Several years ago, a friend from wheelchair basketball asked me if I wanted to try an adaptive sport known as sled hockey. I am always willing to try something new and this was no exception. I eagerly accepted the invitation. I fantasized about how my first practice was going to go. I would glide across the ice, pass, and shoot with ease.
This is not how it played out in reality.
When I got to the ice rink, I received my jersey and pads and got fitted for my sled. Even preparing to get onto the ice was a struggle. My jersey kept getting caught on my pads while attempting to put it on. Once I got in my sled, I immediately realized how hard it was to keep my balance. Keep in mind I wasn't even on the ice yet!
When I finally got onto the ice, the real fun began. Just moving was difficult. There are ice picks at the bottom of both of your sticks that you dig into the ice to propel yourself around. This is incredibly tiring. I was burned out just from moving in a few minutes.
Maintaining my balance also continued to be a problem. I lost count on how many times I fell over. In order to turn you have to lean the way you want to go. This led to more falling more times than not.
When practice was over, it is safe to say that I was irritated with my performance. I told my parents that I wanted to quit, but they told me to give it more time. It takes practice.
I indeed decide to give it more time and I'm glad I did. I am now on my 5th season of sled hockey and I love it! It is still very hard and I still fall a lot but in life you can't just quit because something is hard. Life is hard. You will fall a lot. That's just the way it is. You just have to learn to get back up and keep going.
Have a great day and make it a great tomorrow!
Optimus Provost
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