I arrived at the rink early on that cold December day. I pulled my bag out of the back of my moms white truck and heaved it over my shoulder. I slowly made my way to the entrance of Ben Boeke, slipping on the sheets of ice that easily could be its own rink if it lost all the gravel. As I entered, the smell of sweat and chemicals hit my nose and I felt …showed first 75 words of 1301 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1301 total…buzzer rang. We were state champions. Everyone celebrated and cheered. This is what we had worked for all season. Once when we were back in the locker room, I sat down by my bag. The same worries I had about my family came flooding back to me. The smile that was plastered on my face faded slowly until I felt empty and was willing to give up the state championship just for a happy family.