"The Hockey Player" by Phil

Coaches criticize him, younger siblings idolize him,

teammates mock him, girls adore him,

officials penalize him, students and fans cheer for him,

dentists love him, and his mother worries about him.

He can be found everywhere and everywhere:

skating around, falling over, passing by,

gliding backwards, twisting across, hitting hard,

beating defenses, and scoring goals.

He is courage on skates, passion in a jersey,

pride in pads, and hope in a helmet.

You can ridicule him, but you can’t discourage him.

You can beat his team, but you can’t make him quit.

You can injure him, but you can’t get him out of the sport he loves.