Iceland to Philly: Bjorn Scoringsonn Bio [2/2]

[11 Eleven 23]

Bjorn Scoringsson was born in Reykjavik, Iceland to loving parents, both of whom played hockey professionally for the Icelandic League. From the moment he could walk and run, his parents had a stick in his hands and skates on his feet. It was this love of the game from his parents that had Bjorn hooked on hockey from as early as he could remembered. His earliest memories were of the back pond when it froze over, skating around with his two older brothers and parents, simply loving the game in its most pure form.

 

The backyard pond where Bjorn learned to skate and play.

His brothers were four and six years his senior, so of course when Bjorn's parents weren't watching or weren't around, he was beat up on (as most brothers do), and this allowed Bjorn to be toughened up a fair bit from a young age. He had to learn to play above his own age, that included skating faster and playing harder, just to keep up with his brothers. Bjorn loved playing the game with his brothers most of all, they were hard on him but they taught him so much, perhaps not from a technical standpoint, but more the intrinsic physicality and mentality needed to succeed playing the game.

His parents loved him dearly, and as the youngest child he perhaps got away with more than he should have. They drummed it into him from an early age that school was the number one priority, and hockey was a distant second. This angered Bjorn to no end as a stubborn child, as he wanted nothing more than to ditch school altogether and just spend the day on the ice with his friends. In fact, he had many detentions and disciplinary actions taken against him for doing just that. One instance had him suspended for a week for skipping school for two straight days just so he could watch his older brothers train with a local junior Icelandic national squad.

It was clear from an early age that Bjorn was hockey mad, a thing he had in common with many children his own age. As he grew up, his grades struggled severely, until it reached a point where his parents locked his skates and stick away until his grades improved. It was a tough lesson to swallow, but his love for the game was so entrenched in him as a person that he would do anything to be on the ice again. This included getting a tutor hired for him, as school never was (and never would be) something that came naturally to him.

As the years passed and Bjorn entered high school, he had finally managed to strike a healthy balance between school and hockey. While he was never a straight A student by any means, he was diligent enough in his studies to maintain a B average, something his parents were proud of him for. They understood he was never meant to be a scholar, as his one true love was out on the ice with a puck at his feet and a stick in his hands. His talent and standing in the game had improved to a point where he was actually invited to trial with the Iceland Youth Team, playing with people four and five years his senior -- including his older brother Gunnar.

 

Captain Bjorn: Bjorn Scoringsonn captains the 4th placed Icelandic Youth Team

Bjorn began to progress through the Icelandic Hockey ranks, eventually going on to captain the Youth team in his senior year of high school. The team placed 4th in the European Championships, lead by Bjorn and his championship leading 8 goal tally in a 6 game competition, something that caught the eye of many scouts across the world. This was something difficult for Bjorn to stomach: as his two older brothers, who he thought the world of, never received the attention and praise he had received. They were playing their hearts out in the Icelandic League, having to work on the docks shipping containers just to earn enough of a living, while Bjorn was getting scholarship opportunities and sponsorship offers to boot.

The toughest decision of Bjorn's life came on an early April morning, when he got the phone call from the Philadelphia Reapers, a VHLM team, offering him a contract to play for them. He was overcome by joy, and then sadness, at the prospect of leaving his parents and brothers for the first time in his life. As a semi-professional team, they didn't have the money or means to have Bjorn and his family come over, which left Bjorn with the toughest decision: to leave his family, friends and country for North America. It was a strange land he had never been to, but where he would be required to live for multiple seasons, to earn a living there.

 

Philly Bound: Bjorn received a culture shock, coming from Reykjavik to the big lights of Philadelphia

Upon arriving in Philadelphia, Bjorn was overcome with home-sickness. The hustle and bustle of such a huge city was overwhelming for a kid from Reykjavik. He was only just 18 at the time, and missed his parents and brothers dearly. The timezone difference made it difficult to even schedule time enough to face-time, let alone talk. His family was always asleep after tough practices, where Bjorn was getting exploited day in, and day out. It wasn't like Iceland anymore: everybody here played for their national team, and most of them were star players. It was the first time in Bjorn's life he actively questioned whether or not he could make it to the VHL: the idea of flying back to Iceland and playing in the local league with his brothers became more and more appealing.

Yet he stuck it out on the advice of his parents and brothers, their words ringing true. It was his destiny to play in the VHL, and with their support, he wanted to make it work. If he made it to the VHL, he would tell himself, he could afford to fly his family over to wherever he ended up, and have them around him for support for good. It was a few seasons of pain, for a much longer period of joy. Bjorn now finds himself about to debut for Philadelphia, with his eyes set on a bigger prize. He wants to be a VHL legend, not just for himself, but for his family and the Scoringsonn name.

[Rayzor_7 741]

Very well written piece.

Loving the backstory and the focus on the youth life.

Good use of your photos.

Captions under photos are a good touch

[RunnerBert11 57]

Great bio. This has a little bit of everything, one of the better written pieces I've read as far as bios go on here. Nice photos, grammar and intrigue to keep the read interesting. Excited to see what the future has in store for Scoringsonn.

Edited April 15, 2019 by RunnerBert11