Setting the Stage

Mercyhurst vs. Penn State (10/14/16) Photo Credit: Ed Mailliard

As a child, I dreamed of playing Division 1 college hockey. Unlike most youth hockey players, my goal was not to play professional hockey for my favorite NHL team. I wanted to wear my school's colors on Friday and Saturday nights, playing in front of my friends and classmates, with the band playing the “fight song” in the background.

This dream may seem unambitious, or one with lowered expectations, but I never saw it as such. Hockey was a game I fell in love with as a kid, and it was just that, a game. My childhood became engulfed in it. I would spend hours shooting pucks in the driveway trying to master the latest deke I saw in last night’s NHL highlights, or play pond hockey with my friends until the wee hours of the night because I could not get enough of it.

My admiration of the game is why I strived to play hockey at the collegiate level instead of professional. I enjoy watching college athletes perform as opposed to professional athletes simply because they play for their love of the game, not for the signing bonuses or the paychecks they receive. College athletes play their sports with enthusiasm and determination because they know, at least most of them, that their school will be the last team they play for competitively. Student-athletes would not commit to the grueling task of balancing academics, athletics, and other extracurricular activities if they did not love the game they played.

I am fortunate enough to be pursuing my lifelong dream of playing college hockey as a forward for the Mercyhurst Lakers. I am near the conclusion my sophomore year and have had the opportunity to play in a number of incredible venues that many young hockey players dream about. That is what I am going to share with you, the reader, in my blog; the unforgettable experiences I have gained while playing at many different ice arenas across the country.

"Pursuing a genuine dream deserves no compensation, simply self-fulfillment."

-Joshua Lammon