the long anticipated weekend

Well I finally got to my first pro tryout this past weekend. I actually played with them better than i thought I would. I still did not play my best, but I was right on par with the rest of them. I got in two fights and didn't lose either one (I also didn't necessarily win either of them though). I didn't score at all, but I won about 60% of my faceoffs and had some good hits. I knew I could have played a little better offensively, but I thought that overall I played well enough to either be invited to the main training camp or at least be recommended to another team in the same league.
When I got to talk with the coaches, they told me that my size was a factor for playing in this league and that I should work on my overall game. Bull-SHIT! First of all, I put on some pretty good hits that took players right off their feet, and none of them were my size or smaller (one was even when the guy tried to hit me...he had me lined up with my head down, and I still layed him out). Second, I only fell from a hit twice that I can remember, and when I went down, I got right back up and in the play as if it never happened. Third, of my two fights, one guy was my size, and the other was much stockier than me, and neither of them could flat out win the fight. So no, size was not a factor at all.
As for my overall game...maybe they should take into consideration that my team three games in about 6-8 hours with only two lines of forwards. All other teams had more spaced out ice times with much more players. Every player on my team could not play to their potential. If they happened to watch the final game on the following day, they would have seen my crashing the net, making good sharp passes, and forechecking hard like I normally do. If they saw what was going on off the ice, they would know that my legs were so cramped up that I honestly could not physically move them. I had to have the trainer push my knee so that it would bend. And then of course, it would be time for a line change and I went onto the ice again. Maybe that was why they told me I had to work on my skating (even though that is my strongest skill).
So you know what, I'll just contact other coaches who might have room for a guy that plays hard every shift and can contribute to the betterment of the team. I'll just earn a tryout with somebody like the Ft. Wayne Komets, and when we play the Elmira Jackals and beat them, I'll make them wish they had taken me when they had the chance. I can play at that level. I know it.

wow...a new post

With the 4th of July in the recent past, it only seemed logical to update this thing. I had Tuesday off of work like most people in this country, but I did have to work Monday morning. So I decided that since my fiance was in France I could hed to Toledo on Monday afternoon and see some old friends. It was a good time there; it's always good to see friends. We watched the fireworks in Maumee, and then we all hung out at Sam's apartment for while. The next day I saw Dan, and after some wings and World Cup at B-Dub's, I headed back for Daleville and my new house...only to find that Mom had cleaned the entire thing. Thanks Mom!

While I was in Toledo, I met a guy who plays pro hockey. For those who I don't get to talk to very much, I have been getting the itch to play again, badly. The fire has been burning again and there are not too many times that I find myself not thinking about hockey. He told me to call him if I ever wanted some information to get a tryout in a minor league. All this just pushes me to find try and find a tryout even more. I can't wait to get back into competitive hockey again!

Well, I hope Sara reads this while she is in France, I miss you baby! I'm at your house right now with Grandma, Karen, and Arya. I know you probably miss Arya more than me, so I'll just let you know that shes doing fine. She was tired when I got to hold her, so she immediately started crying as soon as she saw my face. At least that is the excuse I am going to use, heh. I love you and can't wait to see you again!

a house!

i know i havent been on here in a while, but there is now some interesting news. i own a house! i know, i can barely believe it myself. its in daleville, and i dont think i could ask for a better set up. i am really excited about being a home owner. you should stop by and see it sometime.

7900 S. Hickory Ln

My Job Responsibility

Today I was working at my new job, Studio 22 (although it is not really "new" because I have been in and out of there since my senior year of high school). We had a new trainer in there today that Brad, my boss, just recently hired. Towards the end of the day when there were about 2 or 3 clients left, Brad informed me that he had to take off, and he was leaving me in charge. This act made me feel very proud of myself. My boss trusted me enough to run the entire facility in his absence. I had to watch the clients, make sure our newest employee understood how we ran everything, answer questions clients may have had, and close and lock everything up.

The whole thing just made me realize something as I was typing this blog out. Sometimes all you need to feel an extra bit of confidence in yourself, is to receive it from someone else. Brad's confidence in me made me more confident of myself. Instead of worrying if I was ready to handle the extra responsibility and questioning myself, all I had to say was, "Brad trusts me, why should I not trust me?" Thank you Brad for your confidence.

the perfect day

i know that i have not posted in a while, but now i have some breaking news that is definately worth telling the world.

if i was ever to have a perfect day, it wouldve been saturday may 6, 2006. i started off running a mini-marathon with sara and her brother-in-law, rajeev. after the race i took sara to a park in downtown indianapolis. as we were walking along the creek that ran through the park, i told sara to stand in front of a tree and i would take her picture. when she turned around, instead of holding the camera, i was on my knee holding a ring.

thats right folks, i proposed. im gonna be getting married. we spent the next couple of hours by ourselves, but eventually met up with our families at the old spaghetti factory. my mom made a couple of cakes, and we all had a good time celebrating. dinner went long, but it was a lot of fun.

it was a long day, but a perfect day.

Future Connections

In my EXSCI 190 class, which is the intro to the major, we have been having guest speakers come in so that we can get different perspectives on different areas inside the field. Today was a nice lady from BSU talking about sports nutrition. My attention peaked when she commented on the fact that she got her start in professional hockey. She continued to speak of different conditions inside the sport of hockey that made nutrition, and everything else, unique. I decided to talk to her after class. I felt like I was making a connection. We both knew hockey and were interested in exercise science. Also, it felt like a potential professional connection. She teaches the two nutrition courses that I will eventually have to take for my EXSCI major and Sports Medicine minor. Hopefully it could turn into a good letter of recommendation for grad school, or a connection for an internship. Either way I felt like I did that little extra effort to meet her and hopefully have an inside track to my ultimate goal, the NHL.

Twice this week

My history class got cancelled for the second time this week "due to Professor illness". It's nice not having to go to class, I'm just worried that we will fall behind and then have to rush through the rest of the course. But it was nice to have a break.