Most of it is a blur to me. But I do remember some, maybe my mind makes it up because I want to remember. I love hockey now. I am a strong player and play a lot. But I sometimes like to remember and think about my first time skating.

It was a weird place I was in. Full of new equipment, it smelled funny, too, like plastic. My dad crammed me in and out of tons of different pads and gloves, but I had been having too much fun to be bothered. My dad told me I would be playing hockey and I had never felt more excited in my life. I went parading around the house chanting “I’m gonna play hockey! I’m gonna play hockey!”

I wasn’t nervous until my dad picked me up and I peered though the glass onto the glossy white ice; like a painted ice cube, I thought. I turned around and with wide eyes of fear abruptly said, “I don’t want to do it!” But my dad being how he is persuaded me to do it and it was a good thing he did. I loved it and had a blast. My dad took me out and just skated me around the rink, letting me have fun and feel the ice underneath my legs. My dad played hockey his whole life and happened to be very good, so of course he wanted to get me into it.

Little by little he worked skating into me. I soon could skate slightly without him, like a wobbly baby learning to walk. I looked forward to every Saturday morning as if it were a field trip. For my entire first year it was about the same-my dad would take me out and skate around with me, talking to me, encouraging me and teaching me.

At the start of my second year though, my goal was to practice with the other kids. I did and I had a lot of fun. At the end of every practice there had been a scrimmage. I had never played in it, even when I had started practicing. One cold Saturday I told my dad I wanted to play in it and he let me. I skated over to the bench and climbed in. I was very nervous and timid at first but I got very into it. Racing around the ice I tried to remember my position but I was having just too much fun not to go in and try to get the puck. There were a lot of big pileups and that was my favorite part. I had a fantastic time even though I didn’t do too much.

I remember one Saturday very specifically. I woke up early like usual and had been playing with some toys when I lost my first tooth! I was shocked and excited. I ran to my parent’s room, cupping the tooth in my hands and showed them. I knew it was going to be a great day and it was because right after I had hockey too.

I was still a beginner and had much to learn, but it would come. I still enjoyed it all very much. There is always something more to learn. I think I keep and cherish these memories because hockey is a big thing in my life. I will always remember my first times on ice as some of my greatest memories.