Are you willing to leave your comfort zone to pursue something that you are passionate about? Are you willing to stay home and train instead of going to a party? I have had many unique experiences to make me the person I am today, such as moving away at the very young age of 12. I had no other choice but to leave my family and move to a different town as my hockey coach verbally/physically abused myself and other players. This was very hard for me as I had no idea what the outcome would be, but I knew that if I wanted to continue to the next level that this is what I had to do. I play because I love the sport and live by the philosophy to chase your dreams of one day playing an elite level of hockey for a living.
So, I moved from my hometown Leduc, Alberta to a town further west called Drayton Valley, Alberta. For me to play hockey there I had to sign over guardianship and move into a house with a different family. At first without a doubt it was scary and nerve racking, but lucky for me they were great and soon became a second family to me. While moving away for hockey, I encountered many new challenges such as attending a new school, trying to make new friends and learning how to get around the new town. All these things helped me in personal growth in a way of having to have to learn to adapt to your surroundings and to start becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable.
There were both positives and negatives with moving away from home that year. The biggest negative would be not getting to see my family very much. This was the adjustment that took the longest and was the most difficult for me to handle as I come from a very big, interactive family. Another negative was there came times where I felt that I was missing out on things that my friends/family were doing back home, for example when they were having a party, and I would sink into the mindset “I’m stuck here travelling to other cities in Alberta to play hockey”. I eventually came to the realization that I was not missing out, I was doing what I loved and gaining experiences that some other kids are not so fortunate to have. Another positive would be that I met many new people and lifelong friends.
Overall the positives outweighed the negatives greatly and I would not change a thing about moving away for sport that I love. Playing hockey away from home has helped me develop into the person that I am today. From this experience, I created good habits such as becoming more independent, driven, and confident in myself and it has helped shaped me. Moving away to continue my dream of playing elite hockey for a living did not just give me the opportunity to grow as a person, it also allowed for me to further my hockey career in the right direction. After many years of continuing to pursue my dream I was offered numerous scholarships and opportunities to play college hockey, but in the end, I decided to accept a scholarship to the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) here in Edmonton, Alberta. I am currently in my second year at NAIT, this also being the second year with the team and I strongly believe I would not be here if I had not taken that opportunity many years ago.
Although chasing your dream can be hard and have many ups and downs, I would still recommend to every young athlete that is out there to give their absolute best effort. Chase your dreams and take advantage of certain opportunities that you get to help you grow and find yourself as a person and in hopes of one day being the great athlete you dreamed of being. You must always be grateful for the opportunities and all the learning moments that will come along, as I firmly believe they shape you. Capitalize on opportunities that feel right and be willing to feel uncomfortable because that’s where true personal growth starts.
Author Bio:
My name is Austin Pickford, I currently in my second year of studying a NAIT, where I am taking Personal Fitness Training. I wanted to share my experience with when I moved away from my family at the age of 12, to pursue my hockey career (my dream). I wanted younger athletes and their parents to see the realistic choices and decisions you may have to make in order to keep chasing your dreams. I don’t want athletes to be afraid to take risks and go outside their comfort zones when it comes to striving to achieve their dreams. I hope that you enjoyed reading one of my life experiences and I hope that it can help you or anyone else see that one must challenge their comfort zone in order to grow and succeed in whatever they are passionate about.
