire," Varady explained.

Alic hasn't decided on a major, but is favoring either pre-law or computer science. After college, he would like to get a well-paying job but is also considering returning to Germany to play professional hockey in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, also known as the DEL.

"It was always a dream as a little kid to once play in that league," he said.

The skills and knowledge that he has learned from playing with potential NHL players has given him valuable insight into the future.

Lenka hopes that her son will fulfill his life-long goal of playing hockey but also receive a good education at the UW.

"I not only have learned important skills for the game of hockey," Alic said. "But also life skills."