In order for an author to influence their reader to really care and understand the basis of their ideas, they make them feel something as they read. whether it be fear, anger, joy or sadness, playing with emotions burns memories into our brains. Emotion is one of the strongest elements of any experience, and has the potential for incredible influence. The reason to which I bring this to attention is because through a combination of raw emotions including passion, frustration, and a drive to be the best; I have created a mental archive full of priceless moments that all have one thing in common. Hockey.
I have found that as a hockey player in my youth, I was able to discover many things about what it means to be a team. Being a part of a team allows you to extract positive characteristics and ideas from a group of people who share similar interests as you, which can be beneficial in shaping your ideologies. Furthermore, being a part of a team bestows in you a sense of respect and positivity for both your teammates and your rivals. As I said earlier, emotions are a huge part of every experience, and have incredible influential power. Being a part of a team taught me how to control my emotions, especially when they dictate my actions. For example, imagine that you want something. This something that you aspire for replays through your mind, increasing your aspirations by the hour. When you finally get the chance to fight for that item, you may be willing to do more than you ever thought possible to obtain it. You may even act uncharacteristically, merely out of pure desire. This desperate want is created from your emotions. The thoughts of “ what will it be like not to have it? ”, and “I can’t let them have it” will rile up your desire emotions. If you never learn to control those desires, you’ll never learn how to acquire that item. Granted, in this situation I’m simply referring to the desire to win, but desire is an emotion that can completely rewire your brain, and take charge of your actions if left uncontrolled. Through dealing with desire before every game, hockey has taught me to wrangle desire, and use it positively by turning it into grit and drive, which plays a part in giving you the ability to obtain the goal you’re chasing. Through hockey I was also able to develop traits that have helped shape my personality for the better. One important characteristic that I was able to obtain through hockey was learning to deal with anxious feelings, and finding determination and drive when I need it most. Picture yourself in this situation. There you sit, a whitewashed room with timber trim. The floor littered with black duffle bags, each with a signature number and logo. The original smell of the room is now masked by the stench of perspiring bodies, packed into layers of equipment. Your whole body aches, and as if it couldn't get any worse, you're drenched in a mixture of sweat and melted ice. You look around the room, seeing your brothers struggling. They've collaboratively left every ounce of energy in their body out on the ice after a rigorous two sessions, yet they're expected to walk out of that whitewashed room and do it for one last period. Combined with these physical factors is the mental struggle of the hunger for a win. This isn't any ordinary game however, it’s the state championship game, against your biggest rival team. A normal person simply can’t perform at their peak in this situation, but through repeated exposure via hockey games, a person can learn how to cope with this rush of both physical and mental feelings.
One may now be thinking, “so what? I’ll never play hockey in my life, whats the use of these skills?” The point is that the traits gained through playing in this game are applicable to more than just a hockey game. Having the ability to dig deep and “pull determination from the bottom of your empty tank,” as my coach used to say, is an important trait to have. One will find themselves more successful if they have developed the ability to push themselves, and develop motivation to finish what they started, even if its painful or tough. This motivation found within is often referred to as grit. Grit is an evolution of desire, and is brought about only when you have the ability to transform your desires into your motivation. Grit is thought to be a key element in being successful in whatever endeavor you are attempting to conquer.
Overall, this is merely a few examples of the lessons to be learned through the greatest sport on ice. With proper exposure to teamwork, sportsmanship, and hard work, one’s personality can be molded through emotion. Furthermore, the benefits of using emotion to harness drive through your desires are applicable in every act of life, and developing these abilities through youth sports has been an incredible help in countless situations throughout my life.
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