By the time toddlers turn three years old, most are starting to feed themselves. They can walk up and down the stairs with alternating feet. Those who are specially coordinated can bend over without falling.

The Telford brothers were ice skating at three. Taylor, a senior, and Marcus, a freshman, have followed the footsteps of their grandfather, uncles, and dad onto the ice rink. They started playing hockey at four years old and are now playing together on Bingham’s team under the direction of their coach and father, Jason Telford. They enjoy being able to play together for the first time.

Their dad serves as a great mentor whom the brothers both look up to. He has great insights from his own hockey experience growing up. “He has always told me, ‘You have more time than you think.’ Hockey is so fast— people can be moving upwards of 20-25 miles per hour— so a lot of the time you just want to get rid of the puck quickly when really, if you take half a second longer, you can make a smarter and better play,” Taylor says.

The Telford family is extremely passionate about the sport. “It’s our life,” says Marcus. “I love playing hockey. Even in the off season I’m playing street hockey or training or even playing hockey on the X-box.” The brothers have also set up a net they welded together that they both shoot on for several hours a week. Holes in their fences prove their diligence at practicing.

Their actual practices consist of Friday morning practices at 6:30 as well as two Dry Land conditioning workouts during the week.

All their hard work has paid off this season. The brothers have both been huge contributors to Bingham’s team. Taylor has served as team captain for two years now and is the team’s leading scorer with 27 goals. He received offers to play at UVU and BYU and plans to play for BYU after serving an LDS mission. Marcus scored 10 goals this season and identifies his proudest accomplishment as being able to assist and score goals with his brother who is four years older. Bingham won third in state and fifth in region after the close of their season in mid-February.

The boys hope they can carry on the tradition of playing hockey with their own future kids. Taylor says, “I’ll for sure start [my kids] out like my dad did to me, and I’ll coach them just like my dad has done all my life.”