I pressed my face against the freezing cold glass staring at the three and four year olds who were fortunate enough to be of age to participate in Microbells. I was only two. All of a sudden interrupting my train of thought someone screamed at me "Hey Casey, why aren't you out her skating?" May Dad responds "Well Kevin, he is not old enough." "No one cares about that. Go grab some extra gear and I'll help you get dressed." yelled Kevin.

So my Dad and I ambled over to the gear bags, grabbed one and found the Micorbell locker room. The second we opened the door we hear Kevin shouting "come on, come on, let's go get on that ice!" I had never put on hockey gear before, so Kevin had to do all of it for me. He showed me how to tie my skates, how to put on my helmet and all the other steps to putting on hockey gear. I didn't understand all of it at the time, so I had no idea that someday it would all become second nature.

The moment I stepped out of that warm locker room for the first time was very overwhelming. All of the sounds of people yelling, stick clashing, and the cold biting at my face. I was so excited to get on the ice, but as soon as I did, I fell flat on my face! "That's all right, it happens to everybody at least once." Kevin said. I got up from the ice and grasped the boards with all my might. I was determined not to fall again.  As soon as I got the hang of pushing with my left foot and then my right. Kevin knocked me on my back! I struggled to get up. As soon as I did he knocked me over again! This time I didn't feel like getting up, so Kevin grabbed me by my skate and dragged me around the ice like I was a sled.

I had no idea whatsoever that Kevin was teaching me the basics of hockey. Not only did he teach me the basics of hockey, he taught me to love hockey and have a life-long passion for the game.