Two brothers who first stepped onto the ice after Covid-19 lockdown restrictions eased have gone on to build strikingly different sporting trajectories - one in figure skating on the international circuit, the other in ice hockey across provincial age groups.
Phoenix and Connor Howie had no family background in ice sports when they joined a learn-to-skate programme at the Northgate rink shortly after the pandemic. From that shared starting point, their paths split.
Phoenix, now 14 and in Grade 9 at Reddam House Helderfontein, has been selected to represent Gauteng in ice hockey across three age groups, U16, U18 and U20, at the 2026 Ice Hockey Inter-Provincial Tournaments (IPTs).
“I am very proud to have achieved this and very excited for the opportunity to represent Gauteng,” he said. “It is a huge accomplishment as I am much younger than most of my teammates, especially in the U20 team.”
Ice hockey remains a niche sport in South Africa, with limited clubs and relatively small player pools. While movement between age groups is not unusual for strong players, selection across three first teams is rare for someone his age.
For Phoenix, the challenge has been as much physical as technical.
“It was very difficult since I am both smaller and younger,” he said. “As you move up the age groups the acceptable roughness in the game grows. It is definitely scary facing a much older and taller opponent when you are fighting for a puck.”
He has adapted through repetition and additional training, focusing on consistency rather than shortcuts.
“I attend all practices, try to improve my skills and techniques, and I am always trying my hardest whether it is a practice or a game.”
His introduction to the sport came through the same entry point as his brother. The two enrolled in a beginner skating programme together before choosing different disciplines.
“We joined the ice-skating academy at the Northgate rink and did a ‘learn to skate’ course,” Phoenix said. “Once we improved enough, we had the choice to either start figure skating or ice hockey. I went ice hockey, and he went figure skating.”
Connor pursued figure skating and has since returned from a successful European competition circuit, developing along a separate elite pathway.
Despite their different disciplines, both brothers share a similar self-driven approach to their sport, shaped by early independence rather than inherited tradition.
Balancing high-performance sport with schoolwork has required discipline.
“It is very hard to balance school and ice hockey,” Phoenix said. “I try to make the most of time in class so I know what’s going on and maintain my grades, and in practice I push myself so I can keep improving.”
Looking ahead, he is focused on continuing his development beyond school and testing himself internationally.
“My goal is to go to university abroad and play ice hockey at a higher level,” he said, “and give myself the best chance of building a future in the sport.”
From a shared introduction to skating to two distinct sporting identities, the Howie brothers’ journeys reflect how quickly early exposure - even without prior family ties to a sport - can evolve into serious competitive pathways.
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ZA