Growing up in a non hockey market. [1/2]

[Eparker24 16]

I have often been asked what it was like being into hockey where I was from. I was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. Absolutely no one is into hockey down there and when I was even born there wasn't a team within six hours of where I lived. I then moved to a small town in Virginia. Right after the move my old home town got a professional hockey team! It was bittersweet because I was excited that hockey had come to that area but I was no longer there to reap in the spoils of it. I was now in an even smaller hockey market with a team being three hours to the north and south of me but that was it. There was a local league that I began to play in there in my new hometown. We had barely enough players to make three teams so we basically played the same people over and over again. Players would have to be rotated through different positions because someone couldn't make it or they just gave up the sport. I was never really good at goalie but that’s what helped me become such a mobile defenseman. Some nights I had to play forward but when we had enough people I loved playing on the blue line. There’s nothing better than seeing everything on the ice when you’re in the opponent’s zone and setting up your teammate for the perfect one-timer. I became a duel threat where I could make sure that I handled the defensive zone, but I could also lead the rush when needed. Like I said though most of the time kids would just quit. That happened a lot. The popular sports were baseball and football where I was from. My last two years in high school our team went undefeated and won states twice. Guys who were good at sports were looked at as heroes and legends in our community. If they made it out and played in college or even pro you were a household name. For me no one cared that I was pretty good at hockey. I often was made fun of. People would say I was a fairy because hockey was just like figure skating. Others just straight up called me a communist and said that I hated America because I loved hockey so much.

            All that did though was just fuel me to train harder. I told myself that if I make it to the pros then there is no way that they won’t respect me. Regardless of the sport if you become one of the best then people have to recognize your game. So, I just worked harder and harder and harder until I started to get noticed by some colleges, the CHL, and the USHDP. My path has started to take me away from my small hockey market town and to places where people actually care that I can play hockey well. That still doesn’t take away my passion to prove everyone wrong in my old hometown. If I become good enough, even one of the greats, my hometown will finally respect and accept me.    

 

526 words, using for PT week Oct. 8th-14th

Edited October 7, 2018 by Eparker24

[diamond_ace 3,106]

As a hockey and soccer guy in Pittsburgh (even when the Pens are good, they still get a tenth the attention of the Steelers, who I don't care for) I've often been in the same boat as your guy was.

[JG10 28]

524 words like you said. I like the piece, interesting to know where you came from. Next time I would add a picture to make it more appealing and change the font.