Gettin' More Comfortable

My mom was right when she told me it would be easier to become friends with all the guys on the team this time around. On the drive down here, I told her I was a little bummed I was leaving Bismarck right when I was starting to come out of my shell with the guys there. Last week was a little bit of a tough week for me. I felt like everyone was watching my every move in practice, hoping I would make a mistake. They probably were. I was the new kid that didn't know anybody, and all the kids on the team were already good buddies. I think that affected my play in practice last week because it threw off my mental game. After this weekend, though, I think I gained a lot of respect. I went out there and battled with these guys, and I think they realize now that I'm their teammate, not just the new kid. They're already calling me Teddy, and I've definitely started to come out of my shell a little bit. Now that I'm getting more comfortable, I think I can really start to focus on my game and not what everyone else is thinking about me. I know I will just continue to get better in practice in the next few weeks, and I think as my confidence grows, I'll see myself get much better in games too.