In The Net: Ice Hockey-It's a lifestyle for a Cary teen.

Jimmy Ledbetter of Cary recalls missing school back in 2004 on the day the movie "Miracle" opened at local theatres.

"Miracle" tells the story of the Unites States' 1980 Olympic ice hockey team that upset the Soviet Union's team in the Winter Games at Lake Placid, N.Y. The victory has been dubbed the "Miracle on Ice," because the U.S. team, made up of amateur and collegiate players, defeated the more experienced Soviet Union team, which was considered to be the best in the world

Few will forget sportscaster Al Michaels' famous end-of-the-game call: "Eleven seconds, you've got ten seconds, the countdown going on right now!....Five seconds left in the game. Do you believe in miracles? Yes!"

Jimmy's father, Joel, wanted his son to see the movie to better understand why that victory is regarded as one of the greatest moments in sports history.

Jimmy, 13, felt a part of the historic game last December when his East Coast Eagles Bantam traveling ice hockey team won a silver medal in a tournament played on that very ice at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid."I knew the story real well," said Jimmy. "So I was thinking a lot about the history the whole time we were there. It was pretty cool playing a game on that ice and walking around the rink."

Jimmy's interest in hockey was triggered by the Carolina Hurricanes' run to the Stanley Cup finals in 2002. As an introduction to the sport, he played two years in a roller hockey league and made the transition to ice at age 11. The young goalie had found his niche, and while his friends continued to play basketball and soccer, he committed himself to hockey.

Playing on the Olympic ice in Lake Placid may have been the highlight of his year, but the trip was just one of many he, his family, and his teammates took last season.? From September through December his squad played in tournaments in Florida, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia. "Three out of five weekends a month we're traveling," said his dad, Joel. "Once a month there is usually a big travel trip and then one short travel trip, meaning it's within driving distance like Richmond or Washington, DC.? Then he'll have one home tournament a month as well. The team will play two or three games at each tournament."

Hockey is a huge commitment for Jimmy and his family. He practices three times a week during his seven-month season. A local spring hockey season takes place in April, and traveling team tryouts are in May. After a week-long camp, preseason conditioning begins in August, leaving little off-season time.

"It's insane the amount of time and money it takes to do this sport," said Joel. "This is not a sport that you can drag a kid into. They've got to want to do it. After a really rough conditioning practice session last summer, I asked him if he wanted to quit, and his answer was a defiant 'nope.'"

The approximately $6,000-$7,000 per year the family spends on hockey seems worthwhile to them. "It's pricey but worth it," said Joel. "He's learning life lessons faster than most - especially being a goalie, since he's usually either a hero or a goat. His teammates are all great kids and they stick up for each other. He's had some great experiences traveling."

Hockey is also physically and mentally demanding. The older Jimmy gets, the more aggressive the game gets. Even as a well-padded goalie, he has broken a tooth, pulled muscles, suffered from sore knees and bruised legs, shoulders and more. "I kind of like the physical part of it," Jimmy said. "If you don't like what someone does, you can do something about it."

Mentally, he has the personality to thrive at the net, and is able to handle the pressure-packed position. "I'm a pretty neutral person," he said. "Making a great save, that's an adrenalin boost for me, but I also understand goalies are always going to get scored on. I always move on and say 'let's go and get ready to face the next shot.'"

Jimmy has dreams of playing in the NHL one day. "I'd love it if he could make it," said Joel. "But it's a miracle for anybody to get to that level. So many things need to fall into place. I preach back-up plans, like possibly another job within the sport. But I'm glad he has a dream and a goal."