Research Paper On Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky is the greatest NHL player of all time. From the beginning of his childhood Gretzky always had a profound talent for hockey. At the age of two years old Gretzky was already skating and learning how to control a hockey puck. With hours upon hours of practice everyday Gretzky eventually became the greatest player in the little league, minor league, and one day the greatest player in the NHL. Gretzky started at the bottom of his league when he began playing hockey, but over time he became the best player on all the teams that he played for. Gretzky’s hockey career inspired and taught many that it takes long hours of hard work and dedication to become a great player. He taught many that anyone can achieve success if you put

At the beginning of Gretzky’s minor league career he was not the best player scoring only 1 goal in his first season (The Legend of 99). Gretzky wanted to become a better player, “Practicing for hours on end, it was here that a young Gretzky developed the skating, shooting and stickhandling techniques that appeared instinctive to so many over the course of his career” (The Legend of 99). In the following season Gretzky made a major improvement from the previous year by scoring a total of 378 goals (The Legend of 99). Gretzky showed strength and perseverance to overcome an obstacle by working hard on his technique which helped him to become one of the top scoring players in the minor league. Gretzky told a story from the very beginning of his hockey career and how he showed courage and strength, “ When I was 5 and playing against 11-year olds, who were bigger, stronger, faster, I just had to figure out a way to play with them” (‘Great and ‘Gretzky’ Belong Together). The quote explains that even though he was fearful of the older players he pushed through the fact that they were older than him and bigger than him, he was better than them. Gretzky pushing through the beginning challenges in his hockey career prepared him for what challenges he would eventually face in the NHL. Wayne Gretzky’s courage and strength inspires many athletes and hockey

Gretzky wants all children to have equal opportunity to play hockey which inspired his foundation. Gretzky’s new foundation gives money to families that cannot afford their child to play hockey be able to play. He believes that “every kid deserves a chance to play” (Wayne Gretzky Foundation). The Wayne Gretzky Foundation is dedicated to helping less fortunate youth experience the sport of hockey, both on and off the ice”(Wayne Gretzky Foundation). Gretzky wants children to be able to show off their talent no matter if they can afford it. Gretzky inspiring young hockey players that they have the opportunity to go big makes him a great hockey player. Inspiring people help many achieve their goals by pushing them and telling them that they can do it no matter the circumstance. Gretzky wants children to see the real meaning behind courage and perseverance because they can lead to the success of a long term goal. He wants children to be successful in their dreams and he believes they can be successful if they have the motivation to work as hard as they can even if they continuously fail. Gretzky gives the children in and out of his foundation encouragement that if they practice long and hard they will have great success in their hockey career. He believes kids will practice if “if it is total fun for him...and