years of gritted teeth of days at the rink and nights in the garage firing shots at a net that’s seen better days thrown around like a ragdoll as he climbs tries to be better but he just keeps getting knocked down and now his skates hardly skim the ice “he’s a hard worker”, they say but hard work never seems to be enough hard work means nothing next to weaving hands and flashy skaters he’s happy to play one minute feel the wind against his neck as he takes his moment of freedom before he must return to the bench and each moment of freedom he does all he can to show the world to prove to himself that he can be a star he will be one day he knows his name will light up on a screen he just needs to keep pushing but it never comes and he finally starts to doubt yet he keeps trying his hardest and then one day it happens someone takes a chance on the boy who never really got one and he joins a school team maybe now, finally, he can prove himself and then he does and someone decides they want him someone of the highest level decides he’s the one to get and he never really plays not at that high level why would he? he’s never really meant to but one night it comes and there he is in the big leagues music pounding, he sits among legends and guys just like him and the music swells and the lights brighten as he steps out alone the cheering crescendoes then there it is that familiar feeling of the wind in his hair as he finally takes his victory lap