There are many people in this world that have certain things they love. It may be school, friends, family or just the love of watching television. I have loved the same thing for my entire life: the game of hockey. Through the years it has made a drastic impact on my life and has shaped me into the person I am today. Many people are drawn to all sorts of different hobbies, and hockey just happened to be mine. It’s been about 13 years since I first stepped foot on the ice, and I remember it just like it was yesterday. My father had built our own rink in our backyard and at the young age of 4, we went for our first skate.
My family, especially my dad, has definitely had the biggest influence on me in hockey. He has always been the most motivating and I always wish to make him proud at every game. My family has done more than enough in helping me pursue my dream in hockey. I really do appreciate all they have done, from all the time and money they’ve invested in my hockey over the years. Hockey is not a sport I fell in love with because it was expected of me or because everyone else played. It is a sport I fell in love with because the moment I witnessed my first ice rink and stepped foot on the ice, I had no other choice.
In fact, I was dismal in my first couple years but I never quit. It was simply my attraction to the sport that kept me motivated to keep on playing. To say the least, the people around me weren’t the most supportive in my first couple years. They actually wanted me to try and take up another sport. Everyone seemed surprised that such a small, scrawny boy played the game of hockey. This makes no difference as over the past couple years, hockey has become so much a part of my life that it has shaped into who I am today. When you come to the locker room and you play a team sport: this becomes your family.
I have always had a very strong bond with the players on each time I have played on. This high school hockey team had to be the closest group of guys yet. Whatever we did, we did as a team. To be successful as a team, everyone needs to have good relationships with one another. Wayne Gretzky even stated hockey as being a “unique sport in the sense that you need each and every guy helping each other and pulling in the same direction to be successful . I believe that is why we had so much success in our season. My hockey team is truly my second family.
We may sometimes fight, but at the end of the day we are the best of friends. We all want to further our game of hockey and help each other become better athletes. It wasn’t until I was close to playing high school level hockey that I realized hockey is more than just a game. I always knew hockey was a physical sport but it didn’t really sink in until I suffered my first major injury. As I grew older the speed of the game got faster and kids were getting a lot bigger. I was always one of the smaller kids and at the age of 14, I suffered a posttraumatic concussion and had to miss a full year of hockey.
It actually prevented me from doing any physical activity whatsoever for up to nine months. My family, friends and many doctors advised me from ever coming back to hockey and to try and take to up a less physical sport. I was simply devastated as I thought I would never make it back to the game I love. Gordie Howe, known as “Mr. Hockey once said, “You’ve got to love what you’re doing. If you love it, you can overcome any handicap or the soreness or all the aches and pains, and continue to play for a long, long time. Once I was slowly noticing improvement on my injury, I was quite optimistic and thought it was possible to make a comeback. I managed to get back in shape and make the SJR 1 hockey team. It truly was a comeback for the ages and I still today live by this hockey legend’s quote. It may still be tough for me when I get an injury, but I know I can overcome anything after that traumatizing one. People are always very curious to why I love the sport so much, and it is very simple. I love the smell of the ice as I step in the rink – even the cold. I love the sound of body’s nailing against the boards.
The sound the blades on my skates make when I make a hard stop and start, the roar of the crowd when the puck hits the net for a goal ¦ as long as we scored. But most importantly, I love the look on my family’s faces when they see me out there. I can do things on the ice that I can’t do anywhere else. When I am out on the ice, it gives me a chance to forget all my worries in life and focus purely on the game I love. If I am having a bad day, I know a good game of hockey will cheer me up. To the sport of hockey, I owe a lot. It has made me strong and determined.
It has taught me the value of hard work and that if I am willing to dedicate myself to the pursuit of my goals, nothing can get in my way. It has taught me to find the strength needed to pull myself up every time I fall, how to be a teammate and how to lead those around me. Today, people love very strange things in this world, and there is no problem with that as every individual is unique. I have one true love and that is the game of hockey. Hockey has led me to be responsible leader and outgoing person that I am today. Without hockey I would be a totally different person.
