Family hobby pays dividends for California NTDP forward
By John Raffel Dec. 9, 2005
Special to usahockey.com
Steve and Joan Rakhshani decided one day to pick up a hobby, and rollerblading fit the bill. As an unexpected consequence of that decision, their son has emerged as one of the most valuable members of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program.
Rhett Rakhshani (Huntington Beach, Calif.) presently plays for the NTDP’s Under-18 Team, and has played inline hockey for 11 years, which his dad says helped the younger Rakhshani prepare himself a future in ice hockey.
Football, however, is the main sport in the Rakhshani family background. Steve Rakhshani played football at the University of Hawaii and his brother, Dick, played on two national champion teams at the University of Southern California.
As their hobby, inline skating for Steve Rakhshani and his wife eventually led to inline hockey as a family activity.
“We’d get a bunch of people to play with us,” Steve said. “We eventually got Rhett involved with it. Around here in California, [inline hockey] is huge. The sport is going like crazy, and a lot of kids go into ice hockey.
“Rhett enjoyed playing [inline hockey]. He and the others would play as much hockey as they could get. It was fun.”
Last season, Rakhshani played in 63 games as an alternate captain for the U.S. Under-17 Team and recorded 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points, the second-highest total on the team. He also scored one goal and added three assists for Team USA in a championship effort at the Four Nations Cup in Rochester, N.Y.
“I’ve made a lot of improvement [this season],” said Rakhshani, who said he has benefited from the team's NCAA schedule, which includes Division I and III opponents. “The college game is so much faster. You have to learn how to make better decisions.”
During the 2003-04 season, Rakhshani saw action in 56 games for the California Wave, a Midget AAA team, and recorded 54 goals and 67 assists for 112 points. The previous year, with the Wave Bantam AAA team, he scored 105 points. He has also competed in USA Hockey's Select 15 and 16 camps.
Rakhshani’s mother stays with her son in an apartment near the rink in Ann Arbor, Mich., and is right there providing an accredited home school program for Rhett.
“It’s a huge commitment from my wife,” said Steve, who commutes back and forth to Michigan to see as many games as possible. “That way, in home school, Rhett gets a more flexible schedule. He’s been home-schooled since the first grade.”
And he continues to provide key contributions to the NTDP.
“He’s been a good playmaker for us,” said John Hynes, the NTDP's U18 head coach. “He has a great knack for the game. He’s developing into an elite player.”
Rakhshani’s career will take a new turn next year when he joins the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. He has signed to play at the University of Denver, the two-time defending national champions.
“They’ve had a successful program there,” Rakhshani said. “When I visited the school, I felt very comfortable there. I like the coaching staff and their style of play.”
Whatever happens in the future, Rakhshani will always be grateful that his parents got him involved in inline hockey.
“It’s 4-on-4, no checking,” he said. “It gives you a chance to work on your skills. You work very hard. When I played [inline hockey], that’s how I developed my shot for ice hockey.”
He’s hoping his shot will be at its best next April when the Under-18 Team plays at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Sweden.
“The Four Nations tournaments that we’re in will be good training for us at the world tournament,” he said.
Rhett Rakhshani (Huntington Beach, Calif.) presently plays for the NTDP’s Under-18 Team, and has played inline hockey for 11 years, which his dad says helped the younger Rakhshani prepare himself a future in ice hockey.
Football, however, is the main sport in the Rakhshani family background. Steve Rakhshani played football at the University of Hawaii and his brother, Dick, played on two national champion teams at the University of Southern California.
As their hobby, inline skating for Steve Rakhshani and his wife eventually led to inline hockey as a family activity.
“We’d get a bunch of people to play with us,” Steve said. “We eventually got Rhett involved with it. Around here in California, [inline hockey] is huge. The sport is going like crazy, and a lot of kids go into ice hockey.
“Rhett enjoyed playing [inline hockey]. He and the others would play as much hockey as they could get. It was fun.”
Last season, Rakhshani played in 63 games as an alternate captain for the U.S. Under-17 Team and recorded 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points, the second-highest total on the team. He also scored one goal and added three assists for Team USA in a championship effort at the Four Nations Cup in Rochester, N.Y.
“I’ve made a lot of improvement [this season],” said Rakhshani, who said he has benefited from the team's NCAA schedule, which includes Division I and III opponents. “The college game is so much faster. You have to learn how to make better decisions.”
During the 2003-04 season, Rakhshani saw action in 56 games for the California Wave, a Midget AAA team, and recorded 54 goals and 67 assists for 112 points. The previous year, with the Wave Bantam AAA team, he scored 105 points. He has also competed in USA Hockey's Select 15 and 16 camps.
Rakhshani’s mother stays with her son in an apartment near the rink in Ann Arbor, Mich., and is right there providing an accredited home school program for Rhett.
“It’s a huge commitment from my wife,” said Steve, who commutes back and forth to Michigan to see as many games as possible. “That way, in home school, Rhett gets a more flexible schedule. He’s been home-schooled since the first grade.”
And he continues to provide key contributions to the NTDP.
“He’s been a good playmaker for us,” said John Hynes, the NTDP's U18 head coach. “He has a great knack for the game. He’s developing into an elite player.”
Rakhshani’s career will take a new turn next year when he joins the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. He has signed to play at the University of Denver, the two-time defending national champions.
“They’ve had a successful program there,” Rakhshani said. “When I visited the school, I felt very comfortable there. I like the coaching staff and their style of play.”
Whatever happens in the future, Rakhshani will always be grateful that his parents got him involved in inline hockey.
“It’s 4-on-4, no checking,” he said. “It gives you a chance to work on your skills. You work very hard. When I played [inline hockey], that’s how I developed my shot for ice hockey.”
He’s hoping his shot will be at its best next April when the Under-18 Team plays at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Sweden.
“The Four Nations tournaments that we’re in will be good training for us at the world tournament,” he said.
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