Saturday, May 3, 2008
The Spirit of Competition
When not at dog shows, Hummer and I follow the San Jose Sharks who are now in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Beating the Calgary Flames in the first round they are now battling through the series with the Dallas Stars and have inched their way up 3 games to 2. As in any competition, there are similarities in the spirit of play whether it is on the ice or at the Fairgrounds. There is a great passion for the sport, desire to win, dedication to hard work and effort to meet the challenges from the opposition. If you lose you just try harder and the word "Quit" is never mentioned. Competition offers comaraderie to share the good times and the down times and it tests your character as a competitor. One of Hummer's favorite players for the Sharks is Ryan Clowe, a defenseman, who is from Newfoundland, Canada. He also likes Evgeny Nabokov, the Goalie, because his big human brother, Jordan, is a hockey goalie. There is nothing like the joy of winning, of working toward and meeting goals. It builds confidence, character, resilience, creativity, and is just a lot of fun! GO SHARKS!