Children often follow the path that their parents guide them along in life, and John Wiitala has been no exception.
Wiitala, now in his second season at Ohio State, gives significant credit to his father, Marty, with helping him reach the Division I hockey ranks. Marty played four years for the Wisconsin Badgers, whom he captained as a senior in 1985-86.
Along with the hockey in his bloodline, growing up in Lakeville, Minn., meant that Wiitala’s winters as a child were spent playing pickup games with his friends on one of the numerous local lakes.
There has been more than hockey, though. Wiitala’s life has been shaped through numerous travel experiences. Between family vacations, hockey trips and mission trips with his church, his time away from home has impacted him.
‘He’s really taught me a lot…’
Having a parent who knows what it takes to be a college athlete can be a major benefit to a student-athlete. Wiitala singles out his father’s teachings on the appropriate work ethic for NCAA Division I hockey.
“What he preaches is just doing stuff the right way,” he told Pucks and Recreation. “When I go home in the summer, it’s easy to take time off, (but) he really has instilled in me (the incentive) to work hard in the offseason and to push myself to be the best player I can be.
“He’s really taught me a lot about the little things to get your body right to play the game.”
Wiitala appears to have taken those words to heart, and has found success to this point. As a freshman, he scored 18 points in 32 games, good for eighth on the team and second among his classmates. This season, he had 10 points through the first 11 games.
Among his most impressive performances was a two-goal weekend against his dad’s old team last February, an experience he could not help admitting to have added sentimental value.
“It was fun getting to score on his old team,” he allowed. “I went to a lot of Wisconsin Badger hockey games when I was a young kid…It was a little extra special getting to score against his old team.”
(Photo credit: Ohio State Hockey)
‘I’d never seen anything like it’
Between his upbringing in Minnesota, his USHL tenure in Iowa and his ongoing college days in Columbus, Wiitala has seen his share of the Midwest. But beyond his studies and skating, he has logged valuable time in other regions.
Some of his travels in America have included annual vacations to Florida and some noteworthy destinations for hockey games. His family went to Fort Myers every spring break from the time he was four until age 15. He especially enjoyed the fact that his great-grandparents and grandparents made the trip as well, allowing for quality family time.
For hockey, his travel destinations have ranged in variety from Las Vegas to Niagara Falls, N.Y.. The latter trip occurred this past October, when his Buckeyes played the Niagara Purple Eagles. The team took a morning walk to see the falls, marking the first time Wiitala was able to witness the landmark in person.
“I’d never seen anything like it,” he remarked. “Looking at it, a lot of the guys were talking about how crazy it was that people were going off these gigantic falls in barrels and ended up surviving. It was a pretty cool thing to see for sure.”
While he has been able to explore a good portion of the United States, there are areas he still wishes to visit. Right now, California, Myrtle Beach, S.C. and some of the National Parks, particularly Yellowstone, are on the list, but he admits the list is constantly growing.
Passport required
Beyond America’s borders, Wiitala has penned four different continents to his travel log. One hockey-oriented journey had him joining his fellow Waterloo Black Hawks in Russia, where the team played in the 2012 Junior Club World Cup. Another international trek was a family vacation to Mexico.
The Wiitalas are familiar with playing hockey overseas. Martin played professionally in Vienna after his time with the Badgers.
“He said he loved it,” the younger Wiitala said. “He got to travel all over Europe, and my mom actually was over there too with him. My mom took an aerobics class, so the only German she knew was ‘to the left, to the right, faster, slower.’
“My dad always jokes that he always wished he learned German, but instead he taught his whole team English.”
Playing professionally in North America remains Wiitala’s goal after college. However, he would consider following his father’s path across the Atlantic should the first plan not pan out.
The opportunity to travel and see more of the world while being paid to play hockey appeals to him, as do some of the changes of pace from the stateside game. While playing in the aforementioned Russia tournament, he took note of the style-of-play differences, such as the emphasis on skill.
Along with those factors, the fanfare stood out as a major difference to him. The crowds were noticeably passionate during the action, but one individual spectator is ingrained in his memory.
“After a game, we were coming out, and a guy wanted us all to sign his car,” Wiitala recalled. “So we all ended up signing his car with a Sharpie marker.”
‘To be able to give back at any time is pretty special’
His family trips to Mexico and Fort Myers, Fla. have left fond memories in Wiitala’s mind. The Junior Club World Cup journey to Russia was the source of unique memories and experiences, and provided a tangible souvenir in a silver medal.
However, the trips that have stood out the most to Wiitala are of a different nature. As a child, he spent a week working at a school in the Dominican Republic with his parents, sister and other members of his church.
In high school, Wiitala and his mother went on another mission trip to Tanzania. They spent a little less than a month in the African country, visiting cities, going on safaris and working in remote villages that lacked electricity and running water.
“I think it’s really important,” he said. “We have so much, to be able to give back at any time is pretty special. I think I learned a lot, especially when we went to Tanzania.
“When I came back, and when I’d be complaining about things like my shower wasn’t getting warm enough or something like that, I was like, ‘Oh man, that sounds dumb.’ These people (in Tanzania) would be more than happy.”
Along with changing his outlook on certain aspects of his life, the people he met stood out in their spirited juxtaposition with the lack of developed conveniences. Living in a world so different than the environment most Americans have come to know requires all but unthinkable adaptability.
However, the morale of the locals opened Wiitala’s eyes.
“I thought these people were going to be miserable living this tough life,” he explained. “Despite having very little, they were a lot happier than the people (in America), who you think have so much.”
(Photo courtesy of John Wiitala)
‘We take it so for granted…’
Wiitala’s church has focused its mission on the Tanzanian village of Ilambo. Already, the church has helped to get a water well installed there.
“We take it so for granted that we can flush our toilet, or take a shower in the morning,” he said. “We ended up dumping water on our head for showers. The first shower back home was nice.
“Honestly, the two weeks we were there, we were so busy doing different things that we didn’t really think about that (no running water), but that was definitely the most interesting obstacle that we had to overcome.”
Wiitala and his mother went to Tanzania three years after his mother and sister had gone. He stayed for a month the first time, but hopes that it will not be his only trip there. Given the impact it had on him, this desire should not come as much of a surprise.
“I would love to go back to Tanzania,” he said. “I think it would be fun to go back there at some point, and maybe try to drag my dad along.”
Such an event would mark significant symmetry. John Wiitala’s foundation was shaped by his father, who helped him become a Division I college hockey player. In between, his experience in Tanzania made that country an equally important component of his life.
Bringing his dad along to a place that has influenced him so greatly, allowing Marty to witness it firsthand, could be a way to return a favor.
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