Personal Narrative: My Life As A Hockey Player

As you go through life there are many things that shape you as a person, many things that you learn and grow from. I have experienced all of these from one thing, hockey. I started skating when I was about 4 years old, persuaded into the sport by my dad, who came from a big hockey family. I was so young I do not remember my first reaction to it or if I even liked it, but there must have been a reason that I stuck with it. Hockey has caused me much stress and tribulation but every second of pain is worth the reward.

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.

Many Bulls players are involved with the youth in our schools. With the from Bulls players Physical Education teachers introduce hockey units in P.E. classes. They not only teach hockey but valuable life lessons such as staying drug free. They promote healthy and activity life styles in our youth. The Bulls put on clinics at the YMCA during the after school programs and help coach many mini hockey games. The hockey players are required to help during the beginning weeks of youth hockey at the areaa. They help the volunteer coaches teach the new hockey players skills. During the Bulls regular season games, the “chuck a puck” activity is done. Fans buy pucks and then try to throw them at targets on the ice for prizes. The money used to buy the puck is donated by the Bulls organization to “Make A Wish

Around March last year, lacrosse season was beginning to come around the corner. Everyone was getting prepared for the season with high expectations of winning another championship. For the returning seniors this was a huge deal for them, along with the rest of the team. Everything was in good shape until events unfolded and my spot on the team was a swinging player.

It was my sophomore year, and the day had come to find out who made the varsity lacrosse team. We piled into the locker room to discover rows of brand new helmets. The list of the varsity players was written on the whiteboard. The team was excited, the locker room buzzing with noise. My heart dropped as I realized that my name wasn’t written there. My friends were admiring their new helmets and I had to hold back tears and disappointment. I know now that I still had to be developed at the junior varsity level, but it wasn’t easy to understand back then. At practice that day, I played out of pure spite, every move filled with rage. You aren’t good enough, I thought. I left practice that day without saying goodbye to my friends.

Since i was very little my life revolved around the sport of football. I played football for a number of years on numerous teams like the HFL Eagles and Hamilton Revolution. When i was growing up the only two sports i played were basketball and football. I had never even heard the word “lacrosse” until it was my brothers sophmore year in highschool and he started playing. At a young age & with me not being in highschool i knew little to nothing about lacrosse except that it took athleticism, it was physical, and fast paced. The the only programs for kids my age were in Robbinsville so i never really looked into it. I knew it was defenitely a sport that peaked my interest from the first time i watched it be played. My brother and i have always

Conn Smythe said “If I had to go to war again, I’d bring lacrosse players.” I played lacrosse for 2 years while I was in 5th and 6th grade. I enjoyed playing defence and attack. Defence is where 3 people stay back and help protect the goal. Attack is when 3 people stay near the opposing team's goal. They are put in charge of trying to score and stop the ball from going back to the other side of the field.

My first Opening season game was two years ago at the Blues Hockey stadium in ST. Louis Mo. It was a cold day, The sun was barely shining and I had just got to ST. Louis driving thru the city making our way to the hockey rink. The traffic was horrible and not safe there was tons of people walking on the streets trying to get to that game. When we finally got there we pulled into the parking garage and got out the car after we did that we put on our jerseys and went to the side of the garage and watched tons of people rolling in and not to mention the band that was there. After the band was done we went inside and found our seats when we got there we had an unlimited buffet of food to eat, I had chicken tenders, hot chocolate, soda, and hot

"Lakshita, you are up next, keep cradling your stick and make sure you do not let the ball fall out of your net!"

When I first started playing basketball my seventh grade year, I was playing power forward for the entire year. The team had a tournament one weekend against multiple different schools. In one of the games the team played Ottawa. Our point guard tried shooting a three-pointer and she missed. I jumped to get the rebound, and a girl from the opposing team hit me out of the air and I ended up having my ankle stepped on, causing it to break. This took me out for the rest of the tournament and the rest of the season. I was on crutches for two weeks and then I was put in a boot for a couple more weeks.

Over the next few years, I worked extremely hard to learn my position. I took private lessons, I skated extra practices, attended camps, watched videos and anything else I thought might help raise my skill level. Each year I got better and advanced to higher level teams. I even got the opportunity to train with one of the greatest goaltenders ever to play the game. Right before my freshman year in high school, my family relocated back to Texas and we arrived in College Station. While there was a local hockey team, it was not at the level I was playing and the closest team was in Dallas. Twice a week, my parents drove me over three hours each way for practices after school and then we traveled virtually every weekend for games. Sometimes we played in Dallas, other times we flew to tournaments in Chicago, Detroit and Boston. The travel was exhausting and my grades suffered a little as I tried adjusting to the rigors of high school with my hockey schedule. By my sophomore year, I was offered a position on a national travel team based in New Hampshire. In order to join this team, I would have to move away from home, living with a host family and attend a virtual high school. At fifteen years old, this was a great learning experience, but a little scary and a significant sacrifice. I had to be organized to handle online

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.