Claimed:The Journey of Mikko Koskinen

[grimmsterj 0]

Childhood

 

Mikko Koskinen was born in Kristiinankaupunki, Finland. The town is on the shore of western Finland, and had a population of just around 5,000 when Mikko grew up there. The majority of the population were sailors, and there were few children. There was only one school, it was K-12. There were also only 5 teachers, and many grades had to be grouped together. Koskinen was at the age that was right in between two groups, and he ended up being the youngest in his 'class' which constituted of K-4 when he was in Kindergarten. His father was a small man, and thus Mikko was also on the short side.

 

However, Koskinen quickly adjusted to always being the smallest, weakest, and the youngest. He relied on his speed for any games or sports he played with his friends. Their favorite game to play together was ice hockey. Mikko was always the best, even if he was the smallest. He learned everything he knew from his father, an ex-pro. Koskinen's father was a rising star in the SM-Liiga, but in his rookie season he broke his knee. It was very serious, and he lost the ability to walk. He could no longer work, and after several years of depression, he committed suicide. Koskinen was only 8, and was left to live with his mother, Elsa. They still got compensation from the SM-Liiga for the dirty hit, and lived comfortably in the small town. Koskinen continued to play pond hockey with his friends, and continued to dominate the older and stronger kids. Eventually, the father of his best friend noticed that Koskinen had a special talent. The father talked with Elsa, and convinced her to move to Quebec with Koskinen, to pursue a chance in the big leagues. Elsa was very hesitant, because hockey was a very dangerous game and eventually caused Mikko's father to take his own life. After losing the love of her life, she couldn't handle losing Mikko. However, she was eventually convinced as she knew this was Mikko's best chance at having a good life, out of the small fisherman's town. Koskinen was forced to say goodbye to his childhood friends and the only home he has only known.

 

Quebec

 

In Quebec, his mother and him moved into a two bedroom, high-rise apartment. It was a hard adjustment for Mikko at first, but he was very busy with hockey and got used to it.  He joined the Princeville Titans in the LHJQ in 2012, when he was only 14 and quickly made an impact. However, life was not easy for Mikko. The money that the Koskinens received in compensation for his father's injury had finally been completely spent. Elsa was working two jobs, as a waitress and as a maid. She only had six hours between the end of her shift as a waitress and the beginning of her shift as a hotel maid. Mikko almost never saw his mom, as his team was often on the road and she was always working. It was very hard on Elsa, but she had to pay for all of his hockey expenses. Mikko was the most determined player in Canada. He loved his mother more than any other person in the world and wanted her to live a luxurious life. She did so much for him, and he wanted to repay her. The only way he could do that is with the Titans. Koskinen showed up players that were three years older than him and almost a foot taller. His coach quickly noticed his talent and put him on the first line. Mikko led the team to the Fred Page Cup, where they swept the St-Jerome Panthers and moved on to compete for the Royal Bank Cup. VHLM scouts took notice of his skill and talked to him after a round robin game. After discussions with his mother, his coach, and the scouts he decided to announce for the VHLM S40 Entry Draft. He went on to win the Royal Bank Cup and was named the MVP.

 

Present Day

 

It is one year since Mikko won the Royal Bank Cup, and the S40 Entry Draft is almost upon us. Koskinen didn't have an ordinary childhood. He stopped going to public school when he was 12, and hockey soon filled most of his curriculum. He goes to a private high school, with the rest of his junior teammates. He is now a senior, after skipping two grades to catch up with his teammates. He struggled in school but his coach pushed him to prioritize academics above anything else. Koskinen will graduate in one month, just in time for the draft.

 

Pros

 

• Leadership

• Work Ethic and Dedication

• Athleticism

     Mikko Koskinen has overcome more adversities and struggles than some players will in a life time. His mother and him have put so much work into getting him where he is today. He loves his mother so much, and he won't let her work go to waste. On his junior team, he was younger than most of his teammates, but they still looked up to him. He put 110% into every workout, practice, scrimmage, and game. His skill and work ethic started to rub off onto his teammates, and they played better when they played with him. Koskinen is a natural athlete, but he still puts work into it. His hand/eye coordination is out of this world, and he has a natural speed that is incomparable to any of his teammates. He could be one of the best without much work, but he wants to be the best. He is the last player off the ice after every workout and practice. As a result of his hard work, Koskinen can run faster and farther than any of his junior teammates. Another great quuality about Koskinen is the fact that he is a leader, but a quiet leader. He isn't giving a pep talk before every game, but he is still a leader of his team. His teammates respect him for all of the work that he puts into his game for them, and want to put in as much as work as him, for him. Koskinen values his words, and rarely says much to his teammates during games. However, this puts more weight into what he does say and his teammates are more likely to listen.

 

Cons

 

• Emotional

• Physically Weak

• Height and Weight

     Koskinen has gone through so much pain in his life. His father committing suicide made Koskinen very sensitive. That, along with him rarely getting to spend time with his mother, has mentally weakened Mikko. After a player on an opposing team found out that his father had shot himself, he taunted Mikko. One of Mikko's teammates overheard, and an all out line brawl occurred. Mikko, however, did not participate. He skated to the bench where he proceeded to breakdown and bawl. He couldn't collect himself, and had to leave the game. Mikko has gotten better at controlling his emotions, but he is still very sensitive whenever someone talks about his father. On top of being mentally weak, he is physically weak. Koskinen can do pull ups, but that is because he weighs as light as a 140 lb feather. He can barely bench the bar, and will need to work on his upper body strength if he wants to be successful in the league. The last con is his size. The one thing that he can't change for the most part. He is 65 inches tall and weighs 140 lbs. He rarely wins puck battles, and often gets thrown to the ice. If a teammate dumps the puck in, he can reach the puck first but a defender can easily take it away from him with a simple shove. To counteract that, Koskinen has speed, agility, and creativity. He has learned who to stay away from and how to get around them.

Edited August 14, 2014 by grimmsterj

[Baozi 1,658]

[Guest Svoboda_3]

Overview- 3/3

1,321 words. This was great. Not many travel the Junior A route, so that storyline was different than a lot of other biographies. You were very descriptive and detailed in your biography. Everything flowed together nicely in the end.

Grammar- 2/2

Not that many for the word count.

 

groups, and = groups and

his mother and him = he and his mother (x2)

Koskinens = Koskinen's

Cup, where = Cup where

can = could

quuality = quality

all out = all-out

Presentation- 1/1

It was acceptable.

Pros- 2/2

283 words. Excellent work here.

Cons- 2/2

259 words. Great job with the length.

Overall- 10/10

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