Hockey-Personal Narrative

“Every strike brings me closer to the next home run”(Babe Ruth). I was wondering how much baseball really affected my life and the choices I make. The answer is a lot, and it still continues to leave a mark on this life I love. Over the many years of my involvement in the game I have learned that life is full of ups and downs. Baseball teaches people to bounce back from negatives, this I believe.

Second year as an Under-10 Squirt level hockey player for the New Jersey Colonials ice hockey team proved to be a challenging and harrowing experience that shaped the course of my future hockey career. I was a determined, naïve child with fantasies of playing in the NHL when I grew older. The source of my troubles began with Coach Ruben, a relentless, unforgiving hockey coach. Coach Ruben was in charge of determining the AAA hockey team that I desperately wanted to make. Unfortunately, I would not have that opportunity. My mom, compassionate and sympathetic, guided me through the confusing maze of anger and depression. My dad, a coach and former hockey player, gave me valuable, supportive advice that would change my hockey expectations and

My heart was pounding like an elephant walking as I waited in line, although I wasn’t even really that nervous. In my head I knew it was going to be hard to make the team as a 6th grader I think that’s why I didn't get myself all worked up about it and nervous because there was a 50% chance of me making the team. In my head, I said to myself that I would love to make the team.

Four of my best friends and I all got ready together for the dance after the football game. We we’re all having fun, dancing around, singing and laughing. At least I thought we were having fun. So we go in, give or money to the lady that takes it so we can get in, get our hands marked, and walk in to all our friends waiting for us because of course we were about an hour late. We danced and had a lot of fun but the fun quickly came to an end when my friends started saying things behind my back.

“Man I’m nervous,’’I said to no one in particular inside the brand new, white Toyota 4Runner.

We were in the streets of the neighborhood, Ann Elizabeth to be exact. We had just began to play a game of baseball with my brothers new metal bat. Mom had already left for work and my dad was getting ready to leave as well. He was running sort of late. My brother and I were about to start the game, we check around us to make sure no one was near us to play a safe game. We saw our little sister and brother at the front doors neighbor's house playing with their daughter last time we checked. As my brother threw the baseball, I was getting ready to swing then bam! Before I knew it the bat had already crashed into my little brother's head. Let me remind you that this was a metal bat. A metal bat had ran cross my little brother's head. I was so terrified. My little brother was only 4 at that time. I did not know what to do. I held him in my arms. He was still conscious. I was holding my hand over his open wound. He bled a lot. My other brother had ran to let my dad know. My dad came rushing outside,

As kids, we were all warned about the basics. Call 911 for emergencies, tell an adult if someone touches you or even tell the teacher when someone says a bad word. But what happens when something happens to the last person you’d think it would happen to.. Yourself. Who could you actually turn to, and when the time struck, how would the words flow out to confess the crime done to you. Or even worse, would the words come out at all? “Can you tell me what happened exactly?” “It's okay to talk to us, we’re here to help you, not hurt you.” The words kept ringing in my head. But was it okay to talk to them? Speak of the unspeakable with people... people I didn't know, nor trust? Being so young I had no idea what was going on. As my heart was racing,

I have been playing ice hockey since I was seven years old. By the age of ten, I was committed to the sport, I was willing to do anything to make it to the top. Back when I was eight years old, I suffered a severe concussion and thought I was going to be out of hockey for at least a year. As a way of getting back on the ice quicker, I changed positions and became a goalie. My nine year old season was my first time to experience being a goaltender. I took to the position very well and really enjoyed my new role. The next season, I was good enough to be offered a position as the goalie for a local travel team. I immediately loved the intensity of the higher level competition and traveling to tournaments. I was hooked and could not get enough. As my friends were playing lots of sports, trying to figure out what they were good at, there was no hesitation in me; I was an ice hockey goaltender.

My senior year of high school was the year I went skiing with my friends. It was also the time I learned not trust my friends. Now at the location were skiing at to reach the top one had to take a thing called a sky rail, the whole thing would fit 8-10 people max and make multiple stops going up the mountain. Worked perfectly as our group consisted of Tommy, Kaleb, Matt Edgar, me with a few others, we could take one cart alone. The second day the six of us were waiting at the lift for the others. When we where supposed to meet up back at the skyrail everyone was there except for 2 from the 8 guys from the cart we’d rode up in. They were late because one of them, Tommy, went to buy a drink from a gas station before we went back up. For reasons

I the one thing that I really badly wanted to do was to go to the skate park. I mean, who doesn’t want to go there? I had walked down to the end of the neighborhood when suddenly I just froze all over. I thought that everyone would see me and then tell my parents. I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere except school, the store, and my friends’ houses without their permission. I thought that if someone told my parents, then that would leave me grounded. I also thought that I could get hurt at the park and then I would have to settle everything with my parents. Plus, none of my siblings were with me. If they were, then I could’ve gone and no one would’ve cared. I pondered over this thinking that I would get in trouble. I would have fun, but I would

Ever sense I was a young girl I’ve been really into physical activities. At the age of five I started skating and instantly fell in-love. At the age of six my dad enrolled me into hockey, and from that point on my life has never been the same. I’ve had numerous opportunities in sports such as: winning gold and silver for U18 Team Canada hockey, and getting a scholarship to Wisconsin University to play on the women’s hockey team. Although these moments are surreal, it is not only the moments that I remember but the mentors and teachers that I have been fortunate to meet along the way. These coaches have not only taught me the game but have also taught me life values such as: teamwork, leadership, discipline, time management and much more. Without hockey, and sports in general I don’t know where I would be today, but I do know one thing and that is without sports I wouldn’t have met all the amazing people that helped guided me towards wanting to become a physical education teacher. Sports have always been a huge part of my life, and I am blessed to have sports guide me through life. Thus, I want to become a teacher to help kids have the same opportunities that I had growing up.

Friday night rolled around, it was the game we had all been working so hard for. Knowing we were seniors, we knew it would be the end of the journey.

Today, I’m not going to miss the game. I instinctively ran through the hallways as I 've done throughout every Friday. My hockey game is always on Friday we have a match against another AA team, sometimes we lose and sometimes we win but today’s the big game, I can’t be late. While running I took two immense steps one at a time down and out the stairwell. “ Not going to be late, Not going to be late.” I just repeated this phrase in my head over and over again as I dashed out the main entrance, nudged someone and squeezed my way through the automatic door.

“Matt I’m so done with you I want my money, so I can go and you clean up here!”

Anger rushed all over me as I began to stomp towards them. The 3 kids started to feel afraid, so they quickly ran back to their desks like cowards. I was done for the rest of that day and thought the apology can wait.