Hockey. A game played on frozen water with players laced into boots atop razor-sharp steel that is less than ¼ of an inch thick. But to me, it is more than just a game. It is where I found my escape from reality, a lifestyle I wouldn’t even change for the world, and stories and memories that you couldn’t imagine in your wildest dreams. Hockey has given more to me than I could give back to the game itself. I am grateful to have stumbled upon this outlet, for the impact it has made on my personal and academic life has positioned me in the best possible spot to find future success.

From the start, I always had a love for the game. It was never a struggle to motivate me to go to practice on a Friday night, or to wake up at 6 A.M. the next morning to practice yet again. Apart from learning discipline and responsibility in my schedule, hockey has given me a reason not to participate in “typical” teenager activities, whether it be drinking and partying, to just being reckless. My outlet also gave me goals and dreams to work towards, all the while helping me become the best version of myself. Given, I was never the extroverted kind to begin with, I’d much rather be in between the glass, hearing the ice crackle under my feet with every turn, having the brisk air in the ice rink, with a hint of the gas fumes from the zamboni, rush into my face.

As time went on, I began seeing these valuable lessons of discipline and responsibility show in my academic life. Hearing the words, “Family, School, Hockey”, in that order, for years at the end of practices, gave me an idea of what to value from a young age. I learned what the consequences of not completing school work can have on my hockey career, but above all else, I learned that without my family, I wouldn’t have any of this. As I neared college, possessing the drive to not only complete my homework, but to work to receive the best grades I could, opened up many doors to study and play at a respectable university, a dream I have been chasing from the beginning of it all. The order of those words, seemingly unimportant to me at one point and time, has given me the option to create my own path.

In conclusion, I inspire you to go find your outlet. If it were not for this “game” I would be very lost. Having a way to escape the everyday pressures of family, school, or even battling my own thoughts has been beneficial to my success thus far and it’s not too late for you to find your escape.