By the age of three, I knew what life had in store for me. Hockey. It was that easy. Hockey was the only sport where I could be myself and compete with players better than me. By the age of seven, I was playing competitively and at one time I was on three different rosters, but to play more competitively I had to leave everything I knew in pursuit of my dream. Attending a private high school, 4 hours from home, afforded me an opportunity to play in college and attending the University of Wisconsin became a reality. The sacrifices and choices I made; weren't easy, but nothing in life worth having comes easy. Hockey was more than a game. The sport gave me life long friends, relationships, and connections I never would have dreamed of. Most importantly the game taught me many life lessons bigger than winning or losing. I learned transferable skills like time management, dedication, responsibility, leadership and no matter how difficult a situation you are put in to support those around you and to be the best teammate you can possibly be. The game of hockey has many ties to the game of life: Commit yourself to something bigger than who you are and you will always be satisfied.