Yankton Hockey has had its fare share of catching up to other towns in South Dakota and the Midwest since establishing a program in 2010.

The association is using the summer to educate themselves in the rink. A handful of players have been playing in the Northland Hockey League in Minnesota.

“Last year we had a few of us who went up and played,” Yankton hockey player Austin Barger said. “We have had a better outcome this summer with more people putting in efforts to play during the offseason.”

Barger said they traveled all around the Land of 10,000 Lakes playing in tournaments and games alike.

“We basically traveled all over Minnesota,” he said. “We played a few tournaments in the Twin Cities. All of our practices were based out of Laverne, though.”

This summer, the younger hockey players have taken their summer as a time to get better in hockey.

“These younger kids are getting very good,” said Yankton hockey player Charlie Stephenson, who played with a team from Mitchell in the league. “During the offseason or during the season, kids are finally realizing what it takes to compete at a certain level. We realized as a program we can compete, but it's going to take some work.”

Barger said the level of competition he has seen these past two summers has helped his work during the regular season.

“That hockey is very fast paced,” he said. “It really helps when we come back, you see what you've improved on and you're able to adjust against some of the faster teams. The game kind of slows down a bit.”

Just like any sport, hockey is a great bonding experience.

“It's been great working with a few of my teammates and then kids from other towns,” Barger said. “You get to meet new people and see what other kids around the Midwest have to offer.”

Stephenson feels his squad can compete with anybody, but working when others don't is the first key to success before the season even starts.

“The difference is basically made right now,” he said. “We have guys who are going to have breakout years, they're setting this to a whole new level, while other teams and kids are focusing on other sports.”

Barger, who quit his other sports to focus on hockey, feels like all of his hard work is about to pay off.

“We're trying to make up for lost time,” he said. “I'm expecting the start of the season to go smoothly, we will be conditioned already. We try to keep connected with everyone in the summer, but it's tough. A lot of people are getting hours put in, which is great to see.”

With the surge of hockey in Yankton, Stephenson see's the games' stock rising.

“You always see younger kids in the rink,” he said. “They are very good, too. They soak it all in, they come to games, practices, you name it. When you see 40-plus kids in a rink on any given time, you can really see the growth.”

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