Intensity

People often ask me if I actually have fun when I compete. A friend of mine who watched a lot of my baseball games last summer would always tell me that I looked so intense and focused that she couldn't imagine I was having any fun. I found this strange because there is nothing I would rather be doing.

Then I see the pictures. I always look angry; I always look like I'm ready to rip someone's head off. I can understand how someone might get the impression that I'm not having any fun. I present my current facebook picture as Exhibit A:
Yikes.

I was infamous in high school for that look when I played drums in band. Not even a conscious effort could remove it from my face. It became expected, and every time we would watch video of a past concert, everyone would wait for the camera to turn towards me and wait for the "matt is angry" face.

What it boils down to is this: I'm a very intense person. I take a lot of things very seriously; competing in sports is one of them. Over the years I've learned to harness this intensity, but that scowl on my face still remains. It extends beyond competing. As I mentioned, every time I sat behind a drum kit and played in front of people, that scowl reared its ugly face. Even sometimes when I'm in class or studying, people have commented that I never look like I'm enjoying myself much.

I suppose it's a bit strange, but I am a goaltender afterall.

-matt