At the age of 15 I left home and everything that was familiar and comfortable to pursue my passion for hockey. Moving away from home to a boarding school over a thousand miles away from family and friends and into dormitory life filled with complete strangers marked the beginning of a journey that I had wanted to take as long as I can remember.
My goal was to play hockey in college; and consequently, moving away was a necessary step in the journey. Backed by the support of my family, I set off and was determined to reach it no matter the cost. Along the way there were countless hours of practice and training and sacrifice, but there were also times of great disappointment, such as not making the top team my first year. Persevering, I refocused my efforts so that I made the team the next year. Outside the game came many lessons too. Right away it was tempting to go hang out with friends or play basketball, but I quickly realized that didn’t leave time for homework. Living away from home forced me to create my own strong study habits, time management skills, self-motivation and strengthened my dedication for excelling in both sports and the classroom.
After high school and two years of junior hockey, I began attending and playing hockey at St. Norbert College which gave me the opportunity to accomplish my goal. I continue to pursue my passion for hockey, but I have also begun the transition into the next stage of my life. Drawing on the life skills I had learned during my time away from home, along with the teamwork skills that I had developed throughout a lifetime of hockey, I felt well-prepared for this stage of my life at college. These skills enable me to balance a full course load each semester, while playing a sport from O...
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...was never one lone experience that provided a moment of clarity, but together they combined to give me confidence that medicine is the career for me.
I feel fortunate to have had a life filled with the experiences that make me who I am today. Being prepared to perform in a situation filled with pressure, or knowing when and being able to rely on a teammate are all applicable in the field of medicine. There are likely many times in medical school and later on in a career in medicine that individual skills, as well as self-motivation and a dedicated, passionate personality are required. But there will also likely be times when problems call for more than one person; where leadership, accountability and teamwork will all be required, and this is where my life in hockey and the experiences of my past will serve me the best in my pursuit to become a physician.
“Each year, when hockey season starts, Mr. Allen walks a little faster, holds his chin a little higher, and smiles a little brighter.” A week into our season- Saturday, December 5th, 2015 – it was game day, we would be traveling to a school in Massachusetts. There was 17 of us on the team; 3 freshmen, 6 sophomores, 1 junior, 7 seniors. Majority of us were at the school because of the head coach, Ed Allen. He was the type of man you wanted to play for, work your hardest for, but more importantly he was the type of man you wanted to be around, to talk to, and to listen to the very few but wise words he said. His biggest thing was being relentless and being selfless; to have a what can I give, not a what can I get attitude.
After being mesmerized by figure skating at the age of eight, I became a member of the Markham Skating Club. As a competitive figure skater, I must perform various jumps and spins in a choreographed program. I have participated in numerous competitions in Central Ontario and have received multiple medals for my achievements. Yet, my achievement as a figure skater stem from the adversity that I faced throughout my skating journey. This sport has imposed challenges to both my mental and physical strength that have ultimately constructed the qualities of dedication and humility within myself.
As more of my teammates began to show up, I recognized most of them. However, I learned later that if I went on to play in the Spring, this would not be the same exact team I would play with. With only twenty minutes until we began,I put on all of my gear and my dad gave me a thorough warm up. Time seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, everyone was gathered together as positions were being assigned. I was originally overwhelmed with excitement, but as the game drew closer, the joy I had felt was replaced with anxiety. The lacrosse game taking place before ours ended and we entered and took our place on our bench. I recognized the opposing team’s jerseys quickly and identified them as a travel team from our area. Taking one final breath, I rushed into the lacrosse net enjoying my bird’s eye view, unsure of what was to
I have been a four year letter-winner in volleyball and basketball. Athletics have been a crucial part of developing my character and work ethic. In sports, you must work together with your team to reach your goals. Trust and communication skills are vital and are tested every day. The failure and setbacks I have faced through sports have helped me to believe in myself and have the self-confidence that it takes to be successful in athletics and in life. As a senior captain of the volleyball and basketball teams, my leadership has improved tremendously as high school has progressed. Being a leader holds me accountable and I aim to be a role model for younger teammates on the court, in the classroom, and in the community.
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
Probably one of the most important decisions I've made in my life happened this year. The decision was me , choosing whether i wanted to do drumline or play hockey. As a freshman going into the first year of highschool, it lead me to think of plenty of things. But one important fact that stuck out was me deciding if I wanted to pursue music or sports. As a freshman , I knew that I couldn't balance sports and marching band at the same time. Rehearsal for marching band happened everyday after school until 5 pm. I knew I couldn't do homework and study for tests with only 3 hours if hockey started at 9. So, I made the decision of choosing drumline over hockey. Not only would it help me balance my time doing homework, it would also help me on my
Medicine has proven to be an elusive, tempestuous creature. It has appeared to me in visions nightmarish and calm, despairing and joyous. My pursuit has been an odyssey, taking me farther into my heart than I ever dreamed possible. However, before I could even begin to approach the emotional, physical and Intellectual demands of a physician's life, I had to gain a better understanding of myself, my identity and beliefs. Only with this stronger sense of self have I felt the confidence to give my best and my all, and to make my contribution to society.
There is never enough of anything in the life of a college student. there is never enough time to study, or enough food, or enough money, or enough time to sleep. But, if that student becomes a college athlete then all of the “or’s” change to “and’s”. Even though there are many struggles of a college athlete they are not going away. As the youth of America watches their older counterparts excel in many college sports, a dream to become an athlete at the collegiate level is sparked. This dream is fueled through high school sports and then disseminated by high school counselors. Counselors who are quick to remind that sports do not bring home a paycheck. Neverless, this dream of college sports thrives and is present in the mind of every high
Teamwork, patience, leadership, problem solving, and overcoming adversity refined and perfected my college athlete experience and I am excited to apply these themes to my potential next chapter in the medical profession! Doctors and athletes deal with many of the same day to day obstacles and both need to “read the defense” to decide on the best response. One must be able to deal with the heartbreak of a failure, whether that is a missed last second shot or an unsuccessful surgery, and still wake up the next day with the confidence to know that next time you will
My whole life I have played a sport. Whether that be soccer, or lacrosse, or field hockey. Playing a sport and being a part of a team was something I always knew how to do. I always knew how to play the sport as a team and not score on your own. My lacrosse team consisted of about 18-19 girls: 6 offenders, 6 defenders, 2 goalies, and the rest were mid-fielders. My favorite position was mid-fielder, I always enjoyed playing all the part that consisted of being on the team. I loved playing both defense and offense, I liked assisting with goals and I also loved stopping goals. My travel team taught me things that I did not learn anywhere else, my team taught me the true importance of teamwork, how to be a leader, or how winning is not always the most important thing.
I have throughout my whole life been playing sports. I still play basketball competitively and now it’s at the university level. Basketball though was not my first love when it came to playing sports. It has though become my true focus since junior high school. Coming from Canada everybody plays hockey. Its almost as if as soon as you learn to walk you learn how to skate. Whether it is at the recreation centre or at the shinny rink around the corner everyone plays. Eventually I abandoned hockey to play basketball which I have done so for the last twelve years of my life and hopefully a few more years into the future.
Being a college athlete requires, year-round dedication. In order to be a college athlete, one must be willing to not only put time and effort in on and off the field, but in the classroom as well. Student athletes attend between twelve and twenty hours of class each week, and they are required to put in much time with practice, daily and games whenever they are held. College athletes can put in around twenty to sixty hours of practice a week, even during the off-season. After sports seasons begin, almost all of a college athlete’s time is spent dedicated to their sport, while somehow trying to maintain time to study, eat, sleep, and stay healthy. Arguments have gone on for many years about whether or not college students should be added to
...slapshot from the point. Two minutes later the puck broke loose from one of the other team's defensman and landed on our most talented player’s stick. He is not only as fast as lightning but can also stick handle around any NHL team blindfolded. He made a quick move to the left, and then to the right. He took the shot which went top shelf on the right side. The second I saw the net move I knew we had done it. The underdog team defeated the 1st ranked team in the state championship game for Missouri high school hockey. An uproar from the mob of people could have been heard from two miles away. I couldn’t believe we had done it. We beat the odds, and took the cup. I felt shivers travel down my bruised and cut body. The hard work did pay off, for we had done it. The tears were flowing like the water dropping from the Niagara Falls. We were State Champions.
The advantages of competing in college sports, for the athlete’s sake are both immediate, or while there in college, and also lifelong. Participating in college sports provides the athletes opportunities to learn, compete and succeed in their respective sports. Student-athletes receive top-notch academic support from the college, regular access to outstanding coaching, facilities and equipment, and quality health care through the college. It is shown that student-athletes as a group graduate at higher rates than their peers in college and feel better prepared for life after college. (http://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/future/want-play-c...
Hockey. A sport I have always loved ever since I was a kid. It was when my dad had taken me to an open ice skate when my hockey life began. I had my first pair of skates as a present when I was four years old. I never really knew of the sport at the time, but now I was able to expirence it. No one was present on the ice as I entered the rink. The cold of the ice ran down my back as I took my first steps on. The cold didn’t stop me though. As I stepped upon the ice, I had a feeling of relief. Hockey is what let me go fast. Always have I been the fastest kid in my class and hockey let me expand on what I loved to do. One stride at a time I went, until I was able to glide upon the ice. My blades of my skates sunk into the ice like a lion tearing at its prey. As the frost beat against my face, I soon realized that I was able to skate. Even though it was all fuzzy in my memory, I remember feeling all types of joy rush all throughout my body. It was the first sign of potential in hockey. It was a first omen.