Coaching with a Family

May 9, 2014

The NAU Division II Ice Jacks have been around for quite some time. Once coach Travis Johanson stepped into the head coaching position, all things changed for both the team, and the coach. With the Ice Jacks having a 27-11-1 season, and making it all the way to Boston for the ACHA National Championships, Coach Johanson was there the entire way for these men.

Travis was one of many who was actually born and raised in Flagstaff. Despite growing up in Northern Arizona, Johanson left to pursue other dreams.

“I left in High School to play midgets and juniors in Canada, in search of better hockey and try to go further in hockey," Johanson says.

After leaving Flagstaff High School, Johanson realized that hockey in Canada wasn't working as planned for him, as it was for his sister. His sister played in Minnesota for six years while attending school with a few famous names like Crosby, Toews, Parise and more.

While in Canada, Johanson attended Athol Murry Collage Notre Dame in Wilcox, Saskatchewan.

"Playing in Canada was tough, being a Yankee as they called us Americans. Being so far away from home in a different country was a bit scary," Johanson says. "It was a huge and difficult transition not only in hockey but life and school."

School was something in particular that was more difficult for him, especially since Canadians use the metric system. Johanson says that out of everything, hockey was the easiest.

"It was a huge eye-opener playing against big Saskatchewan farm kids," he said. "When I went up I was small and I didn't grow much until after high school."

Despite going to school in a whole different country without knowing anybody, fighting was one thing that Johanson became fairly good at.

"The big eye-opener was having to fight, which I didn't have much experience with while playing in the United States. I had a few here but when you get your stick up on someone, you better expect there would be a fight," Johanson says.

Johanson also says that fighting was a good thing because "it showed me how the game is supposed to be played,"  and that he had the chance to play with guys that have made some great hockey careers.

Now, Johanson's journey didn't stop there, he eventually came back to America. And after being in Canada for just a year, when he returned back to Flagstaff, he broke his leg, and then decided to play another year of hockey, just for his dad.

"It was an awesome year," he said, "There was a group of guys from Flagstaff, about 12-15 guys that had played together since we were five or so."

Previously during that year, five or six of them came back for a final year, and then they ended up winning a Rocky Mountain District Championship.

After Johanson decided to hang up his skates as a player, he began working for Eagle Mountain construction and is now a superintendent. Johanson has been involved in tons of projects here in Flagstaff.

Now, just because he started his life back here in Flagstaff, didn't stop him from getting on the ice at any chance he could get.

Travis Johanson has been the head coach for the NAU Division II Ice Jacks for two years, and spent three to four years as an assistant coach. With Johanson as the head coach, the Ice Jacks have had some success, like their recent trip to Boston for the ACHA National Championship.

Coaching for the Ice Jacks has not been easy for Johanson. "It is tough, especially this year just having our second boy in July. It was hard leaving my wife Jo'el with a new born and a 2 1/2 year old."

Johanson also adds, "My wife is awesome, letting me coach and be away so much, she keeps us all together."

Having a family and being a coach is not an easy thing to do.

"It's very tiring, especially during the week leaving the rink around 11 at night and being up for work at 4:30," Johanson says. "After practice is hard to fall asleep because your mind is running a million times a minute. Then when I get home it's time to be dad and make dinner, play with the boys, change diapers, put them to bed, and do it all over again."

For Johanson it is not an easy thing to do, but he somehow finishes out each day strong. Super dad? Maybe. Dedicated parent and head coach, most definitely.