Mighty USA Ducks

Thirty-One

We all had a campfire later that night together. We sat outside on logs in our hoodies. This was our small last event all together before we all take our different planes back to where we live. I was seated next to Julie on a log. While Connie and Guy were together. Adam, Jesse, and Luis. Averman and Dwayne. Fulton and Portman. Kenny and Mr. Tibbles. Charlie and Goldberg.

Dwayne had brought his guitar as everyone was wrapped in blankets or shared with the person next to them. We all laughed and talked as we roasted marshmallows. At one point Goldberg had caught his on fire and made a mess. Soon, Dwayne started playing a song on his guitar and Averman started off singing the start to We Are The Champions by Queen.

Soon everyone else started joining in quietly and then we got louder and louder. Soon Portman, Fulton, Goldberg, and Charlie had their arms behind each others' necks as they sang and swayed back and forth. So did everyone else. Julie and I joined Guy and Connie. While Ken joined Jesse, Adam, and Luis.

I saw my dad glance over at Mr. Tibbles and he got an approval sign by him. That's my father, Minnesota Miracle Man, Minnesota Waves player, Mighty Ducks Coach, Team USA Coach and most of all, my father. I was happy and just thinking about who he was before the Mighty Ducks came put a smile on my when I sang with the others.

He came a long way from being the king of the courtroom. He dominated it, just like ice, but both ended up the same. Going super, taking it all in, and then bam! He crashed. I just don't want that to happen to me and  am not saying it's bad. Because my father got to see most of grow up into fine hockey players who are now teenagers. He created the Ducks, and now we're here to stay, hopefully. But before the Ducks and I was all he had. Mom didn't care about him anymore and my sister, well, she probably forgot she even has a dad.

We all sang a couple different songs after that one. And played some games as we talked or sang. I was getting glances back and forth from Charlie and Adam, but I only smiled lightly back to them. I wasn't in the mood to be reminded of past events. Right now is the time to enjoy life as it is and not for what it should be.

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I was on the plane when I was thinking about how my day went. I was looking back on the photos that Coach had a Phototographer come and take of us. Everyone was so nice and insisted that Adam, Charlie and I took a photo together to porve our threesome friendship. I didn't talk to either of them, but I took the photo. In fact, we did that same photo twice; in uniform and without uniform.

We had taken so many photos. I swear that camera could've stopped working at any minute now. We had goofy photos of the team together and separate. You know what they ended up doing, the small group photos. They did the hotshots, Adam and I. I felt bad the others weren't in it but it was the truth there. The scorers and centremen, Charlie, Adam, Luis, Connie, Guy, Averman, Jesse and I; whom were mostly the scorers or wingers. Then the goalies; Julie and Goldberg; their photo was hilarious. The defensemen, Portman, Fulton, Dwayne, Luis and I; it all depended on who played. The wingers, Ken and Russ; there was more of us but I didn't need to mention all of them because there was a numerous amount.

And finally, the Coach, Teacher, and which every position Jan played. The three of them took a couple, then just Coach and Miss MacKay. AFter that Miss MacKay had also insisted that my father and I take a father daughter photo. There was two, one where I was in my hockey gear and he was in his Team USA clothing or letterman jacket and then a second where we both wore regular clothes. I can add those ones and the others to my collection of hockey photos. I have many, many, many of them now.

The plane ride was quiet. Most of the people on this place were middle aged people my father's age. He, Miss MacKay and Jan all rode in coach while the rest of us were in commercial.  This time, we all were sitting together this time since the kids had booked the seats. So the nine of us were all together, seats of three this time because we had the huge plan this time with the TVs and all that.

I was seated with Jesse and Averman. Connie was with Guy and Adam. Charlie was with Fulton and Goldberg. I was fine with the seating arrangements, so long as Averman stays asleep the entire way back and Jesse's TV doesn't turn off. I was sitting middle in my seat while in front of us was Connie, Guy, and Adam. And across from them was Charlie, Fulton, and Goldberg.

I was watching my own stupid show as Jesse was watching some movie. He was pretty quiet, but his hand was always covering his face, the side I was on. I had no idea if he was laughing, smiling, or taking to Charlie who was seated in front and across from him, whil in front of him was Guy. Connie was window and Adam was middle. In Charlie's seat, Goldberg took window, Fulton middle and Charlie was the outside seat.

I at one point had my headphones plugged in, but then turned the volume down and they happened to be talking about the stupidest stuff ever. Absolutely everything wrong with the dinosaur movies, like Jurassic Park, or is it world? One of those two. I then had put the volume back up and watched my movie. I had no idea who was asleep, other than Averman. Fulton was quiet again, and Adam didn't make a peep or a movement, but his TV was on.

Soon I just started thinking about anything. How will my future? Will anything happen that I won't see? That you won't see? What could happen? I want to know, but there's no such thing as a time machine to help see that. And if we did, I'd go to the future and past. The sixties seemed like a great time with all those bikers, pink ladies, and what not. Those classes, not much conflicts and freedom everyday.  It seemed fun, I'd visit that time if I had the chance to.

Right now I had to think of what I could for my future, hockey wise. I know I shall continue it because I wanna make it big and wild. But for now, I still need more practice because there's kid my age who may be better than I am. I'm not the only hotshot in the world. I may practice every other day or week, but that may not help in the end. I gotta be on a team and help them as they helo me. But not just any team, a good one or one that needs help. I just want to play and as long as I can play hockey, I'd be fine.

Hockey is my life. I competed as a Hawk, as a Roper, and as a Duck. At the end of the day, it didn't matter which team I was with. As long as I had a team to call home. A team to appreciate me and me to appreicate them. A team that helps one another and goes all the way. A team, is a group of friends, no, more of a family, who work together to get through anything together. That's what a team is and where ever that team is in the world, that's where I'll be.