Michael Whitten didn’t begin skating regularly until he was 32. His sons, 12-year-old Tyler and 7-year-old Ryan, have stepped on the ice a lot earlier in their lives.
Whitten was at the Connery Rink Sunday for a Lynn Youth Hockey open-ice session that welcomes players of all ages. Tyler and Ryan were having a great time working on their ice skating and stickhandling skills with their father, while their mother, Jocelyn Whitten was watching and providing encouragement from her seat in the Connery bleachers.
“I live on Sluice Pond and I started skating about a dozen years ago,” said Michael Whitten. “I’m originally from Lynn and moved back to the city when I got married.”
Whitten has been involved in Lynn Youth Hockey for six years. He was one of his son Tyler’s coaches on the 2019-20 Lynn Jets Pee Wee I team. The Pee Wees had a strong season before it was cut short by COVID-19. Younger son Ryan is a skater in the LYH Mites program.
Whitten, who works for MIT Lincoln Laboratory at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, said he couldn’t be happier with Lynn Youth Hockey and the positive experience the program is giving his two sons as they progress their hockey careers and further their enthusiasm for the sport.
“Lynn Youth Hockey is a fantastic program,” said Whitten. [LYH President] Brian Boisson is a great guy and he’s done a lot with this program. He’s grown this program by leaps and bounds since he stepped in. It’s been great. This is our sixth year and we look forward to being a part of it every year.”
Whitter said both Tyler and Ryan hope to play high school hockey. Tyler should be ready to take the next step into varsity hockey soon.
“Tyler plays defense. Ryan’s not sure yet, but he says he wants to be a winger,” reported the proud dad after spending a fun Sunday with his family at the hometown hockey rink.