Let Them Fail, Let Them Succeed

When I went down to Denver in the middle of last week to skate a few times, I skated at Apex Ice Arena in Arvada, my old stomping grounds for one season back in 8th grade. As I was preparing myself for the tryout last weekend, I saw a sign hanging up on the glass that really got me thinking. It said something like, "Let them play. Let them have fun. Let them succeed. Let them fail. Let them be kids." Sports can be stressful for everyone involved, parents included, but the reality is: sports are diversions. They're just games. Games that we've created into huge, profitable businesses; but nonetheless, they are still just games. Throughout my athletic career, I've seen kids who are forced into playing a certain sport, kids who don't want to play the sport they're playing, and parents who put way too much pressure on their kids. I think that was magnified even more for me this year. I didn't see many kids who don't want to play hockey, but I did see a lot of kids with a lot of pressure on them from outside sources. It's understandable because everyone's chasing that Division I scholarship, everyone wants to have good games and get noticed by scouts, but not everyone accomplishes that. Failure is part of life. A big part of life. And I realize how lucky I am. I'm doing this for me. No one else. I don't think many kids in juniors can say the same.

I don't come from a hockey family. No one in my family has been through this, so they can't put pressure on me. They just want me to be happy. And I think that's something that has helped me out immensely. I'm following my dream because I want to follow my dream, and it makes me happy pushing myself in ways that I never have before. I've never felt any kind of pressure from my parents. I play sports because I like to; I like the lessons I learn, the people I meet, and the way sports make me feel. I'm in this to give my dream a shot. And I'm thankful I have a family who fully supports me in following my dream because I've seen kids who aren't in it for the right reasons, who lose sight of why they are really doing what they're doing.

Anyway, seeing that sign in Apex just sparked some thoughts in my head and made me grateful for my family and proud that I am giving my dream a shot for the right reasons.