End of the Season Thoughts

[Ozzy Batty 275]

This has been a season of ups and downs for sure. I was drafted by Saskatoon with the 1st pick of the 3rd round. I led the team in goals, was second in assists and total points. But the team didnt have a good season. We seemed to lose all direction and focus. We tried to stay together but we all drifted into different directions. Some of the players were interested in personal goals and others just lost intertest. Some of my teammates just went home, while some others even asked about being traded. It is tough to stay positive when there seems to be confusion about the direction of the team.

 

The season seemed to be over, I did not know what to do next. But then I got the call to join the World Junior Championship. I was drafted by the Royals and joined a team that had come together for just one purpose, to win the tournament. I was honored to be voted the Captain of the team for the tournament. We have been working hard. The tournament started great for us, going 5-1 before we hit a tough patch. But then we started to struggle. However, that did not change the dedication of the team. The GM was in there giving us insight on his plans, providing encouragement and making sure we knew he was in it to win it as well. 

 

The preliminary rounds are finished. We made it into the playoffs. We are currently playing the Warriors and are tied 2-2. It has been a great series and if we can win this round, then I think we have a good chance to go all the way. The cohesion of the team and the support of the staff has been fantastic!

 

I was sitting in the day room, watching Youtube videos about Ireland, wow, I really miss home. When my mobile phone rang. I was not expecting a call, but who knows what will happen on a Saturday night. It was from the league office. Why were they calling me on a Saturday night? After saying hello....everything kind of went in a fog....I need to let this soak in. I had been selected to play in the revived Commissioner's Cup! The league allowed the the VHLM Commissioner's to select teams to try and take home the Commissioner's Cup! There were 40 players selected, 20 for each team. Out of those 20, there were 12 Forwards on each team. I was one of the 24 Forwards selected to try to take this home!

I will be playing on the team managed by Gustav, we do not have a name yet. But what an honor! I hung up the call and my mobile phone rang again. This time it was a reporter. I was trying to deal with the reality that I had even been selected to play in this revived tournament and now I am getting asked questions about it. How do I feel about playing in the cup? I am excited...and kind of nervous. I mean, this is a great honor, but what if I fail? What if I let my team down. I know it is alot of pressure so I hope that am able to support my team. Then he asked, what do I want to accomplish in the tournament? I want my team to win, I want to be an asset to my team. The last question is if I thought I could win the cup MVP? Is there such a thing? I honestly do not know. But even if there is, I am not really interested. Now I am not going to lie and say it would not be cool to win it, but I am here for my team. So if I win it because I was the best teammate, then yea, I like it. But I am not interested in personal glory. That is, unless it is earned while supporting my team and being the best teammate I can be. He thanked me and ended the call. I headed upstairs to try and let this all sink in. I realized there was something I needed to do though...

 

It is time to call my parents and tell them I will not be home as soon as I thought....there is another trophy to win!

 

Word Count: 961 words

Week claimed: 4 June 2023