The following story is one which will touch the heart of every parent who has watched their child struggle to be part of the team. Not everyone can be the best player on the team, and at times parents forget that the important thing is not for your child to be the best of all, but more importantly that he or she give them his or her best!

Dear Mom and Dad:

Don’t get excited. I’m not running away or anything. I hope you won’t be mad that I left you guys this letter, but I don’t have the guts to say all this stuff in person.

It’s about our hockey team. I was really excited to make the traveling team this year. The uniforms and hockey bags are pretty neat and we get to travel all over the place. But I know you are disappointed in me.

It started when Dad called our coach after the second game to tell him he was taking me off the team. I know you used to like to tell the guys at work how many goals I scored last year in house league. I guess you haven’t got too much to tell them this year.

But after the coach talked you out of taking me off the team I was really nervous to go back. The coach told me he thought I was good enough to play on the team and not to worry. He told the other players I got sick and they kept asking me if I was feeling better.

I know you really like it when I score goals. I guess that’s why you said you’d give me five dollars for a goal and a dollar for an assist. But the coach says an assist is as good as a goal. The coach wasn’t too happy when I told him you gave me two dollars for a penalty though.

I try to be more aggressive, like you said, but the other girls skate pretty fast. You told me to carry the puck more, like Rachel does, but I can’t seem to go fast enough to get away from the other kids.

You should see me play street hockey though. When they pick teams I always get picked first and I score a lot of goals. The other day I hit one of the girls in the elbow with a tennis ball and we couldn’t stop laughing for about a year. But before our real hockey games I always get so nervous.

You know a lot about hockey, Dad, but I just can’t remember all the things you tell in the car on the way to the game. By the time we get there, I always feel sick to my stomach.

I don’t mind you screaming at the games because all the parents scream. But you yell at Jessica to pass the puck more. She’s the best player on our team and without her we’d be dead.

After our game yesterday, I felt bad when you yelled at the coach for not putting me on the ice in the third period. It was a close game and he wanted the best players out there. The coach is a pretty cool guy really, and he doesn’t get any money or anything for coaching us.

I know you were both pretty upset after we lost the game. You were surprised when I started crying in the car on the way home. It wasn’t because of when I got hurt in the second period, like I said. I just couldn’t help it.

I love you both a lot, so I think I better quit hockey. It’s costing you a lot of money, like you said, and you guys don’t seem to enjoy coming to my games anyway. I can’t go back to house league, because all of the kids would laugh. I hope you understand why I can’t play hockey anymore. I think it’ll be the best thing for you guys.

Signed

Your daughter