Briar Woods hockey player Andrew Painter plays hard and gives back
ASHBURN, Va. — Andrew Painter is a kind, responsible student athlete who knows the value of working hard, playing hard, and giving back. A junior at Briar Woods High School, 17-year-old Andrew, has been playing hockey for the past 11 years and has learned some valuable life lessons from this beloved sport.
Born in Virginia, Andrew, started playing hockey at age 5 and fell in love with it. His family moved to Sarasota, Florida for a few years and he continued to play while he lived there. His family eventually moved back to the NOVA area where he has been playing on three different travel teams over seven years. “One thing I love about hockey is how it is very difficult and takes a lot of time to get skillful at it,” he shares. “And then the feeling of scoring or making a good play knowing all the work you’ve put into it was worth it.”
Andrew played one season of hockey for Eagle Ridge Middle School but sustained a knee injury which kept him from playing the sport he loved for a while. Through his network of support and perseverance, he learned a valuable lesson, “Surround yourself with people who build you up and push you to be better and don’t let your passion die out,” he shares. Andrew found his way back onto the rink and has been playing center position (similar to a midfielder in soccer or a football quarterback) for Briar Woods since his freshman year of high school. “At center, I transition in between offense and defense; I also have to understand the goal of what to do on the ice and where everyone else should be playing,” he says. “I’ve learned from hockey that I am responsible for the mistakes I make. Once the play is over, I have the choice to hang my head and be upset about something I’ve done wrong or learn from it and go back on the ice to improve so I don’t do it again.”
When Andrew is not on the ice rink and supporting his team, he is a dedicated student completing schoolwork and working towards college with a focus in criminology or business entrepreneurship. He works part time at Robeks, and volunteers his time giving back to the community. Andrew has more than 250 hours of community service helping hand out food to the homeless in Washington, DC, planting trees in honor of fallen soldiers, and building outdoor classrooms for local music therapy organizations that help provide an inclusive environment for people with disabilities.
Whether working hard, playing hard, or giving back, Andrew is a dedicated and compassionate young athlete. One piece of advice he’d like to share with other young athletes is, “Always be open to learning. A lot of bad things happen, but every bad thing that happens comes with a lesson if you choose to learn from it.”
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