August 29, 2010 - For every player vying for a spot on any junior hockey team across the country, that goal has to start somewhere. Be it on backyard rinks, driveways or even in mom and dad's basement. But  if you happen to grow up with a sibling around the same age the drive to compete and to get better becomes even more fierce. Whether your demanding the perfect pass on your new one-timer, looking to make the big save or maybe even the odd black eye, learning the game together will make you better in the long run.

But what if you're competing with or maybe even against one another for a roster spot when you get older? Is it comforting to know you have someone out there who has your back or is it distracting worrying about your brother's game as well as your own? For Mathew and  Mitchell Backhouse, they've been there and done it before, for Bryn and Brady Chyzyk this is unfamiliar territory.

"When I played my final year of AAA midget for the Norman Northstars, Mitch was also in camp and it was our first experience competing with each other to earn a spot. I think it's a positive for both of us, we push each other. If one of us is having an off day we aren't afraid to let the other know," explains Mat the older of the two brothers.

Mitch echoed those thoughts, "it helps me out knowing Mat is out there, if he is playing well I feel I'm playing at my best as well."

For 15-year-old Brady Chyzyk, having his older brother Bryn at camp has been a real plus. "We've never had the chance to play together or compete at a camp. Bryn's experience here last year on the reserve squad through the RBC Cup helps. This is my first camp and Bryn has helped me get to know the vets here at camp. It's helped me relax and just concentrate on playing my game."

Bryn admits to being a little concerned for his younger brother in  camp.
"Its been a lot of fun but I've always got one eye on him. I'm confident in Brady's abilities but I worry about how he's handling his first big test out here. So far he's been just fine."

But last year it was the younger of the Backhouse brothers who was keeping an eye on the other. "Last year was  real exciting to watch for me and our family. I was busy last winter playing AAA with the Northstars, so I didn't get to see Mat play as much as I would've liked. But my folks had every game on the radio and I followed as much as I could that way. My folks and I came to Dauphin and stayed through the whole RBC Cup, that was amazing."

For Bryn the experience of being on the Kings reserve squad during last
year's RBC Cup was an experience he won't soon forget. "The whole experience through the Anavet Cup and RBC tournament was incredible. Just practicing and learning from the number two team in Canada is something I couldn't put a price on. Getting to know the vets and seeing the dedication they put forth is something I will use going forward in my own hockey career for sure."

And as Bryn gets set to make his  next major step in hockey, Brady's first major step forward was being drafted in this year MJHL bantamn draft and he couldn't be happier about how it turned out. "My parents and I were really excited when we heard the Kings had drafted me. For my folks it's a little bit easier on them to travel to one camp that's for sure. But just knowing the way Marlin and his staff have treated and recruited Bryn since being listed two years ago, my mom and dad have had nothing but good things to say about the organization. It couldn't have worked out better."

So after a few years of backyard battles and bloody noses all four players are ready for whatever comes next and are excited about their potential futures with the Dauphin Kings and the MJHL. As Mat gets set for his second full season of junior hockey he hopes they can all wear the Kings colors some day and offers up his opinion on life in Kings uniform.

"Just stay positive, things aren't always going to go your way but you can't let yourself get to low or too high. You have to work hard and battle through some of those rough nights, but it's worth it. In my opinion, this is the best junior A organization in the MJHL, if you're fortunate enough to get the chance to play here embrace it. I've been treated like gold here and I couldn't ask for anything more."