It was a cold winter's day and I was getting ready to step out onto the frozen battle ground. The opponents had steam rising from their bodies, hungry for blood. The buzzer sounded and I knew that it was time for the battle to begin.

The official dropped the puck and I felt a chill run down my spine. I hoped that maybe, just maybe, the couch wouldn't put me in the midst of the battle. Then I heard the words "You're in, Monico." I strapped my helmet and grabbed my stick and waited for my chance to go into the game thought to myself, What it I get hit? What if I'm not fast enough? Then as I stepped onto the ice, I realized that there was absolutely nothing to be afraid of. Every single person on the ice was just like me. So I skated the puck down on the ice, passed it to my teammate, he passed it back and I blasted the puck over the goalie's shoulder to put our team ahead by one goal.

After that one shift, I wasn't afraid anymore. Every other shift, I skated my heart out without fear. I was hitting everything in sight. My team went on to win that war two to one. After that day I never was afraid to go onto the ice again. l