Have you ever fallen in love at first sight? I have-twice.

The first time I laid eyes on Jennifer Aniston on the show Friends, and the first time I went to a hockey game.

I’ll stick to writing about the latter.

When I was four years old I got the privilege of seeing “Wayne Gretzky, in the flesh.

Witnessing him on the ice made me fall in love with the game before I was old enough to skate.

Many people neglect the true beauty of the game of hockey. It seems like a bunch of angry Canadians out there chasing each other, but the finesse and grace of the game is lost on most American viewers.

Two-hundred-pound men glide across three inches of frozen water on steel blades sharp enough to kill, enclosed by glass.

Physicality is key, and speed is deadly.

It’s organized chaos. Elegant, yet brutal.

Since then, I’ve been playing my heart out, and my love for the game hasn’t withered a bit.

From hockey, my love for sports grew.

Since I could first swing a bat, make a free-throw or catch a touchdown pass, sports put a smile on my face. They give me a sense of joy, adrenaline and satisfaction all in one.

The most beautiful thing about sports is the glory and triumph of competition.

Sports are capable of taking people away from the struggle that’s out there in the real world.

Right now, we are all affected by the recession. Times are tough.

Sports bring relief and happiness to so many people, whether it’s the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament or the first pitch on opening day.

Playing a pick-up basketball game the other day, I realized that all my thoughts and pressures were released the moment the ball hit the court.

I forgot about the current fiscal policies, troops in Iraq or getting a job after college.

For a moment, I’m just a 6th grader on the playgrounds at lunchtime again.

Before salary caps and million dollar paychecks, it was all about competition and passion. We still see that in a Kobe Bryant fourth quarter, or a Derek Jeter diving catch.

What would we do without the Super Bowl, NBA playoffs, or the Major League season?

Lucky for me and all the beer-drinking fellas out there, sports will always be apart of our lives. Sports bring people together.

Take the Red Sox for example. A Red Sox fan has undeniable hate for a Yankees fan, but the two fans can’t deny their common love for the game.

I bet even Obama and Bush can rally around a ball game together.

The lessons I’ve learned in the locker room, the relationships I’ve built with teammates and coaches, and the achievements and heartbreaks of wins and losses have taught me the value of being a good person, and the importance of sports in our lives.

Sports have given me almost everything in my life, and for that, I owe everything in return.