Beginners Bad Luck

[GioSivo 167]

Beginners Bad Luck

 

Frustration. Complete and utter frustration. No matter what he did, he just couldn’t get going. He had tried being patient. 

 

“It’s a new league, I’m just getting used to it,” he had told himself. “Everyone else already has experience, of course you’re going to fall behind.” He just couldn’t take it anymore. It had been eating away at him little by little every day, every lackluster game. He started to feel like he was useless. If he couldn’t help the team, what good was he? Fourteen games played in the VHLM, only two points, with a minus seven plus-minus. He took a moment to breathe, fourteen games really wasn’t a long time, especially for a rookie. Wait, was he even a rookie? Did this count as a pre-rookie season or something like that? He should probably ask somebody about it.

 

Nevertheless, it was still a short time and he was new playing against people who already had experience in that league. He had just been contacted by the Royals of the VHL Junior Showcase Tournament, wanting to see if he could play. He signed up without a moment of hesitation, surely he would make up for everything here.

 

VHL Junior Showcase Days 1-2:

 

And to think things were looking up. Here he was playing against people who were at least in a similar situation, new to the league. While some had been there longer than him, everyone should be on at least similar footing. Right? Even here he couldn't produce. He really tried too, he was giving it everything he had, trying to compensate for his time in Mississauga. He just couldn’t get his footing anywhere it seemed. A total of minus four in four games played here, no points.It was really getting to his head, he was losing confidence in himself day after day. 

 

“Just one.” He pleaded.
 

VHL Junior Showcase Day 3:

Good things come to those who wait. The first game of the day against Team Clue was poised to be just as a lackluster performance as ever for him with a minus two. It was a tied game headed into overtime. Then a shootout. He wouldn’t be one of the first three shooters, so again he thought that was that. Team clue scored in round one, Royals in round two, and went to sudden death after round three. Both teams scored in round four, and now, apparently, he was up. Even with Team Clue not scoring, he still felt the weight of the world on his shoulders skating out to center ice. He took a breath, and he went.

In front of the net, he deked forehand, backhand, forehand– and watched as the puck floated over the goalie’s pad and in. Relief. Is what he felt while his teammates swarmed him and celebrated. 

The second game was less eventful, but game three against the warriors, with his mental barrier seemingly broken, he finally had the game he was looking for. A short handed goal, and an assist on the powerplay. Sure, they’d lost that game, and obviously that was disappointing, but he felt liberated. No more doubt, he had just proved to himself he can play at this level and hold his own. Grazie Dio.
 

Word Count: 540
For week: 1/15