Guymon embracing experience in Sweden


By Matt Mackinder I


t’s not uncommon for teenagers to move away from home to play junior hockey to further their on-ice careers. Nate Guymon is a perfect example, the only difference being he moved


across the Atlantic Ocean to continue his development - all the way to Swe- den. After a game last season as a member of the Rocky Mountain RoughRid-


ers’ 16U team, Guymon had a by-chance meeting with a player representative from Sweden who asked if he’d like to spend his junior year of high school playing overseas. A four-day tryout with the team in Sweden over spring break ensued, and


an offer was extended to Guymon to join the team. “It just ended up being a great opportunity that kind of fell into my lap,”


said Guymon, a defenseman who now mans the blue line for the Vasteras VIK Under-20 team. “I lived in Sweden when I was younger because of my dad’s job, so I knew the language and a little bit about the culture. “When I sit back and reflect on


the first few months I’ve been over here, it’s pretty humbling. Not a lot of people - especially people my age - get the opportunity to do what I’m doing, so I’m just em- bracing it.” And, to little surprise, Sweden


takes it hockey seriously. “There’s regular school and


Spending his junior year of high school playing overseas, Fort Collins’ Nate Guymon is maturing both as a player and a person. Photo/Tom Miller/Crossbar Photo


then we have hockey school,” explained Guymon, who calls Fort Collins home. “For the hockey part, we have two practices a week that are dedicated to indi- vidual skills, things you wouldn’t normally work on in a normal practice.


“It’s a different style of game, but, to be honest, it’s everything I’d hoped it


would be.” Acclimating to his surroundings also took some getting used to, but Guy-


mon has since embraced the unique opportunity and all it has to offer. “I lost my grip on the language in the 10 years I’ve been back in Colorado,


but it came back pretty easily,” said Guymon. “I can communicate with my teammates and coaches and that definitely helps. “Living by myself has been very overwhelming, but everyone I’ve met in


Sweden has helped me out and that’s made it a lot easier as well.” Modern technology has also helped ease the stress of living thousands of


miles from home. “I Skype with everybody,” said Guymon. “Being able to see and hear my


family and friends definitely takes away the feelings of being homesick.” Guymon played his Squirt through Bantam years with Northern Colorado


Youth Hockey before giving AAA hockey a go with the RoughRiders. He cred- its Rocky Mountain coach John Paris, Jr., as his biggest influence during his formative years. “It’s hard to explain, but when I played for John, he treated us all like


professionals and showed us what it’d be like down the road,” Guymon said. “John prepared us for higher levels of hockey and I learned so much from him.” Next season back in his homeland, Guymon has his eyes on playing junior


hockey in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) or United States Hockey League (USHL) and earning a Division I scholarship. “Playing D-I hockey has always been my dream and, even though there re-


ally aren’t any college scouts in Sweden, I think by playing here my game will improve and I can bring this experience home to wherever I play next season,” said Guymon. “Still, when I realize what’s happening and where I am at this stage of my


life, it’s hard not to see how lucky I am and how much I’ll be able to take away from this whole experience.”


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