Adversity and What We Gain From It :: Personal Narratives Sports Medicine Essays

Adversity and What We Gain From It In all parts of life there are periods of adversity that we must face, the real challenge however, is what and how we gain from conquering those trials. There have been many times that I have been faced with adversity, it has happened in all aspects of my life at one time or another. Whether it is dealing with the ups and downs of hockey or balancing the pressure that comes with an elite hockey schedule and high school, there are always obstacles. Some of these challenges can bring about positive effects that influence the path of one’s life. In one such experience of mine, the amount of adversity was not near as great as the positive out come that came from my experience. It happened when I was thirteen, I suffered a hockey injury that helped me to realize the area I wanted to study and hopefully have career in. The time it took me to rehabilitate my shoulder was a time of great learning for me but it also came with a great deal of adversity. It was an injury that sidelined me for weeks while at the same time pushed me on my way to a new work ethic and a new enthusiasm for learning. When I was in grade seven, I was playing my second year of peewee hockey and playing for my junior high school team as well. The junior high league allowed checking and the peewee league did not. Because of this I was not accustomed to the new aspect of hockey brought on by checking. I was injured in an intense game against our rival junior high, which was filled with plenty of checking. I was on the receiving end of a brutal check from behind which is something not permitted in any league, the player that hit me received a penalty and a game expulsion. I tried to continue playing but it was no use, I was barely able to raise my arm. I ended up in the hospital where the doctor informed me that I had severely dislocated my left shoulder and would have to miss up to three weeks of play. I had never been forced to miss hockey because of an injury before and it was the worst news I had ever heard. The time I missed from hockey was one of the most difficult periods I had been through up t o that point.