Brad Estrada

Ryan Folkes • Oct 19, 2021

Brad Estrada - Arkansas Razorback Hockey

Brad Estrada is a 22-year-old Junior from Chino Hill, California and currently a left wing for the Razorback Hockey Club team. Although Brad finds himself in Arkansas today, his journey from Chino Hills to Fayetteville was anything but direct. In fact, by the time reached Fayetteville, Arkansas he had just broken 11,000 miles over the 7 years.

Brad grew up in a Christian household in Chino Hills, California, approximately 30 miles from Disneyland. His family went to church every week they possibly could. His grandparents, who he calls “Super Christians”, poured into him a lot during his childhood. He’s always had a deep understanding of who God is and what He has done for us.

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end."

- Ecclesiastes 3:11 -

At 15 years old, Brad had an opportunity to play youth hockey with a team in Omaha, Nebraska. He packed up and left home to pursue the dream. He experienced somewhat of a culture shock going from the west coast to the breadbasket. He didn’t have the greatest experience in Omaha with struggles on the ice that contributed to feeling homesick. However, it was the first time Brad really had to lean into his faith on his own and started to learn what it took to be responsible for pursuing a relationship with Jesus when mom and dad weren’t there to yank you out of bed every Sunday morning.

Brad’s hockey career took him through Seattle, Washington and eventually to Helena, Montana where he elevated from Youth Hockey to Junior Hockey. During his time he also started attending church with his host family and graduated from high school!

The next stop on his journey took Brad north of the border to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Brad’s ultimate goal was to play NCAA Division I hockey and Junior Hockey in Canada was his best ticket to get looks. He started out red hot and got an opportunity to speak to a few D1 schools, but one bad game and Brad found himself at the bottom of the depth chart. He would eventually be traded to a team in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada where he would finish the season. The adversity he faced led him to press harder into his walk with the Lord. He found a devotional that he was able to do daily that helped him transition from going through the spiritual motions to really digging into the Scriptures.

The next season Brad made his way back to the states and joined a team in Boston, Massachusetts. Upon arriving in Boston Brad, now 20 years old, aimed to be committed to a D1 school by January. At every stop along the way Brad lived with a host family, but the Lord had a different plan for him in Boston. For the first time in his career Brad was rooming with his teammates. At first he was unsure about what this might yield, but looking back he would tell you that he experienced a peak of his faith during that time. The team would practice in the mornings and he would come home and commit to reading his devotional and journaling every day. His roommates were curious about this routine that Brad seemed so committed to that a door was opened for Brad to work through the devotional with some of his teammates.

While Brad was taking monumental steps in his walk with Christ, his hockey career appeared to be taking a step back. January was right around the corner and, despite having spoken to a handful of D1 schools, nobody was willing to commit to him. Brad believed that God had a plan for him through it all and his faith continued to grow through the stress and adversity. He would tell remind himself that there’s going to be good times and there’s going to be bad times, but you got to have faith all the time.

In January, Brad committed to play hockey at Northland College, a D1 School in Ashland, Wisconsin.

Brad accomplished his goal, but his walk with Christ never ceased. After enrolling at Northland College he maintained his devotional practice. He did, however, need to make to adjustments. Brad went from having large windows in his day where it was easier to find time to sit down and dig into the Word of God. With practice and a full course load those windows may have gotten smaller, but Brad’s dedication did not. He would find time to read during the small windows of down time that he would get throughout the day.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

- Jeremiah 29:11 -

After one year at Northland College, Brad transferred to the University of Arkansas two years before his sister, Kiana “Kiki” Estrada, would be coming to the U of A to play softball. From a career perspective Brad sometimes wishes things could have played out differently, but he values all the life experience he’s gained. The friends he’s made, the things he’s seen, the places he’s been he wouldn’t trade for anything. He’s currently in his 2^nd year at the University of Arkansas. In his first season the Razorback Hockey Club played for and lost in the national championship game, an outcome Brad hopes to undo in year two.

He’s currently studying marketing with hopes of breaking into the sports marketing world. In the future Brad aspires to one day coach softball alongside his dad and sister to help develop the next generation of athletes. He’s been meeting with FCA Intern Ethan Westerman weekly to study the FCA CORE. Brad likes the CORE because it brings things back to the basics. “It has served as a great reminder to remember why we do what we do and believe what we believe.”