Walking into the Anchorage Armada locker room for the first time was surreal. The moment I stepped in, the energy was electric. My new teammates greeted me with a mix of playful banter and genuine excitement, making me feel like I was already part of the family. The veterans were quick to introduce themselves, shaking hands and throwing out nicknames. It was clear they had done this before—they knew how to make a rookie feel welcome.

To my surprise, the team had organized a small welcome party for the new draftees. After practice, the coaches and older players gathered everyone around, and we were treated to a spread of food and drinks. They handed us jerseys with our names on them, officially marking our place on the team. A few of the guys even shared stories of their first days in the league, which had everyone laughing and eased any lingering nerves.

It wasn’t just about the formalities, though. The entire team made an effort to include us in everything, from locker room jokes to planning our first team outing. Hard work and camaraderie set the tone for what I know will be an incredible season.