Did you ever think you weren’t good enough to accomplish something? Whether you are talking about sports or school, it is nearly impossible to succeed without the combination of self-confidence and hard work. My parents and coaches always stressed that I need to focus on my strengths and believe in my abilities, but I could not see past my weaknesses. It took several years before I finally realized that my self-doubt was the biggest hurdle I had to overcome. My love of hockey paved the way for my transformation and personal growth. My inspiration came from a few people whose words and actions, ultimately, altered how I perceived myself.  Learning to be confident, and believing I was capable of persevering and achieving success, allowed me to view as attainable things that once seemed impossible. This is what changed my life.

Some people are innately confident, and some, like myself, must learn to develop self-esteem. Sounds simple, but it is not. Gaining confidence can be a struggle and is not necessarily something that is achieved over night, but, for many like myself, it is a gradual process that requires constant casting aside of self-doubt. When I was younger, I didn’t realize that lacking this attribute meant the difference between success and failure, even in hockey, the sport I loved the most. I remember how excited I was when my father told me I could play on a travel hockey team. But, at my first try-out, I was the last person picked for the team and the coach was not shy about reminding me of that fact. So, even though I should have been excited to play travel hockey, I actually felt embarrassed, upset, and depressed. All I could focus on was that I was the last person chosen. I doubted my abilities and viewed myself as inadequate. My attitude affected my performance and I skated tentatively, which is a fatal flaw for a hockey player. For the first six weeks of the season, I did not receive much ice time. My father who was once a hockey player reassured me that I had the talent and the necessary skills. He would say, “I have faith in you, but you must have confidence in yourself.” Despite his support, my confidence continued to spiral downward. One day, my father sat me down to watch the movie Miracle on Ice. This movie would change my attitude and, eventually, my life. How can a movie have such an impact? Well, from the outset, I was intrigued by the success story of the 1980 USA men’s Olympic Hockey Team because the players accomplished what many thought was impossible. They beat the Russians, who had won every Olympic hockey gold medal since 1964. Just as memorable as the event were the words of the USA coach Herb Brooks who said, “success is won by those who believe they will win and then prepare for that moment.” Herb Brooks inspired me to believe in myself. From that day forward, instead of continuing to feel sorry for myself, I decided to work harder than anyone else on the team. I treated every drill in practice as if it were the end of an important game. I also took lessons and skated whenever I had the opportunity. All my hard work eventually led to increasing confidence. I knew I was just as good as my teammates, but I needed the coach to give me an opportunity. During a tournament over Thanksgiving, two of the defensemen on my team were injured on the first day. My coach had no choice but to give me a lot of ice time. Although we lost in the finals, I look back at the tournament as one of the best experiences of my hockey career. After that final game, the coach pulled me aside and told me he was very impressed by how well I played that weekend. Through this experience, I realized how essential self-confidence and determination are toward being successful. I never gave up the sport I loved because the coach did not believe in me. Instead of quitting, I worked harder to improve my skills and maintain a positive attitude. There have been times when my confidence has been shaken because I made a bad play or had a less than stellar performance during a game, but I no longer let my mistakes define me.

Like many sports, hockey became a vehicle for self-discovery. Inspired by the words of Herb Brooks when he said to his team, “Let me start with issuing you a challenge. Set a goal that seems unattainable, then when you reach that goal set another one even higher.” Over the last few years, I learned that I would never know what I could achieve unless I continued to push myself. I played with a newfound self-confidence, determination to surpass my goals, dedication to working hard and perseverance even during the toughest of times and most challenging of circumstances. As a result, I now play on an even better team, in a more skilled division, and I know I can compete with the best players on the ice.

Through my love of this sport, I realized how important self-confidence is to performance in many aspects of life, enabling me to achieve goals that I used to think would be impossible and, ultimately, reaching levels of success never before imaginable both on an off the ice.