Justin Butler: Georgetown Prep Ice Hockey
Junior Justin Butler of Prep will have a promising future in hockey wherever he may play.
Photo By: Paolo Galli / GamedayMD.com | VIEW GALLERY
Justin Butler leads his team with 39 goals scored on the season.
Photo By: Paolo Galli / GamedayMD.com | VIEW GALLERY
One of the elements that makes Justin Butler such an outstanding forward is: the overall intensity that he has.
Photo By: Paolo Galli / GamedayMD.com | VIEW GALLERY
BETHESDA, MD - The world of ice hockey is full of its own unique sets of challenges as a sport. Where, you not only have to work as a team, but you also, have to keep up with changing tempo of the game. These two elements are what the best of teams have mastered.
A good example of this can be seen with Georgetown Prep Little Hoyas, as they are ranked number three in the state and have an array of offensive / defensive weapons, one of the most notable would include: Justin Butler.
Who, is currently the team leader in: goals (39), assists (36) and points (75). Yet, beneath all of the stats, it is clear that there is so much more to this standout forward than meets the eye.
Team
Upon visiting with Justin, the first thing that immediately catches your attention is the fact that he is not a team captain. This is despite the fact that he is the team's leading scorer. The reason why is: Justin only wants to help out the entire team as much as possible.
The best way that he can achieve this objective, is through helping them address any weaknesses they may have. Over the course of time, this has allowed him to gel with the key players on his right and left wings (Devin Dwyer, Pat Hall and Kyle Chadwick).
Together, this attitude has allowed the front line of the Little Hoyas to become one of the most challenging in the league.
Intensity
One of the elements that make Butler such an outstanding forward is: the overall intensity that he has. This can be seen by looking at how much time he spends constantly practicing on becoming better, both in practice and individually.
As far as practice is concerned, Justin has mainly been working on his stick handling, passing and trying to mirror situations that will take place during a game.
Then, individually Butler will work on more effectively handling the puck and improving his overall shooting ability. These overall elements have allowed him, to become more versatile than the standard middle slap shot that he has often used.
Instead, allowing him to be able to score from the extreme right and left sides, making it more challenging to defend him.
Do Not Worry About the Score
A major problem that many athletes have is: they worry about what the scoreboard says. This often causes their overall level of play to decline, as they subconsciously reflect what the scoreboard is showing.
In the case of Butler, he is focused on playing mistake free hockey with him saying, "To stay consistently focus on playing the same way each and every game; I pay attention to the little things, playing the very best I can along with not worrying about the score."
These different elements have allowed Butler, to keep the Little Hoyas in those games where opponents may have taken the early lead. Yet, as the course of the game continues, their overall level of play declines, because they think they have won the game.
It is at this point, that Butler and the Little Hoyas can score the critical goals, which will put them right back in the game. This is arguably is what makes the Little Hoyas one of the most unpredictable teams in the conference.
Always Staying in Hockey Mode
Despite, hockey being a winter sport, Butler is always staying in hockey mode by spending at least one day a week on the ice, during the off-season, and playing in various summer leagues (such as the one he played in last summer).
Combine this with the fact that he also works on his physical conditioning and strength training during this time; is what helps to keep him in top physical shape year round. As a result, once the season is ready to start, Butler is physically and mentally ready.
While, no one knows what the future will hold, it is clear, that next year Butler could be one of the players to watch. Especially when you consider the fact that he always wants to improve and has the emotional support of his family.
All of the different elements together are what make Butler one of the standout forwards in the D.C. metro area.
