I want to win. I have had that mindset instilled in me ever since I began playing competitive ice hockey around the age of 5. Every time I step onto the ice I want to do everything in my power to pummel my opponent and show them who the best player is. It doesn’t always work out in my favor but, regardless, it is the mentality that I bring into every game. And over 12 years of having that mentality for a hockey game has grown into having that mentality for anything I do that is even remotely competitive by its nature.

I am the family game night player that you do not want in your family. If we are playing a friendly game of Uno I will place down every draw two and draw four card in my arsenal until my family members have gotten an arm workout from having to hold their cards. It seems that everything I do now is tailored around my blind desire to succeed and beat the people that I am against. I recently got into the immensely popular mobile game called “Flappy Bird” and would not stop playing it until I had the highest score out of everyone that I come into contact with. I now own the top score in the game at my school of 673, which is nearly double the amount of the next best person.

I attribute this unnaturally competitive condition to my years of playing one of the most rough and physically competitive sports. In my youth leagues my coaches taught us that having fun was important but winning was everything. So my young brain absorbed that information and molded it into everyday activities that do not necessarily call for that mentality. I believe this nature of mine is a gift and not a curse, so I am thankful for my ruthless coaches from my youth that taught me one thing: if you’re not first, you’re last.