You Can Do It!

by Kay Heitsch

Today our 11 year old grandson Noah played in his first scrimmage on the Special Olympic hockey team. This may not seem like a big deal to some people, but you have to know Noah to see that it is a huge deal.

Noah had a rough start in life. We weren't sure if he would even make it let alone play sports. We were surprised when Noah said he wanted to play hockey. First, our daughter and son-in-law had him take ice skating lessons. Noah stumbled, cried, and fell many times. It took a while, but he learned to get back up after each fall.

We were impressed when Noah asked the coach if he could be on the hockey team. Most of the boys on the team are much older than Noah. He would no doubt be the smallest and the youngest player. The coach said he had to know how to do certain things before being on the team. Noah shocked all of us when he did everything the coach asked him to do.

Most of us don't have as many challenges as Noah or the other boys on this team. We can all learn a lesson from Noah and each one of them. Don't quit! If you stumble, get back up! You can do it!