dust, a variety of foods. The doctor started me on allergy shots and I was back in action before the school year began.
I felt like I had my life back. My whole identity as a young person had been wrapped up in sports and competing. I didn’t
know any other way. I felt grateful to be back with my friends as “myself” again, doing what I loved to do.
Mike Vaughn and I used to dream together as kids. We talked a lot about what we hoped would happen to us. I used to dream
about owning a go-cart, which I thought was the neatest thing, and playing hockey at either Michigan or Michigan State. I
worked on my paper route, caddied at the local country club during the summer, and was a rink rat at the Lakeland Arena during
the winter. I hoped to make enough money to buy a go-cart and to eventually play college hockey.
My dad would drop my brother and me off and we would caddie for the day. We did that for about five years between the ages
of eleven and sixteen. After caddying I delivered my newspapers. When golf season ended, I would work at the Lakeland Arena.
I sharpened skates in the pro shop, sold equipment, and swept out locker rooms at the rink. I was a true rink rat. We were
always around the rink trying to get extra ice time.
Mike Vaughn was about two or three years older than me. One day I told Mike my dream—how I hoped to get a college scholarship
and that one day I wouldn’t be sharpening skates and selling equipment, I would be playing hockey at the University of Michigan
or Michigan State. We talked about how dreams are achieved and how they come true. We talked about success and individual
differences and how important it was for us to be true to our dreams and ourselves.
Another time Mike and I were at the rink and I was sharpening a pair of skates while he worked on a goaltender’s glove. He
was repairing it, stitching it up and getting it ready to use, when out of the blue he said to me, “Pat, you want to play
hockey but I would love to own my own company and make my own hockey equipment.”
At the time, Mike was a goalie. He loved playing goal and he loved to work on his equipment to make it better. I said, “Yeah,
sure, Mike. And I’ll be a professional hockey player.” Well, we laughed, thought nothing of it, but both of us, in our own
way, kept dreaming and talking about our dreams.
After that last year at Lakeland Arena, Mike and I lost contact with each other. I turned sixteen and he went off to college.
Well, my dream came true—I went on to play professional hockey. One day, as I was getting ready to take the ice with the New
York Islanders, I noticed the name Vaughn on a goaltender’s pads and gloves that were on the floor across from my cubicle.
I thought, “Nah, it can’t be the same Vaughn, my friend who said he was going to have his own equipment company.”
I flashed back to the dreams and talks Mike and I had as young hockey players. I had been realizing my dream for a year and
a half as a New York Islander. Could it be that Mike was fulfilling his dream as well?
After the game, I began to inquire about the Vaughn equipment. I was told that the company specialized in goaltending equipment
and it was based in Michigan. I asked who the president of the company was. The voice on the other end of the phone said,
“My name is Mike Vaughn.”
I couldn’t believe it. I told Mike who was calling and we laughed and reminisced. To this day, he runs one of the best hockey
equipment companies out there. He has branched out into players’ equipment.
Mike and I helped each other imagine the kinds of futures we wanted. We didn’t know if we’d ultimately get to where we wanted
to be, but we set our goals and made up our minds to achieve them. It truly doesn’t hurt to dream.
SECTION 2
A Mother’s
Love
5
Dawn Anna
T hroughout my career I’ve had many coaches, and every one of them passed along something valuable. But I learned the most
I felt like I had my life back. My whole identity as a young person had been wrapped up in sports and competing. I didn’t
know any other way. I felt grateful to be back with my friends as “myself” again, doing what I loved to do.
Mike Vaughn and I used to dream together as kids. We talked a lot about what we hoped would happen to us. I used to dream
about owning a go-cart, which I thought was the neatest thing, and playing hockey at either Michigan or Michigan State. I
worked on my paper route, caddied at the local country club during the summer, and was a rink rat at the Lakeland Arena during
the winter. I hoped to make enough money to buy a go-cart and to eventually play college hockey.
My dad would drop my brother and me off and we would caddie for the day. We did that for about five years between the ages
of eleven and sixteen. After caddying I delivered my newspapers. When golf season ended, I would work at the Lakeland Arena.
I sharpened skates in the pro shop, sold equipment, and swept out locker rooms at the rink. I was a true rink rat. We were
always around the rink trying to get extra ice time.
Mike Vaughn was about two or three years older than me. One day I told Mike my dream—how I hoped to get a college scholarship
and that one day I wouldn’t be sharpening skates and selling equipment, I would be playing hockey at the University of Michigan
or Michigan State. We talked about how dreams are achieved and how they come true. We talked about success and individual
differences and how important it was for us to be true to our dreams and ourselves.
Another time Mike and I were at the rink and I was sharpening a pair of skates while he worked on a goaltender’s glove. He
was repairing it, stitching it up and getting it ready to use, when out of the blue he said to me, “Pat, you want to play
hockey but I would love to own my own company and make my own hockey equipment.”
At the time, Mike was a goalie. He loved playing goal and he loved to work on his equipment to make it better. I said, “Yeah,
sure, Mike. And I’ll be a professional hockey player.” Well, we laughed, thought nothing of it, but both of us, in our own
way, kept dreaming and talking about our dreams.
After that last year at Lakeland Arena, Mike and I lost contact with each other. I turned sixteen and he went off to college.
Well, my dream came true—I went on to play professional hockey. One day, as I was getting ready to take the ice with the New
York Islanders, I noticed the name Vaughn on a goaltender’s pads and gloves that were on the floor across from my cubicle.
I thought, “Nah, it can’t be the same Vaughn, my friend who said he was going to have his own equipment company.”
I flashed back to the dreams and talks Mike and I had as young hockey players. I had been realizing my dream for a year and
a half as a New York Islander. Could it be that Mike was fulfilling his dream as well?
After the game, I began to inquire about the Vaughn equipment. I was told that the company specialized in goaltending equipment
and it was based in Michigan. I asked who the president of the company was. The voice on the other end of the phone said,
“My name is Mike Vaughn.”
I couldn’t believe it. I told Mike who was calling and we laughed and reminisced. To this day, he runs one of the best hockey
equipment companies out there. He has branched out into players’ equipment.
Mike and I helped each other imagine the kinds of futures we wanted. We didn’t know if we’d ultimately get to where we wanted
to be, but we set our goals and made up our minds to achieve them. It truly doesn’t hurt to dream.
SECTION 2
A Mother’s
Love
5
Dawn Anna
T hroughout my career I’ve had many coaches, and every one of them passed along something valuable. But I learned the most
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