The theme in 'Playing With Fire" was how to overcome obstacles and continue moving forward. How this theme really came alive was when Theo was living at home with an alcoholic father who spent all their money on booze,while his mother was so cooped up on drugs and having to live with two other brothers Theo was more of the father to his two brothers. While Theo was living at home he played hockey in Russell.Theo was the smallest player on the team but his speed is what made him a step ahead of the other players.Another good example is when Theo was playing under Graham James and since it was to far to go home every night he would stay at James's house and at nights James would try touch Theo and would try cover up with sheets so James would have no way to touch Theo. After doing this for so long Theo wouldn't get much sleep so it was affecting his play but after dealing with this for so long finally it stopped once he got back from the trip to disneyland he was free from James. Then when Theo was going to be drafted he was be judged on how short and was so small that he would not make it in the NHL. But on pg 49 the Calgary flames choose Theo round eight and the hundred and sixty six pick was drafted to the Calgary flames. When Theo went to his first training camp with the flames and he was told by the scout just because you're smaller than everyone use your speed. During the practice Theo used his speed and got on all the defenders heads because we he would use his agility and speed to get around the defenders. Even though Theo didn't make the team he made great impression on the team and then later that season he got called up to play and helped the Calgary flames win there first Stanley Cup.
By: Hunter C
I completely agree with you Fluffy Nutty he definitely used his speed and size to dance around the competition. I also agree the being touched inappropriately affected his play in a negative way. I do however have one question for you and I am wondering if you think that the anger from being touched and his parents fueled his anger and how he played on the ice?
ReplyDeleteI agree with both Fluffy Nutty and XShadowhunterXCDN, his size was an important role to how he became such a good hockey player as it allowed him to dominate the players that were mainly half a foot taller and 50 lbs heavier then him. I do disagree with the fact that you said the sexual abuse affected Theo in a negative way. Theo said many times throughout the book that drugs and alcohol helped take away the pain but to him the best way to take away the pain was to play hockey. He said that he uses all his problems whether the sexual abuse or the early parenthood problems as fuel for on the ice.
ReplyDeleteFluffy Nutty the examples you used in describing the obstacles that theo fleury had to overcome throughout his ride to the NHL .I have to disagree with Shadowhunter because what Grahm did didn't really affect his playing in a negative way it fueled him more to practice and play harder, it more affected his life when he started getting addicted alcohol and drugs but never really affected his play... Surprisingly.
ReplyDeleteYou prove a good point with this post. For a child to get over what I can only assume to be many attempts of sexual assault and a rough life Theo has done remarkably well. In Theo's case he didn't let his past affect who he wanted to be. Another student had mentioned in another post that they believed that once a child had gone through sexual assault that they should be taken away from hockey if their coach is sexually assaulting them. If a child can be taken to another rink where they can do a sport then that would be a better attempt than shunning them from the sport entirely. If a child is taught to give up their dreams because of the wrong doing of an individual, that teaches them that fighting and becoming stronger is impossible.
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