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Dr. Spadaro
Honors English 12
13 September 2019
College Essay
When I was five, my grandfather helped me put on my first pair of hockey skates. As he
laced them up, I remember him saying, “Hockey teaches you the most important lessons in life in
order to be a good individual. It teaches you commitment, sacrifice, perseverance, and teamwork.
These are lessons that remain important both on and off the ice.” The words of wisdom I
received on my first day of hockey have remained prevalent in my life to this day.
My biggest challenge, both in hockey and life, happened during a game. I was hit after
dumping the puck into the corner, and fell into the boards. The shock of the impact kept me from
feeling anything, and adrenaline allowed me to get up and skate back to the bench. My coaches’
eyes became fixated on my shoulder as they peeled my pads and jersey back. Shortly thereafter, I
was informed that my clavicle was broken and my shoulder separated. Henceforth, my hockey
career was put on a temporary pause. I was out for numerous months while recovering from my
injury. During this time, I faced my inner demons. I had plenty of time to think about hockey and
the struggles it had brought into my life. After all the hardships I had been faced with, I planned
to never play again. It was hard to go to school and carry my books around everyday with just
one arm. With this immobility, I was not even capable of writing during my classes. However,
the tallest test of my character was when I sat on the bench with my immobile arm, watching
some of my best friends play the game I love. Nevertheless, I held on to my positive attitude by
retaining the values of commitment and perseverance throughout my recovery, which had been
It was aggravating to not play hockey or complete everyday tasks while suffering through
pain, so I began restrengthening with aggressive physical therapy. I wanted to persevere through
my injury and come back as the best player I could be. I learned that it doesn't matter if you get
knocked down, no matter how hard it is. It matters that you get back up again, even stronger,
better, and more motivated than you were before. This analogy taught me both physical and
mental discipline, which has guided me to where I am now in my hockey career. After
recovering, I was able to make my high school varsity hockey team as a freshman. My hockey
career reached a new height during my junior season, in which I won the “Defensive Player of
the Year” award for the Central Catholic League. I did not appreciate this award so deeply for
physical aspects, but because it symbolized the obstacles I overcame through my commitment
and perseverance.
Through this experience, I realize the importance of what my grandfather was talking
about. Even after his passing, I carry his wisdom with me everywhere I go, from the rink to
school and everywhere in between. The most useful thing that I took from my injury was
knowing what it is like to be knocked down, and get back up again better and more motivated
than before. I learned that it is not just about getting back up, but to rise again with a will to
succeed. As a result, I have learned to compete with myself every day, always looking to do
better, even when it is difficult. As I look into the future, I know that these lessons will push me
to try harder every day, encourage me to set my goals high, and raise me back up when I am
knocked down.