North Texas Teen Tries To Make It At Stars Development Camp
Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
FRISCO (CBS11SPORTS) - Football may be king in Texas, but for one Southlake family, hockey rules the roost. For good reason.
18-year-old Brandon O'Reilly is a participant in the Dallas Stars Development Camp in Frisco. Taking part in Tuesday's first practice is a dream came true.
"It's a surreal moment, putting on the Stars jersey," said O'Reilly after this morning's first practice. "I've grown up idolizing the whole program."
It proved to be a big day for the whole O'Reilly family, who watched today's practice from the stands at the StarCenter in Frisco. In fact, Brandan's younger brother Ryan, will join him in the Western Hockey League this fall.
The road from Southlake to the Stars Development Camp is a long, cold journey.
"It's a lot of traveling up to Boston, Michigan, Canada. A lot of time on the road in a lot of cold places." said father Jim O'Reilly.
"It would've been nice if they would've picked a sports where I could've gone to the beach..." mother Wendy added.
While the journey has often been chilly, things for Brendan appear to be warming up.
He's been a part of the Stars organization since he was six-years-old. Now he hopes to continue his climb with the help of the instruction he receives this week at the development camp.
Mother Wendy, does not question the commitment the family has made to put Brendan in a position to succeed on the ice. "We, as a family put so much into this that it's great to see the dreams starting to come true."
(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)