Ever sat on what you thought was a great idea for days, weeks, months or even years? Something that would require a lot of hard work and dedication, but could be infinitely rewarding? Well, up until this point, that's essentially been the story of my life. Why, you ask? Well, with great potential comes great risk of failure. No one, that I know of, would ever describe as brazen or brave. I'm simply not a chance taker, one willing to take a huge gamble on any sort of venture. But today, at this very moment, I've decided to cast aside my play-it-safe mentality. Here goes....
Since the beginning of the summer, I've been doing extensive research for a book idea. After seeking the advice of various members of the hockey universe, namely well-respected writers who have had success in newspapers, the blogosphere and in publishing, I've finally come to the realization that my idea is one worth pursuing. What is it? Allow me to tell you.
It's quite simple actually. In fact, there's a good chance that if you're reading this you just might be qualified to be a part of it. I'm looking to put together a compilation of features on members of the hockey world (players, coaches, management, media members) who have ties to New England. The book will not just be comprised of (hopefully) current players and personalities from the National Hockey League. I plan on dedicating a large portion of it to, for lack of a better term, non-household names. Put simply, I'm now officially on the hunt for special people who have done special things in the game of hockey.
A few examples, to shed some light on if you might just be who I'm looking for (all listings below are for active or former members):
* Inspirational coaches
* Players that have overcome injuries or illnesses
* Players and coaches involved in memorable games or seasons
* Veteran media members (any level)
* Players that have broken statistical records
And I also may seek out a limited number of:
* Fans that have attended historic hockey games
* Standout parents of hockey players
* Lifelong fans, namely season ticket holders, who have displayed immense dedication to one team
So, if you think that describes you, and you've been a part of one of the aforementioned examples in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont or Rhode Island, I suggest you keep reading. If not, you've already come this far, might as well finish this thing off, right?
I plan on getting to work on this immediately, so here's the step by step instructions if you'd like to submit your name and story for consideration:
1. Email me at
[email protected]. Make sure to include your full name, age, hometown, and as many details in your story as possible. If you would like to include other contact information, videos or photographs to accompany your submission, feel free to. This email address is strictly dedicated toward hockey related matters, but please be sure to title your submission appropriately. Please keep in mind that, while I look forward to any and all submissions, I will not be able to use all of them in the book. Make sure your story is something you strongly feel is a special one, and that the facts can be verified by other sources should it be necessary.
2. After submitting your story, I will reply as soon as possible to tell you whether or not it will be considered for use in the book. If I do feel that you have something great on your hands, I will contact you via email (or by telephone if provided) to discuss your story further.
3. After my initial response, there are multiple ways we can conduct an official interview. I'd be more than happy to meet up with you in the event you live or plan on being close by, or via telephone. If you happen to be a B's fan who plans on attending practices/training camp in Wilmington at Ristuccia Arena, or a game at the Garden, we could certainly sit down and talk there.
That just about wraps things up for now. I will be making mention of this idea regularly, and continuing to seek out stories for the foreseeable future. This is a big leap for someone like myself, but I just couldn't hold off on taking a shot any longer. It's going to take a lot of time and dedication on my part. Without
you, however, I'll just be binding together a collection of blank pages.
So please, email me at
[email protected], and spread the word to friends and family members whose stories might be of interest to me.
I greatly look forward to hearing from you all.
JC
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