Chasing a Dream... cont. from 15
four days a week for nine months a
year. Karch would do his homework
on the way, and when they reached
their destination, Kurt would do his
own work from the car, the rink, or the
hotel room.
“We were a team, that’s what we
always said,” recalled Karch. “He got
me to where I needed to be and I did
my job out on the ice. There is not
anyone who did more for me than him.
There is also not anybody that I love
more than him.”
All that traveling meant that
Karch missed out on many “normal
kid” activities, but he wouldn’t have
it any other way. Hockey has always
been his choice. “Every year we ask
him, do you really want to commit to
another year of this, and it’s absolutely
yes,” explained Kurt. “He loves it, and
there’s a spiritual component to his
motivation.”
Karch explained it this way. “As
a strong follower of Christ, I believe
He gave me my talent as a gift,
and I will use the gift He
gave me and play for
God’s glory.”
Last fall,
using his gift
led him away
from home,
family, and
friends
to Culver
Military
Academy.
With Karch
beginning
high school
and his hockey
demands increasing, the family needed to
find a school nearer to a strong hockey
program. They considered several private schools in Detroit so Karch could
remain on his club team at the time,
but they were worried about him moving to Detroit alone and being shuttled
back and forth from school to practice
by the families of his teammates. The
only other option was Culver, which
had a strong hockey team right
on campus. In the end, they
left the decision up to him.
“I did what I have done
for all my major decisions,” recalled Karch. “I prayed to God
and I just had and still have
this feeling that helps me a ton
in deciding what I am going to.
It has worked every time so I
have stuck with it.”
Karch quickly found out
that Culver Military Academy
is not your ordinary high
school. Students are awoken
each morning by a cannon
blast. From 8 to 10 pm, they
are not allowed to use cell
phones, even for texting, and
when students break rules,
instead of sitting in detention,
they clean bathrooms or muck
o ]??H ?[ ?[??\?Y??\?[??H\? HXZ?K]\? B?? Y[??? K??[ ?\?\?[??[\ ?\??]?H\??[ [[?H[?\??????Y X?][?? H?[ ?[?? ?]X?X[??]]\??[??S?????H\??[??H ?? ???'[?B??]?\????? [?B?\?H [?[?? ?8?'B??\????ZY ???'H?Y?[?^B?[?]8?&\?Y????R B???\? ?????\[?K?B?Y^X?[? ?\?Y[?8?&\?]Y? \?Z]\??\?Y ??? ??[ ?\?\? YX\?????\? \?H????'B?\?]H]?[?? ?Y?\???[?[?\?[ H?]??[ \?K??\??\? ?\?H??[? ?]\?X?\?[??8?'H ???\? [???\?H H ?? ?X\???HX?YY???? \?K8?'HH ?ZY 8?' B????^H[? HX?Y[ZX???'B???'H ?[ \?H B??Y?H?]?B?YH ? ^H?????8?&\???x?'B??? M?0??H?Y]?? ?X\?\?H0???X??X\?H8?& L????[?YY? Y?H ?B??