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When You Love the Game, It’ll Love You Back: Patrick Schmiedlin’s Story of Identity, Pressure, and Producing the Soundtrack to Finding Himself Again
- Christina Winnegar
- Jun 26
- 12 min read
by Christina Winnegar
Before the pressures of chasing the dream or facing the adversity and expectations lacing up his skates, Paddy Schmiedlin was just a kid who found a home on the ice. One whose father pushed him around the rink when he was nearly a year old. One who then turned into a teenager, facing the pressures of trying to live up to not only the image he had for himself, but also to keep up with the game. This led him to find his passion off the ice, music. Though he is still making a name for himself in the world of his first love, hockey, he has now found another to find the most profound discoveries of himself.
His story began at a younger age than most, though the roots of it have remained unchanged. “Skating and my love for the game of hockey have been constant variables in my life that haven’t changed,” Paddy says.
From the moment he could walk, skating became not only a stress reliever but also a way to connect with his family through the game they all shared a love for.
In a family where hockey was a shared passion, his dad, also a skills coach, encouraged Paddy and his brothers to play, ultimately leaving it up to their discretion to decide their athletic fate. The choice he and his older brother made to focus more on hockey brought them closer, but also led to the early development of his game. Shaping this while having a very skilled player as a model at home and a dad who was also a skills coach, gave him “a tremendous advantage over other players growing up,” he believes.
As he began to level up and play for his first organized teams in South Bend, he exceeded his age group. “I would sometimes forget that I was even playing up because I felt like I fit right in with the level of play,” he remembers.
Although the time spent there was in the early years, part of it still weaves its way into his love for hockey to this day. “One thing I’ve always loved was the smell of the rink I played at in South Bend. It had a distinct scent that I came to associate with hockey, and to this day, I still love it,” Paddy reminisces.
The challenge of growing up in a small town, then trying to break through as an athlete is one many face. Week after week, his family made the two-hour drive to Chicago. This sacrifice marked the beginning of a new chapter in Paddy’s hockey development, following his foundational years in South Bend.
Leading him to join the Chicago Fury. Making that commitment not only brought him memories still cherished, but competing at the AAA level also pushed his game to improve while being surrounded by other players who shared the same drive.
When his time with the Fury came to an end, he found himself playing at Culver Academies, right where it all began.
This was not viewed as a move to the next step, but rather as a return to his hometown, playing in the same arena where he once laced up his skates and fell in love with the game.
Freshman and sophomore years were filled with nostalgia and purpose. His journey led him to represent his hometown from the very arena where he first learned the game. Putting on the jersey for the first time in his freshman year, he saw the words that held so much meaning, “Culver” printed across everyone’s chests, and got chills. It was a monumental moment, a dream come true.
Although he was returning to where it all began, the time spent at Culver Academies wasn’t special only for the sense of closure. It was also where the underlying passion for music was discovered. Something was always bound to come to fruition in one way or another, growing up in a family that was very musically inclined. However, this love presented itself in a different way for him. Rather than leading to the discovery of an instrument he loved, it led to the discovery of a tool that changed his life instead, FL Studio.
Paddy had always loved music, even in ways that differed from those of many in his family. However, FL Studio was proven to be the perfect fit for him. The introduction to the platform and having the ability to hone in on his creativity without having to learn to play changed the game. Although without it, his love for music would have never vanished, he wouldn’t have discovered a completely different side of himself that he is most proud of today.
Tapping into that part of himself for the first time, finding that passion that led him to step away from the pressure of the game and just create became an escape. “There’s something about starting a song and falling in love with how it evolves as you create it. It gives me a feeling that’s similar to scoring a goal,” Paddy says.
As his sense of accomplishment for his work behind the screen began to grow, so did the immense comfort and peace it brought him. “When a song starts coming together, I feel a strong sense of joy that’s hard to put into words,” Paddy expresses. Losing track of time during the creative process has brought an unmatched balance into his life. “It gives me a way to shift my focus and unwind, especially after a tough day at the rink…reminds me that there’s more to life than just one outlet,” he explains.
Although there are no specific songs that stuck with him from the early moments of shaping his identity as an artist, the beginning times of making rap and singing helped lead him to where he flourishes most as a creative, in house music.
The pivot to a different genre focus wasn’t just a shift; it unlocked a more profound sense of artistry. “With house music, the structure is different…actually gave me more creative freedom, which was a wider canvas to work with,” Paddy says.
Always loving the early 2010s, he later realized that many of the songs he once connected with – clubby, uplifting, and progressive house format - ultimately led him to the modern music that brought back the same energy he once loved.
Paddy’s entry into the space was flipped, as the majority followed the route of beginning with decks. Producing came first. “I think that my natural ear for music and my patience to stick with a project until the way it sounds helped me get better and better,” he reflects. This encapsulates not only the journey of his passion but also who Paddy is at his core – determined and unknowingly taking the longer route, yet ultimately achieving an even greater outcome.
Now, the artistry, the deep love and passion for music, wasn’t the only thing that aided Paddy on his journey. “Making music has taught me patience… It also taught me discipline through sticking with an idea, refining it, and riding it out until the song is finished,” he says. This mindset began to permeate other areas of his life as well.
At the time, through the adversity that lay ahead, he had no idea how this chapter would completely transform his life. That early spark would soon be tested as his path took him from the comfort of hockey at Culver Academies to the complete opposite playing field of juniors.
After two years of pure bliss at Culver, he was presented with the opportunity to play juniors at just 16, which was significantly ahead of many of his peers who started during their gap year following graduation. With such a big step, he began to be challenged in ways he had never experienced before, coupled with being one of the youngest to step into that level.
Despite playing up for most of his career early on, this was an entirely different experience: “Some players were four years older and physically much more developed,” he says. Despite the skating, puck-handling, and shooting ability he came with, the speed of the game was on another level.
“The puck moved so quickly that, for the first time in my career, I felt lost on the ice,” he says. In addition to the struggles faced with the change, the demand to impress NHL and college scouts at times was overwhelming.
Over the five years spent in juniors, 244 games were played, averaging 65 a season — a tremendous amount of not only physical output but psychological endurance as well. Navigating that experience as a 16-year-old entering the USHL, taking the much longer-than-anticipated path of moving on from juniors to college within five years was unimaginable. However, he believes that sometimes God has other plans that don’t make sense in the moment.
Reflecting on the time spent in juniors, he went through very dark times mentally. Not only from putting the immense pressure on himself to perform at such a high level due to the potential he had growing up, but he felt like he had failed if he didn’t reach the expectations he set for himself each season.
What one may believe aided in the pressure of the game, receiving chirps on the ice, attempting to get into his head once others had discovered his music-making, and posting content on TikTok, it never affected Paddy. “I never took the chirps to heart because I knew I was simply doing something I was passionate about, and they just didn’t understand that,” he expresses.
Proof that believing in what he loved paid off in the way he impacted others, and in turn, the support impacted him. On three separate, memorable occasions, he experienced what genuine appreciation of his music felt like. The first moment was when his friends heard his song being played at a bar in front of hundreds of people. They Facetimed him and were so excited to tell him it was playing as he heard his production in the background. “This was surreal. It was so cool to think that someone else found my song and believed that it was good enough to play in front of such a large group, and the fact that my friends were proud of me was the best part,” he shares.
Following was when a DJ reached out to him and expressed that his music was the best he’s ever heard, without a doubt believing he’d be performing in front of thousands someday. “This was really cool to hear from a random stranger that took time out of his day to tell me that,” Paddy expresses.
Lastly, the third moment occurred when he asked a DJ to play one of his tracks, and he already knew of Paddy. Before he even asked, he already had his songs loaded in the queue. “He treated me like a celebrity, and it was a very cool feeling knowing that I probably made his day,” Paddy recalled.
Believing that although many shy away from doing the things that seem “risky” because they’re afraid of what others might think. Standing on the core belief that your passion should drive you to do what you love, no matter the negativity you may face.
Sharing insightful words for those who may be struggling with following their passion, “Stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things not only helps you grow, but it also teaches you things about yourself that you may have never discovered before,” Paddy says.
Some of the toll the long seasons took on the body and mind, despite the most challenging moments, came from being scratched from the lineup or not getting enough ice time. But for Paddy, even more often, “the adversity came from not living up to the standards I had set for myself,” he recalls.
This pressure to live up to an early promise and, in turn, meet expectations became especially difficult to navigate when friends were committing to colleges and advancing more quickly. Paddy had been recognized as one of the top players in the country entering juniors, yet breaking through to the next level took longer than anticipated.
Through all of this, he kept showing up. “I’ve really started to trust the process as things have unfolded…It’s easy to lose confidence when things aren’t going your way, but I’ve learned how important it is to believe in the work you’ve put in and continue to show up with the intention of getting better every day,” Paddy shares.
That hard-earned mindset has helped him quiet the internal noise and stay grounded when times have come when growth has felt slow.
Reflecting on his experience, Paddy knows there are players right now who are exactly where he once was in his journey, struggling to find rhythm in a faster space, watching others surge ahead, unsure of how to keep pushing through the adversity. “My advice to someone going through similar struggles would be simple: keep going… The physical and mental challenges are temporary, and things do get better with time,” he expresses.
The confidence he has always modeled in his creativity mirrored the belief he had to hold onto in his game, even when his results weren’t immediate. “Looking back, I don’t think I was truly ready to make the jump to juniors at that age, but the lessons I learned through the experience made the decision worth it,” he believes. Despite the adversity faced, the deep love for the game that had developed as a kid had never wavered, nor had the hope that things would get better. Eventually, they did. Finally earning the scholarship, which pushed his career to the next level at the NCAA level at Lindenwood, was met with a wave of excitement and relief.
In juniors, after previously committing to Colorado at 17 years old, the fourth year brought the word no player wishes to hear: decommitment. Being stripped of the scholarship that dangled the dream in front of him was a tough time. One met with silence from other opportunities. When faced with this, instead of throwing in the towel, the decision was made to make the most of the final chance he had.
“For the first time in my junior career, I didn’t feel the pressure,” he says.
Freshman year at Lindenwood, Paddy showed his presence a lot on the ice, in whichever role was necessary. Then, entering his sophomore season with a new coach, he was under the impression it would continue the way it started, but instead, he didn’t play the first four or five weeks of the season.
Thinking college would be a fresh start, he learned lessons that helped shift his comeback in the second half ot the season. Going through that kind of setback and comeback again taught him that “consistent, hard work, and patience are key to reaching success,” he reflects.
The fact that development isn’t linear, starting the year with a big dip, caused him to lose a little bit of confidence, following that hope. Consistent throughout the entirety of Paddy’s story is his attitude, work ethic, and patience, which never changed. He waited for his opportunity to come and took advantage of it when the time did.
Throughout Paddy’s story, he not only takes every setback as an opportunity for growth, but also continues to show up in every way. Allowing the learning of deeper truths about himself. During his chapter of balancing his two passions, hockey and music, he has realized that life does not need to be centered around one particular thing he does.
Combining both of these to show different sides of himself: hockey, which teaches resiliency, structure, teamwork, and how to push through when faced with hard times. Music, on the other hand, has given him a space to feel, reflect, and express who he is on a deeper level, realizing that devotion to both can coexist and even fuel each other.
“That discovery has helped me feel more whole, more myself, and more free to explore new things that make me who I am,” Paddy shares.
His story, from early expectations to finding his haven of creativity, rediscovering his confidence, and learning to trust the timing of his path, no matter how long or complex, has been filled with many unexpected turns. Perhaps the most powerful conveyance of all came not from a new opportunity or external validation, but from where he learned to place his focus.
During a period when doubt and pressure began to feel louder than the progress being made, a message from a teammate shifted his perspective. Raised Catholic, Paddy had always believed in God, but often struggled to commit extra time to deepening that connection.
“One of the messages he gave me that stuck out to me was a verse from Proverbs 11:25: ‘Whoever refreshes others, will be refreshed,’... It stuck in my head for a few days, and I thought of several interpretations of it and found a way to connect it to my mental struggles in hockey,” he shares. Ultimately, realizing that when he put his focus into building up his teammates and focusing on being present with them, he stopped thinking about the struggles he faced, leading him to feel much less stress and anxiety.
The gradual reframing didn’t just help him find peace in the game again; it became a reminder that purpose can live in both discipline and connection. Whether he is lacing up his skates or producing the next song in his story, he is no longer chasing the flat answer of what success is—instead, building a life that allows for authenticity, growth, fulfillment, and faith, both on and off the ice.
Because ultimately, when you love the game, it will love you back.
Follow Paddy's DJ journey on Soundcloud here
Disclaimer: The thoughts, experiences, and opinions shared in this article are solely those of Paddy Schmiedlin and are based on his personal journey. They do not necessarily reflect the views of any organizations, sponsors, or institutions with which Paddy may be associated with.
To ensure accuracy and maintain context, Paddy Schmiedlin reviewed this article before publication. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this material is strictly prohibited. For any inquiries or concerns regarding this article, please contact info@hazzemedia.com
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