It would be difficult to imagine a group of kids more devoted to their sport than four members of the "pee wee rep" division of the Whatcom Warriors.

"Rep" is the mysterious hockey term for the likes of youth soccer's "gold" team designation. Since their new season has just begun, it's hard to tell how successful Simeon Smith, Allison Reeb, Bretton Chitwood and Sydney Lee will be on the ice, but their enthusiasm surely is as good as gold.

"These kids just absolutely love hockey," said their team manager, 35-year-old Adam Chitwood of Lynden. Even though he has extensive experience as a player and coach in baseball and football, Chitwood has suddenly discovered he's a hockey lover, too. He'll have to be to help take care of the kids as the hockey version of a travel director through about 60 games.

All four students - Smith is the only one in his second year with the team -- already focus on hockey most of the year.

"I sure wish it was a high school sport," said Smith, who will be 12 on Oct. 19 and is an articulate, affable home-school student from Sudden Valley. "We would all love to play in high school."

Since hockey is far from a cheap sport, they'll have to be content with playing for the Warriors. The Warriors field teams in six divisions ranging from ages 6 and 7 through 15 and 17 and are the only Americans competing in the fast company of a Canadian league.

When these kids got together to publicize their league - and to encourage even more local students to give hockey a try - they all came through with intriguing comments about their experiences, which began as early as 3 years old.

That would be Lee, who said he immediately took to the ice as a toddler and has been there ever since.

Lee, an 11-year-old sixth-grader at Kulshan Middle School, already has a precious memory the likes of which many hockey youngsters never get to enjoy.

"We were playing at a tournament in Kelowna on Mother's Day, and our (title) game went to a shootout at 2-2," Lee said. "I got the chance to score the winner in the shootout and then I saw my mother (Anita Lee) cry with joy. "

"Better than roses?" he was asked, and he grinned in agreement: "Better than roses."

Lee got such an early start because his father, Sy Douangmany, is an enthusiastic adult-league player.

"I think that's part of the fun, seeing my dad play and him seeing me play," Lee said.

Smith said he also began playing hockey at a young age (4 years old).

"When I was a tiny kid I watched a lot of hockey with my dad," Smith said. "It was about 50-50 - I bugged him to let me play and he wanted me to play."

Bretton Chitwood has learned to love hockey in the past three years.

"I wasn't good at other sports so I wanted to try hockey and I found I really love it," said Chitwood, an 11-year-old sixth-grader at Lynden Middle School. "It's a real fast game. I don't like just standing (on a field)."

Reeb says she takes pride in being the only Whatcom or Skagit County girl in the Warriors' six-division program (several other girls have played well in the recent past).

"My dad (Carl Reeb) just started playing hockey (at age 45). I love that," said his daughter, who will turn 11 on Nov. 22 and is a fifth-grader at Silver Beach Elementary. She has been playing for five years.

"I feel comfortable with the guys," said Allison, a quick field player. "I feel I fit in. It doesn't feel like I'm the only girl. I love hockey because it's so challenging."

Reeb impresses Smith with her tenacity.

"Allison is small but she hits hard," Smith said. "It's hard to find her on the ice because she's small. She's one of the hardest-working players I've seen. She's just as tough as the boys, if not tougher."

"She's a fun player to be with," Bretton said. "She just works hard and she's really good."

Lee echoed that thought. "I know Allison is one of our most dedicated players. She's sturdy."

There's a reason for that - Reeb already has dreams of playing in college, first fired when she watched the Switzerland-Russia women's Olympic game last year in Vancouver, B.C.

"That was a great experience," she said. "I was really lucky to get to see an Olympic game (at age 9)."

Adam Chitwood says he's "totally impressed" by how hockey helps kids to mature.

"These kids put a lot of sweat in the bucket," he said. "They're 100 percent dedicated."